Using a games console in the primary classroom: Effects of ‘Brain Training’ programme on computation and self‐esteem

It is known that computer games are motivating for children, but there is limited direct evidence of their effects on classroom learning. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the effects of a commercial off‐the‐shelf computer game on children's mental computation skills and on aspects of self‐perceptions. A pre–post design was employed. The participants were 71 primary school children (10–11 years old) from three classes. In School 1, a class of 21 children used a games console for 20 minutes each day, running a ‘brain training’ game. Two comparison groups were used. In School 2, 31 children used ‘Brain Gym’ techniques in their class over the treatment period. In school three, a class of 19 children acted as no‐treatment controls. The treatment period was 10 weeks. Significant pre–post gains were found in the games console group for both accuracy and speed of calculations, while results for the two comparison groups were mixed. The games console group showed significant gains in global self‐esteem, but not in other aspects of self‐concept. The comparison groups showed no significant gains in any area of self‐perceptions. There is a need now for upscaling to investigate generalisability.     

Computer‐Assisted Instruction and Conceptual Change

Abstract

In this study, the question was addressed which instructional conditions are required to teach students how they themselves can initiate and perform learning activities aimed at conceptual change. The CONTACT‐2 strategy (a computer‐assisted instructional strategy for promoting conceptual change in the domain of basic physical geography) served as starting point for the design of several training procedures aimed at enhancing self‐regulated learning. With the first experimental condition, strategic support was gradually withdrawn ('faded') within each instructional step, while, with the second experimental condition, the number of steps was reduced as the training continued. The original CONTACT‐2 condition served as control condition. Subjects were 65 fifth‐ and sixth‐graders (primary education). Dependent variables concerned students’ abilities to initiate and perform learning activities aimed at conceptual change, the quality of their conceptions, and their learning performance. Results suggested that ‘fading’ can be a fruitful instructional approach to foster self‐regulated learning aimed at conceptual change, provided that the ‘fading’ procedure is tuned to the students’ actual level of self‐regulated learning: external control should not be withdrawn until students are able (and prepared) to initiate and perform the learning activities being required. When these conditions are met, designing effective training procedures aimed at ‘learning for conceptual change’ seems possible.     

Perception of competence: risk and protective predictors following an e‐self‐advocacy intervention for adolescents with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of competence among adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) who participated in a virtual supported self‐advocacy programme within the risk and protective paradigm. The sample consisted of 374 adolescents with and without learning disabilities, students of the 7th to 9th grades, at 15 schools across Israel. The adolescents were divided into three groups, matched by age and gender: 111 adolescents with LD who participated in a five‐month virtual‐supported intervention, and two comparison groups: adolescents with LD (N = 115) who did not participate in the program and adolescents without LD (N = 148). The self‐perceptions of adolescents were assessed using the following questionnaires: basic psychological skills (competence and relatedness); hope and loneliness. Following the intervention, higher competence scores were reported by students with LD who participated in the programme. At that time (the end of the academic year), the predictors of the groups of students with LD for the competence measure were their level of competence at the beginning of the period, their belonging to the group who participated in the intervention, their loneliness and hope. Comparisons with predictors of the group of students without LD, and with predictors of competence at the beginning of the year, emphasized the importance of risk factors (loneliness) and the protective factors (hope) for students with LD. In addition, the results focused attention at the contribution of the participation in an e‐supported self advocacy programme for enhancing competence among students with LD.     

Patterns of Close Relationships and Socioemotional and Academic Adjustment Among School‐Age Children with Learning Disabilities

This study examined patterns of close relationships among school‐age children with learning disabilities (LD) as manifested in their attachment style, their self‐perceived loneliness, their sense of coherence, and teacher ratings of their academic functioning. In line with resilience theory, this study also aimed to further explore predictors of positive adjustment for children with LD. The sample comprised 98 children with LD from regular classes in four Israeli public elementary schools, and 98 non‐LD children from the same classes. Significant group differences emerged in attachment styles and adjustment. Attachment style significantly correlated with socioemotional adjustment but not with academic functioning. In addition, a subgroup of resilient children emerged among the LD children. Discussion focused on the value of attachment patterns for understanding social and emotional adjustment among school‐age children with LD.     

The Effects of Group Counselling on Classroom Behaviour and Self‐concept among Elementary School Learning Disabled Children

This study investigated the effects of participation in group counselling sessions on the classroom behaviour and self‐concept of learning disabled (LD) children in elementary school. Sixty LD children were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 30) and control (n= 30) conditions. Participants in the treatment group were divided into three groups and participated in group counselling sessions which met for approximately one hour per week for 10 weeks. Dependent measures included Acting Out and Distractibility from the Walker Problem Behavior Identification Checklistand Personal Self, Social Self, and Intellectual Self from the Primary Self‐Concept Inventory.Results indicated that participation in group counselling sessions improved behaviour in the classroom and enhanced some positive self‐evaluations (Social Self). The intervention appears to be beneficial in improving acting out and distractibility behaviours and one area of self‐concept.     

Imaginative interaction with Internet games. For children and teachers

This article explores children's imaginative interaction with Internet games in the belief that an understanding of children's life experiences is essential to effective teaching and learning within the classroom. It is underpinned by the idea that imaginative play is, at least in some part, the work of children undertaking identity practice. It focuses on a small group case study of 8‐ and 9‐year‐old children, from diverse cultural backgrounds, who were regular players on free‐access commercial Internet games. As children frequently perform imaginative narrative play both privately and in groups triggered from experiences with novels, films and television, the research initially focused on whether similar activities resulted from experiences with commercially sponsored free Internet game sites. If so, to what extent might these texts also influence children's creative output? To explore this, the children attended a weekly after‐school computer club during which they played on Internet games. During the course of the club sessions, each child was observed and interviewed about the experiences they had resulting from the gameplay. Through consideration of the children's play and opinions, the teacher researcher developed valuable insights into her students and their worlds to the benefit of her practice.     

Educational benefits of using game consoles in a primary classroom: A randomised controlled trial

It is known that computer games are motivating for children, but there is limited direct evidence of their effects on classroom learning. The studies that are available tend to be limited in terms of output data reported, or small in scale, or both. The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to upscale a recent study by Miller and Robertson investigating the effects of a commercial off‐the‐shelf computer game on children's mental computation skills and self‐perceptions. A pre‐post design was employed, with 634 primary (elementary) school children (10–11 years old) from 32 schools across Scotland. Schools were randomly assigned to experimental or control conditions. In the experimental schools, children used a games console for 20 minutes each day, running a ‘brain training’ game. The controls continued with their normal routine. The treatment period was 9 weeks. Significant pre‐post gains in accuracy and speed of calculations were found in both experimental and control groups over the treatment period. Gains in the experimental group were 50% greater than those of the controls in accuracy, and twice those of the controls in speed. There were no significant changes in two measures of self‐concept for either group. There was a small but statistically significant improvement in attitude towards school among the experimental group but not the controls. When scores were analysed by ability, different patterns were apparent. The design of the study allows a degree of confidence when generalising from these results. Some implications of the findings are discussed.     

Self‐concepts of students with learning disabilities and their normally achieving peers: a review

In an attempt to test the assumption that children with learning disabilities (LD) have deficient self‐concepts, a number of studies have compared the self‐concepts of students with learning disabilities and their normally achieving (NA) peers. The purpose of this paper is to review recent studies that investigated the academic, social and general self‐concepts of students with LD and their NA peers and compare the results with those of a previous meta‐analysis of relatively older studies, by ­Chapman. Consistent with earlier findings, results of the present review indicated that the academic self‐concept of LD students is more negative than that of their NA peers. Unlike Chapman’s conclusion, however, the evidence is less clear for general self‐concept. This is also true for social self‐concept. Because the evidence that shows no group differences outweighs that indicating better ­social and general self‐concept scores for NA children, the conclusion that children with LD hold more negative social and general self‐concepts than do NA children is not warranted.     

Social‐Information‐Processing Skills of Kindergarten Children with Developmental Learning Disabilities

The study examined the social‐information‐processing skills of kindergarten children with developmental learning disabilities (LD) utilizing Crick and Dodge's (1994) model of children's social adjustment as a theoretical framework. Participants consisted of 20 kindergarten children with developmental LD who attended three integrated kindergartens and 20 children without developmental LD from the same kindergartens. Participants were assessed on social‐information‐processing skills, feelings of loneliness, sense of coherence, and teachers' ratings of behavioral problems and positive resources. The results indicated that girls with developmental LD performed significantly lower on two information‐processing steps—the response decision and the enactment steps—than did girls without LD. Such differences were not found for boys. The results also showed that the social‐information‐processing skills of children with developmental LD were correlated with teachers' ratings.     

The application of artificial intelligence principles to teaching and training*

This paper compares and contrasts the use of AI principles in industrial training with more normal computer‐based training (CBT) approaches. A number of applications of CBT are illustrated (for example simulations, tutorial presentations, fault diagnosis, management games, industrial relations exercises) and compared with an alternative approach using AI. An evaluation of the relative merits of the two approaches will be given. Existing CBT packages are used to illustrate the points raised and the emphasis of the arguments will be on the effectiveness of AI and CBT in terms of both cost and learning. The position of AI applications within CBT is discussed, as is the task of getting started in applying these techniques.     

Helping students understand their learning styles: Effects on study self‐efficacy,preference for group work,and group climate

Small tutorial groups in higher education are often composed without regard to students’ gender or broad knowledge background, for example, yet research indicates that composing groups on the basis of gender and prior qualifications may have significant effects on assessment outcomes. Previous studies have also investigated the effects of composing groups on the basis of learning style preference and found no effects. The effect of combining group composition with training in learning styles is unclear, however. In this study we report on the effects of workshop training in learning styles on balanced group members’ study self‐efficacy, preference for group work, group climate, and assessment performance. Although we found no effects, students reported greater self‐awareness of their own learning and acceptance of others’ styles. We conclude that in collaborative learning environments, training may need to go beyond facilitating growth in students’ self‐awareness to include a focus on how to apply this understanding to improving group function and helping others to learn.     

Non‐Verbal Communication,Self‐esteem and Interpersonal Relations of LD and Non‐LD Students

Accurate perception and comprehension of verbal and non‐verbal communication is important in one's interpersonal environment; such understanding may affect not only the child's academic achievement but how he/she relates to and is perceived by others. In the present study learning disabled (LD) and non‐learning disabled (NLD) middle school students were evaluated on their ability to perceive and accurately comprehend non‐verbal communication; they also responded to an interpersonal relations scale and a self‐esteem inventory. LD children differed from regular class students both in reported self‐esteem and in the ability to perceive and comprehend “wordless” communication, but similarities were noted between the two groups in reported need for interpersonal relations.     

Students’ academic performance and various cognitive processes of learning: an integrative framework and empirical analysis

The main aim of this study is to test a conceptualised framework that involved the integration of achievement goals, self‐efficacy and self‐esteem beliefs, and study‐processing strategies. Two hundred and ninety (178 females, 112 males) first‐year university students were administered a number of Likert‐scale inventories in tutorial classes. Data were analysed through structural equation modelling procedures. The results provided support, in part, for the hypothesised relationships; for example, both self‐efficacy and self‐esteem exerted positive effects on deep processing, and academic performance was influenced positively by mastery goals and deep processing. Similarly, surface processing exerted a negative effect on academic performance. One key finding was the positive effect that self‐esteem exerted on self‐efficacy. Finally, a one‐way MANOVA indicated statistically significant differences between men and women in their self‐esteem; women reported higher self‐esteem than men. This study provides support for the amalgamation of key motivational and learning theories and accentuates the importance of achievement goals, self‐efficacy and study‐processing strategies as possible mediators of students’ academic performance.     

Self‐Processes of Acceptance,Compassion, and Regulation of Learning in University Students with Learning Disabilities and/or ADHD

University students with a learning disability (LD) represent a growing fraction of the student population within North America. Although past research has focused on cognitive aspects of living with an LD and/or attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social–emotional factors have received less attention. Such factors may play an important role in self‐regulation of learning. This study investigated the relations among self‐compassion, self‐acceptance of an LD, and self‐regulated learning in university students with an LD and/or ADHD. Participants were 78 university students who self‐identified as possessing an LD and/or ADHD. Variables were measured using an online questionnaire. These students had lower self‐compassion scores than found by researchers in other studies. Correlational analyses revealed significant associations among self‐acceptance of an LD, self‐compassion, and self‐regulated learning.     

再论融合教育:普小教师眼中的"随班就读"

在中国 ,融合教育的主要安置形式是随班就读。本文使用开放式问卷 ,录音采访了大连市 1 1所普通小学的 2 3位班主任教师。研究的结果表明 :(一 )大连市的普小教师对特殊儿童随班就读基本上持接受态度 ,集中有近一半多的教师认为要视学生的残疾种类合程度来确定特殊儿童是否随班就读。(二 )在多数普小教师看来 ,特殊儿童与正常儿童之间的交往势必交顺利的 ,特殊儿童的社会融合经常出现在课外活动、集体活动、游戏的场合 ,而在课堂学习的情况下较难产生。 (三 )从社会融合的可利用资源中 ,社区、学校、家庭之间的相互支持、协作的桥梁并未建立起来。 (四 )普小教师对随班就读工作的建议是希望得到特殊教育知识的培训。     

Web-based training in child maltreatment for future mandated reporters

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of providing Web-based information about child maltreatment to undergraduate education and graduate counseling students. The goal was to determine, via an objective test, whether students would gain information about abuse signs and symptoms and reporting laws. METHODS: One hundred and five education and counseling students enrolled in a large, urban, ethnically diverse, university participated in the Web-based training tutorial. Their participation was part of their course requirements. They logged into the Web site using their university identification number and password. The pre and post-tests could only be taken once. Completion of the tutorial took on average 1 hour. RESULTS: Findings indicated that students' post-test scores were significantly higher than pretest scores on an examination measuring knowledge of child maltreatment signs, symptoms, and reporting procedures. Participants rated their knowledge of child maltreatment significantly higher after taking the tutorial and reported enjoying the self-paced learning of the Web format. CONCLUSION: Overall, this study demonstrated the effectiveness of a brief on-line tutorial to disseminate information related to child abuse identification and reporting to future mandated reporters. In approximately 1 hour of on line training, participants gained an increase in knowledge of reporting procedures. Utilization of Web-based training is proposed as an effective and convenient method of instruction particularly for child abuse issues.     

Impact of a computer-based intervention in Chilean children at risk of manifesting reading difficulties / Impacto de una intervención basada en ordenador en niños chilenos con riesgo de manifestar dificultades lectoras

Reading difficulties have reached a prevalence of 3–10% in school-age children. Those who present these difficulties avoid reading and benefit very little from school-based learning opportunities, resulting in maladjustments, dropping out of school and having to repeat grades. Presented here are the results of an intervention based on a computer game intended for explicit phonic training in first-grade school children at risk of possessing reading difficulties. Fifty-six children from a low socioeconomic status (SES) and 31 children from a high socioeconomic status, divided into two groups (control and experimental), participated in the study. After the intervention, participants from the low-SES experimental group had enhanced their skills regarding letter sound recognition, whereas the high-SES experimental group had improved their naming speed. The results are discussed in light of the impact of interventions based on computer games and of the importance of the development of sublexical skills in children at risk of manifesting reading difficulties in transparent orthographies.     

Training Parents to be Home Reading Tutors: Generalization of Children's Reading Skills from Home to School

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a procedure for teaching parents of mildly retarded children to be home reading tutors and to examine generalization of the children's acquired skills from the home to the school setting. The parent‐tutor procedures were based on Glynn, McNaughton, Robinson and Quinn (1979). Four children aged 8 to 10 years, attending a special class, participated in the project. The reading tutor training procedure was implemented in a multiple baseline across participants design. Tutor behaviours measured were attention to errors, delayed attention, modelling, prompting and the use of praise; child reading behaviours assessed were accuracy of reading, number of errors, self‐corrections and prompted corrections. During intervention and maintenance phases substantial increases in targeted tutor behaviours and corresponding improvements in child reading behaviours were observed. Improvements in the children's home reading behaviours, particularly self‐correcting, generalized to the classroom setting.     

The Effects of Reality Therapy Classroom Meetings on Self‐Concept and Locus of Control among Learning Disabled Children

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Reality Therapy‐based classroom meetings on the self‐concept and perception of locus of control orientation of learning disabled children. Sixty (60) learning disabled (LD) children from four classrooms were randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions. Experimental group teachers were trained by a certified Reality Therapist in the concepts of Reality Therapy and how to conduct the classroom meetings. Meetings were held twice weekly for 11 consecutive weeks, each session lasting approximately 30‐45 minutes. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) yielded no significant differences on the pre‐test self‐concept and locus of control measures. MANOVA on post‐test measures revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups. Post Hoc univariate F and discriminant analysis indicated several measures of self‐concept to be valid discriminators. The locus of control measure, on the other hand, did not prove to be a valid discriminator. The intervention studied appears to be beneficial in improving some areas of self‐concept among the LD population.     

Social Skills Learning for Students with Learning Disabilities and Students with Behaviour Disorders

This study examined the effects of a computer‐assisted social skills intervention on the social competence and behaviour adjustment of students with special needs. The sample consisted of 114 male students, divided into two groups: 52 students with learning disabilities (LD) (mean age = 12.23; SD = 1.12) and 62 students with behaviour disorders (BD) (mean age = 12.53; SD = 1.34). The students were trained with the “I Found a Solution” computer‐assisted social skill package. The intervention consisted of the computer‐assisted program and teacher‐guided work. Each student was assessed, before and after the training, on: teacher‐rated self‐control and maladjusted behaviours, peer‐rated social acceptance and self‐rated loneliness. Through conceptualisation based on the students’ loneliness and externalising maladjustment, four subgroups were identified: (a) relatively adjusted students; (b) externalising and not‐lonely students; (c) lonely and non‐externalising students; and (d) lonely and externalising students. The analyses included subgroups b, c and d, excluding the relatively adjusted subgroup, adding up to a sample of 83 students (35 students with learning disabilities and 48 students with behaviour disorders). A series of two‐way ANOVAs with repeated measures (grouping by subgrouping, with pre‐/post‐training scores as the repeated measures) revealed that following training, students in both groups felt less lonely and were more accepted by peers. Teachers rated them as demonstrating higher levels of self‐control and decreased externalising and internalising maladjustment. The differential impact of the training between groups (LD/BD) and among subgroups (b/c/d) highlighted the significance of the subtyping approach for understanding the children's social learning profiles and for directing effective social skill programming.