ERIC Number: EJ767692
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 12
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-6434
EISSN: N/A
Using a Computer-Adapted, Conceptually Based History Text to Increase Comprehension and Problem-Solving Skills of Students with Disabilities
Twyman, Todd; Tindal, Gerald
Journal of Special Education Technology, v21 n2 p5-16 Spr 2006
The purpose of this study was to improve the comprehension and problem-solving skills of students with disabilities in social studies using a conceptually framed, computer-adapted history text. Participants were 11th and 12th grade students identified with learning disabilities in reading and writing from two intact, self-contained social studies classes. During the three weeks of the study, students in the experimental group received content regarding the Industrial Revolution via a conceptually framed, computer-adapted text, while students in the control group were taught the same content using the district adopted textbook. Two curriculum-based measures were used to measure comprehension, and an extended-response essay was used to measure problem-solving performance. Analyses showed no statistical difference between the groups for comprehension. However, students in the experimental group statistically outperformed students in the control group on the extended-response essay. Results are discussed in terms of effect size and group sampling size. Implications from these findings indicate that computer-adaptive technology is an effective learning supplement for students with disabilities in content classrooms. (Contains 7 tables and 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Experimental Groups, Social Studies, Problem Solving, Learning Disabilities, Grade 12, Control Groups, Reading Comprehension, Grade 11, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), History Instruction, Computer Assisted Instruction, Conventional Instruction, Performance Based Assessment, Intermode Differences, Textbook Evaluation
Technology and Media Division of the Council for Exceptional Children. Available from: Boyd Printing Company, Inc. University of Oklahoma, College of Education, 820 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73072. Web site: http://jset.unlv.edu/shared/subscribe.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A