The effects of daily homework assignments on the acquisition of basic skills by students with learning disabilities

Examined in this two-study investigation was the effectiveness of supplemental homework assignments on the acquisition of basic skills by students with diagnosed learning disabilities (LD). In Experiment 1, an adapted alternating treatments design was used to investigate the efficacy of unstructured homework assignments with 6 elementary school-aged students having basic math problems. Although the impact of the homework assignments differed across students, three factors maximized the effectiveness of the homework assignments: rate of homework completion, percentage correct on the homework assignments, and the rate of acquisition of the content being presented. Experiment 2, designed to formally test the effectiveness of homework assignments structured specifically to address these identified factors, confirmed that homework can be employed to increase the effectiveness of direct instruction sequences with students diagnosed as LD.     

Students With Learning Disabilities: Homework Problems and Promising Practices

Students with learning disabilities are more likely than other students to have problems doing homework. In this article, we describe how deficits in language, attention, memory, and organizational skills as well as in reading, writing, and math affect homework performance. We describe family and school factors that may exacerbate-or ameliorate-their problems as well as the intervention research that has included students with learning disabilities. At this point, there appears to be a huge gap between the strategies successfully applied in intervention studies and teachers' preferences for interventions, a serious issue that spills over and has a negative influence on family life. Nonetheless, an emerging area of intervention research suggests that effective efforts to improve homework completion, accuracy, and test performance may require parental involvement, peer cooperation, self-monitoring and graphing, "real-life" assignments, teachercollaborative problem solving, or all.     

“Did you do your homework?” Mathematics teachers’ homework follow‐up practices at middle school level

Teachers’ homework follow‐up practices, the in‐class strategies teachers use to monitor their students’ homework assignments, have an impact on their students’ homework behaviors and academic achievement. The current study explored the perspectives of middle school mathematics teachers on the three domains of homework follow‐up: the practices used in class, the purposes of each practice, and the aspects that may influence this process. Data were collected from two data sources (i.e., focus groups and classroom observations) and were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings showed that teachers monitored homework either using a single strategy or a combination of strategies (e.g., checking homework completion and providing individual feedback) linked to a specific purpose (e.g., promote students’ involvement). The teachers also reported that they were under certain constraints when they delivered homework follow‐up practices (e.g., pressure to follow the curriculum), so their practices’ effectiveness sometimes can be compromised. Implications for practice are discussed.     

Online homework impact in undergraduate mathematics and business statistics courses

This evaluation examines the impact on student success rates related to changes in instructional programmes in undergraduate mathematics and statistics courses. Success for students taking courses with a computer-based homework component was compared with success of students who took the course in prior semesters without the computer-based component. Graphical and analytical tools are used to compare results. Results come from multiple semesters of each type of homework application, for both pre-calculus algebra and business statistics courses. Students whose performance is utilised in this study are undergraduate students taking introductory level college mathematics or business statistics courses, with mostly no prior instruction at this level. Comparing the success of the intervention group with the success of the baseline control group, findings support that the students using the computer-based homework instruction are just as successful as those using the traditional method of homework instruction. Utilising the online homework applications, provide several important advantages in today’s universities, including the reduced time for faculty grading, consistency of graded assignments across all sections of a course and most importantly, immediate feedback for students.     

Disentangling the effects of flipped classroom instruction in EFL secondary education: When is it effective and for whom?

Flipped classroom refers to an instructional approach in which students study educational videos at home and do homework assignments in class. The present study aims to compare flipped classroom with other forms of video-based instruction and determine which types of students benefit most from video-based instruction. Thirty-eight EFL school classes with 848 ninth-grade students took part in a quasi-experimental pre-post-test intervention study over four weeks. Two independent variables were completely crossed resulting in four experimental conditions: video (at home vs. in class) and instructional method (student-centred vs. teacher-centred). Multilevel analysis reveals that all four experimental conditions were equally effective in promoting students’ learning gains. At-risk, average and excellent students profited least from the learning conditions. The study constitutes a first step towards a comprehensive evaluation of flipped classroom by using a better-controlled research design and may contribute to a more objective discussion about the positive effects of flipped classroom.     

The Effects of a Strategic Writing Program for Students with and without Learning Disabilities in Inclusive Fifth‐Grade Classes

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a comprehensive writing program for students with and without learning disabilities (LD) in inclusive general education classrooms. The program incorporated research‐based components including instruction in a prewriting planning strategy, narrative text structure, writing strategies, and the process approach to writing. The study was conducted in five fifth‐grade inclusive classrooms with 113 students (including 14 students with LD). A quasi‐experimental comparison‐group design was utilized, whereby three intact experimental classes received the writing intervention, and two intact comparison classes received traditional writing instruction. Measures included several writing indicators as well as state writing competency test scores. Results indicated that the students with and without LD in the experimental group made significant gains from pretest to posttest on several writing measures. Although students in the comparison group made some gains, the gains were related to fewer measures than the measures associated with experimental‐group gains, and the effect sizes were smaller.     

Effects of Manipulative Instruction on Solving Area and Perimeter Problems by Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract. A multiple baseline design was employed to test the effect of manipulative instruction on the perimeter and area problem‐solving performance of middle and high school students who had been diagnosed with LD in the area of mathematics. Modeling, prompting/guided practice, and independent practice in conjunction with manipulative training were employed to teach both perimeter and area problem‐solving skills. Analysis of data revealed that the students rapidly acquired the problem‐solving‐skills, maintained these skills over a two‐month period, and transferred these skills to a paper and pencil problem‐solving format. This research extends previous findings by revealing that use of concrete manipulatives promotes the long‐term maintenance of skills.     

THE EFFECTS OF GROUP COACHING ON THE HOMEWORK PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY SECONDARY STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES

Research on the effectiveness of homework provides ample evidence that homework has a positive effect on learning, particularly for secondary students. Unfortunately, the rate of consistent homework completion for students, with and without disabilities, is low. This study used a between‐groups design to examine the differential effectiveness of coaching, a self‐management intervention, compared with the local treatment‐as‐usual (homework center) on improving the homework completion of 50 middle school students (Grades 6 to 8) with and without disabilities who were having substantial difficulty with homework. Results indicated that both group coaching and homework center (treatment‐as‐usual) were effective in significantly decreasing homework problems, with no clear indication that one intervention was, overall, superior to the other. However, preliminary analyses suggest that these interventions might be differentially effective as a function of disability status.     

Effects of a Pre‐service Teacher Preparation Programme on Effective Instruction

A quasi‐experimental, treatment‐control group investigation was designed to test the effects of a pre‐service training course on effective instruction. Research findings from teacher effects research and cognitive strategy instruction were translated into two direct instructional models: one model for explicit or well‐structured skills and one model for implicit skills or higher‐level thinking strategies. Following a course on effective instruction from their teacher educators, student teachers implemented standardised lessons to apply selected research‐derived teaching behaviours and to increase pupil engagement rates. Based on trained observers’ pre‐and post‐training classroom observations, a significant treatment effect was found for student teachers’ teaching behaviours regarding effective instruction and for pupil engagement rates. Ratings from supervising teachers also showed that the student teachers who participated in the course on effective instruction used the recommended instructional skills after completion of the course significantly better than prior to the course.     

Use and Acceptability of Writing Adaptations for Students with Disabilities: Survey of Grade 3–8 Teachers

One hundred forty‐one teachers in grades 3–8 indicated how frequently they made 24 writing instructional adaptations for students with disabilities. They also rated the acceptability of each of the 24 adaptations on three dimensions: effectiveness, effort needed to implement, and implementation knowledge. Teachers reported making 16 different adaptations monthly or more often, and 10 at least weekly. The most common adaptation was allowing extra time to complete writing assignments. The least common adaptations included extra handwriting instruction, opportunities to compose via dictation, and homework to reinforce skills. Teachers viewed most of the adaptations as acceptable, and views on acceptability made a unique contribution to predicting reported use of adaptations, after variance due to student and other teacher variables was controlled.     

Adolescents with Learning Disabilities as Writers: Are We Selling Them Short?

This article chronicles the evolution of a programmatic line of research on strategic writing instruction for adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) conducted by staff and affiliates of the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. The goal associated with this research is that students with LD learn the writing skills that they need to succeed in high school and beyond and that their skills are comparable to the skills of their peers. Individual studies have shown that adolescents with LD can master a given writing strategy and can apply that strategy to novel prompts and in general education classes. Moreover, they can learn simple writing strategies from computerized programs. They can also maintain use of a writing strategy over time. When students learn several writing strategies, their scores on standardized tests improve, and their writing competency is comparable to that of peers. Studies have also shown that teachers can teach the writing strategies and achieve successful results. Care must be taken, however, to ensure that students with LD receive the instruction under conditions where they have multiple opportunities to reach mastery on each skill and receive individualized feedback on practice attempts. Overall, the research has shown that adolescents with LD can learn complex writing skills such as planning, writing, and editing multiparagraph themes; can apply these skills to tasks that are assigned in required general education courses; and can be successful in those courses.     

Using Number Lines to Solve Math Word Problems: A Strategy for Students with Learning Disabilities

Students with learning disabilities (LD) consistently struggle with word problem solving in mathematics classes. This difficulty has made curricular, state, and national tests particularly stressful, as word problem solving has become a predominant feature of such student performance assessments. Research suggests that students with LD perform poorly on word problem‐solving items due primarily to deficits in problem representation. Therefore, it is imperative that teachers provide these students with supplemental problem‐solving instruction that specifically targets the development of representational strategies. This article describes how one representational strategy, using number lines, can be used to model word problems as part of a comprehensive problem‐solving intervention to improve the conceptual understanding of math word problems and, subsequently, the problem‐solving performance of students with LD.     

The Test‐Taking Strategy Intervention for College Students with Learning Disabilities

Limited research exists related to empirically validated strategies to assist college students with learning disabilities (LD). Given that students with LD demonstrate both fewer test‐taking skills and higher levels of test anxiety than their peers without LD, and poor test‐taking skills contribute to higher levels of test anxiety, such research is critical. The present study examines the effectiveness of the test‐taking strategy on test performance (timed/untimed), degree of strategy usage, and time on test‐taking task, with a sample of university students with LD. This strategy has been successful with adolescents with LD, but has not been studied with postsecondary populations. Results of a multiple baseline design suggested that the strategy was an effective intervention for these students. Implications are discussed.     

Preventing retention: First grade classroom instruction and student characteristics

Retention is a frequently used strategy to support children who are struggling academically. However, the strategy is costly, and research findings with regard to positive outcomes are mixed. This study examined whether efficacious reading instruction might reduce rates of retention in first grade. We also evaluated the reading instruction the students received compared with children with similar reading and vocabulary skills who were not retained. Additionally, we examined the impact students' self‐regulation may have on grade retention. Findings reveal that it was significantly less likely for students to be retained at the end of first grade if their teacher was implementing more efficacious reading instruction. Moreover, there were substantial differences in the literacy instruction provided for children who were and were not retained. Finally, students in the efficacious reading condition who were retained exhibited significantly weaker self‐regulation skills than did their matched‐promoted peers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The Effects of Interactive Reading Homework and Parent Involvement on Children's Inference Responses

This study examined the effects of (a) interactive reading homework, and (b) parent involvement with children during homework on students' responses to inference questions. Interactive reading homework refers to homework designed to involve both parents and children and to facilitate student reasoning. The participants were 84 parents and 84 second grade students from three Alabama elementary schools. Data were gathered using pre- and post student inference tests, parent behavior checklists, and parent homework questionnaires. The results indicated that interactive reading homework increased both parental involvement during the completion of reading homework assignments and students' ability to draw inferences.     

Early Identification of Student Performance and Effort Using an Online Homework System: A Pilot Study

Two distinct student groups, in terms of academic performance, were identified early in the semester as either being under-performing students or over-performing students using an online homework system. The students who are identified as under-performing received, on average, lower grades than their fellow students but spent more time completing the homework assignments. These students are great candidates for targeted advertisement of student resources such as tutoring services. The students who are identified in the over-performing student population received higher grades than their fellow students, but spent less time completing the homework assignments. These students are great candidates for honors programs, independent research projects, and peer-tutoring programs. Incorporating these evaluation criteria to online homework systems will allow instructors to quickly identify students in these academic student populations.     

Enhancing student achievement through computer-generated homework

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of interactive computer-generated homework on student achievement. Of two sections of Physical Science I, one received homework via the computer; the other received printed, equivalent homework assignments. The results of this study indicate that the use of drill-and-practice computer homework minimizes differences among students with a corresponding decrease in the correlation between posttest scores and entry-level combined ACT science and mathematics scores. The results also support the basic assumption of mastery learning that appropriate instruction will decrease the relationship between aptitude and achievement.     

Increasing on‐task behavior during mathematics independent seat‐work in students with emotional disturbance by interspersing additional brief problems

Alternating treatments designs were used to compare on‐task levels in 4 students diagnosed as emotionally disturbed while working on control and experimental independent seat‐work mathematics assignments. Control and experimental assignments were similar except experimental assignments contained additional briefer mathematics problems interspersed following every third problem. Results showed greater on‐task levels while working on experimental assignments across 3 of the 4 students. Discussion focuses on problem completion being a conditioned reinforcer and applying this theory to prevent and remedy academic and social‐behavior problems in students with behavior disorders. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Getting remedial mathematics students to prefer homework with 20% and 40% more problems: An investigation of the strength of the interspersing procedure

High school students in remedial mathematics classes were exposed to three pairs of mathematics computation assignments. Three of the assignments served as control assignments and contained 15 target problems (i.e., three‐digit by two‐digit multiplication problems). Students were also exposed to three paired experimental assignments that contained either 15 (0% more), 18 (20% more), or 21 (40% more) equivalent target problems. Each experimental assignment was also lengthened by interspersing additional one‐digit by one‐digit problems following every third target problem. After exposure to each pair of assignments, students reported which of the two assignments (control or experimental) would require the most time and effort to finish, which was most difficult, and which assignment they would prefer to do for homework. Across all three assignment pairs, significantly more students rated the experimental assignment more favorably for time, effort, and difficulty and chose the experimental assignment for homework. These results extend previous research on interspersing additional brief tasks by showing that this procedure has sufficient strength to get students to prefer homework assignments with 20% and 40% more target problems. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.