Website: http://www.mentalmaps.org
The Mental Attributes Profiling System (MAPS) is a language independent screening test, i.e., relies on cognitive rather than language-based measures, capable of predicting children at risk (possible dyslexics) and equipping teachers with a profile of their mental abilities so as to design personalized remediation programs.
The MAPS battery addresses eight major domains of language-independent and -dependent tests that have been frequently linked to reading development and/or disability:
(1) short-term visual memory
(2) short-term auditory memory
(3) auditory and/or visual discrimination
(4) letter-sound & sound-symbol correspondences
(5) lateral awareness
(6) categorization
(7) sequential processing
(8) navigational ability.
Preliminary data were reported in various conferences, e.g. at the EARLI, ECEL
Work presented in Conferences
Laouris, Y., Makris, P., & Georgiou, G. (2002). MAPS (Mental Attributes Profiling System): A computerized, psychometric system for cognitive analysis. In A. Gagatsis, L. Kyriakides, N. Tsaggaridou, & E. Ftiaka (Eds.), Proceedings of the VII Pancypriot Conference of Educational Research (pp. 225-233), University of Cyprus [In Greek].
Laouris, Y., & Makris, P. (2002). M.A.P.S. Mental Attributes Profiling System computerized battery for dyslexia assessment. Proc. IDA 53rd Annual Conference, November 13-16, 2002 - Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Laouris, Y., & Makris, P. (2002). M.A.P.S. Mental Attributes Profiling System computerized battery for dyslexia assessment. Proc. Multilingual & Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Dyslexia, Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D. C., June 27-29, 2002, USA.
Papadopoulos, T. C, Laouris, Y., & Makris, P. (2003). The validation of a computerised cognitive battery of tests for the diagnosis of children with dyslexia. Proc. IDA 54th Annual Conference, November 12-15, 2003 – San Diego, California, USA.
Laouris, Y. (2003). An educationally relevant definition of the learning brain. Proc. IDA 54th Annual Conference, November 12-15, 2003 – San Diego, California, USA.
Laouris, Y., Papadopoulos, T. C, & Makris, P. (2004). The validation of MAPS, computerized cognitive battery of tests, in 30 schools of Cyprus. 6th BDA International Conference, March 27-30, 2004 – Warwick, UK.
Gumpert, G., Drucker., S., & Laouris. Y. (2005).Processing contemporary television images; New demands for Attention and concentration. Proc. 3rd International Multilingualism and Dyslexia Conference: Multilingual and Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Dyslexia, Limassol, Cyprus, 2005.
El-Haddad, C. & Laouris, Y. (2005). Introducing the concept of “emotions” in school curricula; Technology-assisted recognition and mimicking of facial expressions in a team of elementary school children with mild learning disabilities. Proc. 3rd International Multilingualism and Dyslexia Conference: Multilingual and Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Dyslexia, Limassol, Cyprus, 2005.
Loredana Mihalca, L., Laouris, Y., Miclea, M. (2007). Children’s school readiness: predicting school competence in first grade. Proc.EARLI Conference, Budapest, Hungary, 26-31 Aug. 2007.
Laouris, Y., & Makris, P. (2007). An interactive ICT demonstration of MAPS (Mental Attributes Profiling System). Proc. EARLI Conference, Budapest, Hungary, 26-31 Aug. 2007.
Taraszow, T., & Laouris, Y. The development of the categorization ability in children age 8 to 12. Proc. EARLI Conference, Budapest, Hungary, 26-31 Aug. 2007.
Aristodemou, E., Taraszow, T., Laouris, Y., Papadopoulos, T., & Makris, P. (2008). Prediction of Reading Performance Using the MAPS (Mental Attributes Profiling System) Multimodal Interactive ICT Application. Proceedings of 7th European Conference on e-learning, Agia Napa, Cyprus.
Work published in peer-reviewed articles
Laouris, Y., Aristodemou, E., and Makris, P. 2009. Prediction of Learning Abilities Based on a Cross-Modal Evaluation of Non-verbal Mental Attributes Using Video-Game-Like Interfaces. In Cross-Modal Analysis of Speech, Gestures, Gaze and Facial Expressions. A. Esposito and R. Vích, Eds. Lecture Notes In Artificial Intelligence, vol. 5641. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 248-265. DOI= http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03320-9_24
Loizou, A., & Laouris, Y. (2010).Developing prognosis tools to identify learning difficulties in children using Machine Learning technologies.Cognitive Computation, DOI 10.1007/s12559-010-9052-5.
El‐Haddad, C. and Laouris, Y. (2011). The Ability of Children with Mild Learning Disabilities to Encode Emotions through Facial Expressions. In: Toward Autonomous, Adaptive, and Context-Aware Multimodal Interfaces: Theoretical and Practical Issues. Esposito, A.Esposito, A.M., Martone, R., Müller,V.C., Scarpetta, G., Eds. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) Springer, 6456: 399-415.
Project Director: Dr. Yiannis Laouris
Scientific partners: Mr. Pantelis Makris, Dr. Timotheos Papadopoulos, Dr. Costas Apostolides, Prof. Andreas Papapavlou, Prof. Athanasios Gagatsis
Researchers: Mrs.Christiane El-Haddad, Mrs. Elena Aristodemou, Mrs. Tatjana Taraszow, Dr. Antonis Loizou, Dr. Loredana Mihalka