DASHING 'D'

About the Project

Dashing 'D' is a drone-based learning innovation designed to support early numeracy among students with special educational needs who experience difficulties recognising directions, colours, shapes, and number symbols. Guided by Universal Design for Learning, the innovation combines visual prompts, physical drone movement, and teacher-guided practice in a multisensory, hands-on environment. Four students completed activities in which they flew a drone left, right, up, down, forward, and backward, and then navigated it according to colour cards, geometric shapes, and number symbols. Performance was evaluated through pre- and post-intervention observations. The combined observation score increased from 9 to 20, with improvement recorded for all four participants. Classroom observations also indicated stronger attention, interaction, fine motor coordination, and engagement. These preliminary findings suggest that Dashing 'D' has potential as an accessible assistive technology for student-centred numeracy instruction in special education.