Research Initiatives

IST is a catalyst for innovative thinking and bold exploration of cutting-edge scientific research. Our students are involved in research that is changing education in America and introducing technology breakthroughs to industry.

Acellus Learning Accelerator

For twenty years, IST has been engaged in research to improve online education for K-12 schools. The Acellus Learning Accelerator was created by IST to apply science to the learning process, using advanced technology and feedback analysis to meet the needs of the diverse students schools need to serve. Schools that have adopted Acellus report reduced dropout rates, increased graduation rates, and growing success helping students transition to careers and college studies.

Building on scientific research, Acellus developers study the way students learn, identify obstacles to learning, and experiment with different techniques rooted in cognitive science to discover the ones that accelerate learning. Read more about Acellus.

Prism Diagnostics

Prism Diagnostics identifies specific deficiencies in students’ understanding of core concepts and responds immediately with Customized Personal Instruction (CPI) videos for that precise deficit. The result is that every student receives personalized instruction at the moment when they need it most.

Vectored Instruction

Vectored Instruction enables students to master foundational skills they are missing that are prerequisites to success in their current course of study. Vectored Instruction fills in the gaps while keeping students within their credit-level course, enabling them to stay on track for graduation.

Writing Tutor

The Writing Tutor was developed using intelligent interaction to tutor students as they write, giving immediate feedback on grammar, spelling, vocabulary and even on writing style. This long awaited game changer provides teaching quality writing in the online learning environment.

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STEM-10: A Cohesive 10-Year Initiative Connecting Students to STEM Careers

STEM-10 is a cohesive 10-year program starting in elementary school. The first 7 years of the program focus on STEM instruction, starting with coding in the 3rd grade introducing Cellus Bot, a teaching robot which is equipped with lights, motor, and sensors, controlled by block coding modules.  JavaScript with an advanced robot, Electronics and Coding, Robotics, Computer Science, Internet and Networking and Advanced Coding round out seven years. In years 8-10, students choose specific pathways that matches their interest in either HTML, iOS & Swift or Android & Java. STEM-10 is a major initiative engineered to significantly increase the number of students prepared for high-tech careers right out of high school.

Acellus STEM Robotics Lab

A Learning Environment Designed to Spark Creativity

The Acellus STEM Robotics Lab creates an environment tuned to give students a discover-and-create learning experience. Rather than only working through a simulated environment, Acellus STEM Labs provide students with an actual robot to program.

The specially designed STEM Learning pods include all the tools students need to be creative and productive. Each pod seats three students and includes touchscreen laptop computers, programmable robots, active learning stools, a whiteboard tabletop, and dry erase markers.

The Acellus STEM Lab utilizes cognitive instruction, a method of instruction that achieves student learning through the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

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Cyber Security Initiatives

Cyber Security Research Center

The Cyber Security Research Center of the Institute of Science and Technology is dedicated to the advancement of cyber security through ongoing research and development initiatives. The CSRC advises industry partners regarding security methodologies and works to overcome technological barriers in order to establish more effective approaches for protecting and securing information resources. Over the past 10 years, the CSRC has contributed multiple breakthroughs in the areas of data encryption and user authentication.

In 2018, two IST faculty members announced the co-invention of B2 Cryptography, a new disruptive technology which solved the age-old problem of securely exchanging encryption keys, even over a public network. This cryptographic breakthrough has proven to be many times more secure than the commonly used alternative (PKI). B2 Cryptography has been deployed by the Department of Defense and other Federal government agencies.