HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., Oct. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Centenary University’s Innovation, Education and Psychology Departments partnered with Elemental Path, an educational technology developer that was recently named “A Top 10 Artificial Intelligence Company that is Disrupting Education” by DisruptorDaily, to conduct a research project to determine the impact of engaging students with the CogniToys™ Dino, a cloud-based artificial intelligence smart toy dinosaur that engages with children for customized learning and play.

Centenary University’s Assistant Professor of Psychology, Dr. Kris Gunawan, and Dr. Timothy Frederiks, Assistant Professor of Education and Chair of the Education Department, worked with ten 4-to 8-year-old students from three different school districts: Adamsville Elementary School (Bridgewater, N.J.), Belvidere High School (Belvidere, N.J.) and Mountain Villa School (Allamuchy, N.J.). Teachers also received a questionnaire asking about children’s oral skills and their English language proficiency. Students who participated in the project received a free CogniToys™ Dino at the end of the six-week study. At the end of the study, Elemental Path received an extensive report of the findings. 

“This is a dinosaur that tells stories, sings songs, tells jokes, asks questions and really engages the students,” says Dr. Gunawan. “The goal is for the students to become better communicators as a result of their interaction with the CogniToys Dino.”

Thomas, a dad from Allamuchy, found that his seven-year-old daughter enunciates her words much better since the initiative took place. 

“Not only is this a really fun product for the children and interesting for adults to watch, but it is educational and my daughter’s speech has improved, as a result,” says Thomas.  “The CogniToys Dino is loaded with many different stories and it is quite interactive.  My daughter’s favorite story is Bad Breath Berry.“

Elemental Path is an educational technology developer offering a cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) software platform called Friendgine. The company’s line of CogniToys™ are AI-enhanced smart toys that run on this software and have a unique personality. The CogniToys Dino enables speech-based learning through intelligent conversation with the child in real time, providing a personalized learning experience for kids based on their interests and behaviors – resulting in an unparalleled smart toy play experience for children worldwide. Elemental Path recently launched a new addition to the CogniToys family called the STEMosaur, which offers even greater play value through the addition of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and Coding elements.

“Working with the Centenary team was productive and informative,” says Jose Baptista, President of Elemental Path. “They spent many hours conducting and preparing for this study and were committed to providing us with helpful data that we can utilize moving forward.”

Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary University’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. Centenary University’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County). 

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SOURCE Centenary University