Recognition and development of academic talent in educationally disadvantaged students

Abstract

We studied 36 students identified as “educationally disadvantaged” who scored above average on standardized achievement tests and completed a program to reinforce their academic skills in either language arts or mathematics. We pretested and posttested an additional (control) group of 28 students who received no instructional intervention. We found a significant effect of the instructional intervention for both achievement and aptitude test scores in language arts as well as mathematics. Gains in mathematics were significantly greater than in language arts. After instructional intervention, the majority of students were eligible and academically qualified for challenging gifted‐talented programs. These findings are consistent with two other similar research projects using the same instructional program and model, suggesting stability of results. We discuss implications of this study for identifying and developing academic talent in such a population.     

Computer-Assisted Instruction on Study Skills

The study investigated the effectiveness of a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) study skills program on students’ behaviors and attitudes. The subjects were 88 students (experimental group) who completed the CAI program and 67 students (control group) who did not have access to the program. All subjects responded three times during the semester to the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes inventory. Trend analyses revealed that during the semester the scores for the experimental group increased significantly and the scores for the control group decreased significantly. The findings showed that the CAI program can effectively present the information on effective study skills and how to develop such skills.     

Effects of Using an Instructional Game on Motivation and Performance

Abstract

Although many educators theorize that instructional games are effective for providing students with motivating practice, research on instructional gaming is inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on motivation and performance of using an instructional game. The effect of using a supplemental reading on motivation and performance was also examined. We randomly assigned 75 undergraduates to one of two treatments after they had attended a lecture on the information-processing model of learning. The subjects in one treatment group used an instructional board game to practice the material presented in the lecture, while those in the other group practiced using a traditional worksheet. Results indicated that using the instructional game significantly affected the four motivational components of attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction. The instructional game did not influence performance. The results also suggested that the subjects who reported completion of a supplemental reading had significantly better performance and confidence than did the subjects who reported that they had not completed the reading. Implications for the design of practice are discussed.     

Effects of a Learning Information System on Mathematics Achievement and Classroom Structure

Abstract

The authors examined the effects of implementing an instructional system that automates application of evidence-based components of effective instruction on student mathematics achievement and on classroom behaviors known to be related to overall student achievement outcomes. A treatment group of 157 4th- and 5th-grade students used the intervention in conjunction with the Everyday Math curriculum. Student performance was compared with a within-school control group of 61 4th- und 5th-grade students, as well as all 4th- and 5th-grade students in the district (N = 6,385). The students in the control groups received only the Everyday Math curriculum. Results indicate that the implementation of the instructional management system as an enhancement to Everyday Math resulted in an increase in the amount of time spent on classroom activities that researchers have identified as contributing to positive academic outcomes. Furthermore, students who used the Accelerated Math program demonstrated greater mathematics achievement gains than did the control groups.     

USING COMBINATORIAL APPROACH TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ LEARNING OF THE DISTRIBUTIVE LAW AND MULTIPLICATIVE IDENTITIES

This article reports an alternative approach, called the combinatorial model, to learning multiplicative identities, and investigates the effects of implementing results for this alternative approach. Based on realistic mathematics education theory, the new instructional materials or modules of the new approach were developed by the authors. From the combinatorial activities based on the things around daily life, the teaching modules assisted students to establish their concept of the distributive law, and to generalize it via the process of progressive mathematizing. The subjects were two classes of 8th graders. The experimental group (n = 32) received a combinatorial approach to teaching by the first author using a problem-centered with double-cycles instructional model, while the control group (n = 30) received a geometric approach to teaching, from the textbook by another teacher who uses lecturing. Data analyses were both qualitative and quantitative. The findings indicated that the experimental group had a better performance than the control group in cognition, such as for the inner-school achievement test, mid-term examination, symbol manipulation, and unfamiliar problem-solving: also in affection, such as the tendency to engage in the mathematics activities and enjoy mathematical thinking.     

Difficult Words and the Beginner

ABSTRACT

The authors investigated the effects of a 5-week note-taking skills instructional program on note-taking and reading comprehension performance of elementary students. The participants included 349 fourth-grade students from 2 elementary schools in Taiwan. The Note-Taking Instruction group received approximately 40 min of note-taking skills instruction per week for 5 weeks in contrast to the free note-taking group and the free-recall writing group who did not receive any instruction. A note-taking evaluation task and a comprehension test were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the instruction on students’ performance in note taking and reading comprehension, respectively. The study yielded 2 findings: first, teaching students a note-taking strategy significantly improved their performance in note taking and reading comprehension, and second, poor readers showed the greatest gains in note-taking skills with instruction.     

The Study of Number Sense: Realistic Activities Integrated into Third-Grade Math Classes in Taiwan

ABSTRACT

The authors compared the performance of students who received integration of number sense activities in instruction with students who received instruction using regular mathematics textbooks. Two classes of third-grade students (N = 60) were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Students in each group were given a pretest, post I test, and post II test, and were interviewed individually across 20 class periods of intervention. Results showed that the performance of the students in the experimental group was significantly higher than those in the control group. The interview data also showed that the students in the experimental group performed better than students in the control group in flexible and effective ways to use number sense.     

Computer simulations in the high school: Students' cognitive stages,science process skills and academic achievement in microbiology

Computer-assisted learning, including simulated experiments, has great potential to address the problem solving process which is a complex activity. It requires a highly structured approach in order to understand the use of simulations as an instructional device. This study is based on a computer simulation program, 'The Growth Curve of Microorganisms', which required tenth grade biology students to use problem solving skills whilst simultaneously manipulating three independent variables in one simulated experiment. The aims were to investigate the computer simulation's impact on students' academic achievement and on their mastery of science process skills in relation to their cognitive stages. The results indicate that the concrete and transition operational students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher academic achievement than their counterparts in the control group. The higher the cognitive operational stage, the higher students' achievement was, except in the control group where students in the concrete and transition operational stages did not differ. Girls achieved equally with the boys in the experimental group. Students' academic achievement may indicate the potential impact a computer simulation program can have, enabling students with low reasoning abilities to cope successfully with learning concepts and principles in science which require high cognitive skills.     

The effects of a critical thinking oriented instructional pattern in a tertiary EFL argumentative writing course

ABSTRACT

This study introduced an instructional pattern that integrated the framework of the International Critical Thinking Reading and Writing Test (ICTRWT), designed by Paul and Elder, into a tertiary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) argumentative writing course. To measure the effects of the instructional pattern, a mixed methods approach was adopted. Two groups of students were involved in the experiment, with the treatment group receiving the instructional intervention and the control group receiving regular instruction in a tertiary argumentative writing course. A critical thinking test and a writing test were used to investigate the effects of the treatment, and questionnaires and interviews were also employed to examine students’ attitudes toward the instructional pattern. The quantitative statistic data reveals that students who received the instructional treatment outperformed the students in the control group in terms of overall critical thinking skills and skills of identifying and evaluating the elements of thoughts. Meanwhile, the treatment group also performed better with regard to overall writing ability, organization and coherence. Additionally, the data gained from the questionnaires and interviews suggest students’ general positive attitudes toward the instructional pattern.     

Can the flipped classroom model improve students’ academic performance and training satisfaction in Higher Education instructional media design courses?

While “flipping” a classroom has gained attention in K-12 and Secondary school programs, there has been relatively no explicit focus on its effectiveness as a teaching method for instructional media design courses in Higher Education. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effectiveness of the flipped classroom approach to teaching instructional media design subjects by comparing students’ academic performance and training satisfaction in traditional lecture-based instruction with those in a flipped classroom. A total of 128 undergraduate students participated voluntarily and were divided into a control (n = 62) and an experimental (n = 66) group, respectively. The study findings indicated substantial differences in both academic performance and training satisfaction between the two groups, with the students in the experimental group performing significantly better. Specifically, the results showed some determining factors associated with training satisfaction that explain why students in flipped classes achieved notably higher mastery in the learning objectives than their control group peers. This study adds to the literature by providing evidence on how a flipped classroom can potentially benefit students’ academic performance, leading to higher training satisfaction and deeper disciplinary understanding in instructional media design courses.     

The Didactics of Foreign Language Teaching with Multimedia

ABSTRACT

The way computers are used in foreign language teaching reflects teachers' ideas about how foreign languages should be learned. We describe different methods of foreign language teaching, one of which is at the base of our computer program IT'S English. In this program, different types of exercises are implemented: receptive, reproductive, and productive. To implement our ideas of a communicative approach to teaching into a computer program, we built an intelligent tutoring system, which incorporates a dictionary, grammar rules, and the digitized pronunciation of words and sentences stored on a CD‐ROM. The software is flexible in that the learning environment it offers can shift from a teacher controlled setting to a fully learner controlled environment. Four groups of eight pupils used the program during eight weeks and were compared with students not using the program. The research showed that the students interacting with the software used its various components in an adequate and goal‐appropriate way and found the use of the software to be a positive experience. After the experimental period, knowledge of vocabulary was significantly higher for one of the computer‐using groups compared to its control group, although in the word (re)production tests no significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups. Implications of the results of the experiments for teacher education are discussed, with an emphasis on the importance of teachers learning how to assess the pedagogical approach of software and the didactic principles involved in its design and intended use.     

The Superiority of Distributed Practice in Drill in Arithmetic

Abstract

Forty-three second and third grade non-readers who were diagnosed as having visual perceptual deficiencies were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received training in visual analysis, which included visual short-term memory, visual discrimination of letters and words, and remedial instruction. The control group received only remedial instruction. After seven months, there was no significant difference between the groups in visual perception or achievement of reading skills. However, there was a significant mean difference between pretest and posttest scores for both groups on all measures tested. Experimental subjects gained 8.9 months in reading achievement versus 9.2 months for controls, indicating that visual discrimination and visual memory of word training influenced the achievement of reading skills for this group to the same degree as did a remedial program without visual training.     

A comparison of Native American and white students’ cognitive strengths as measured by the Kaufman assessment battery for children

This study compared relative cognitive strengths of American Indian and White students, ages seven through twelve years. The sample group included 57 American Indian subjects and 60 White subjects attending schools within a single school district in southcentral Montana. These children had all been referred for assessment for possible placement in an enrichment program for students of high ability. All subjects were administered the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, and scores were analyzed through a one‐way Analysis of Variance. There were found to be no significant differences between the two group means on the Mental Processing Composite. However, Indian subjects scored significantly higher than White subjects in Simultaneous Processing, and White subjects scored significantly higher than Indian subjects in Sequential Processing. Indian subjects also achieved significantly higher scores in three of five Simultaneous Processing subtests. Possible interpretations of statistical differences and implications for educators are discussed.     

Learner control in full and lean CAI programs

This study investigated the effects of two types of control over instruction (learner and program) and two modes of instructional programs (lean and full) on the achievement, option use, and time-in-program of 274 high-ability and low-ability students from grades 9 and 10. The basic instructional program in geometry was delivered by computer. Subjects under learner control scored significantly higher on the program posttest than those under program control, spent significantly more time in the program, and liked it better. Learner-control subjects appeared to “trust” their given version of the program, viewing many more optional screens in the full version than those in the lean one. High-ability learners adapted their study behavior to the lean version under learner control by choosing significantly more optional screens than their low-ability counterparts. This research was conducted while he was a graduate student at Arizona State University where Howard J. Sullivan is a professor in Learning and Instructional Technology.     

Promoting early literacy through the professional development of preschool teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a professional learning program on the emergent literacy skills of preschool children. Building Blocks for Literacy^® is a program consisting of training supported by mentoring designed to teach early childcare providers how to promote the development of early literacy skills. A previous investigation found positive effects of the program on the pre-literacy skills of children in Vermont. The current study extended their work by replicating the training for Head Start teachers (n?=?27) in another state. Teachers were divided into three groups. One group received the training and live mentoring; a second group received training and distance mentoring; and a third group of teachers served as controls. The results indicate that children (n?=?97) served by teachers who received the training (n?=?18) made higher gains on a measure of early literacy skills than those children (n?=?36) served by control teachers. The gains made by children in the treatment groups were consistent for teachers who received either live or distance mentoring. Implications for practice are discussed.     

Problem Solving and Prior Learning

The effects of conceptual hierarchies as supplemental aids to textual materials was investigated. Sixty-five fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students were given a 1000-word reading passage describing the real number system. One group received a conceptual hierarchy in addition to the text; one group was asked to draw this hierarchy from the information in the text; a control group read the text. The group that was provided with the hierarchy scored significantly better than the control on Production and Comprehension subtests. The ineffectiveness of the draw hierarchy treatment was due to the inability of subjects to construct the hierarchy. Those able to complete the hierarchy scored significantly higher than control on Production and Comprehension subscores and on the total test. No differences were found between the successful drawers and the group provided with a hierarchy.     

Effectiveness of a Self-Scoring Instructional Device in an Introductory Psychology Course

Abstract

No differences in learning or retention were obtained for a computer assisted instruction program (CAI) which incorporated response contingent feedback, prompting, and overt correction procedures when compared to a CAI program which simply typed the correct response following a student response. No differences in learning or retention were obtained for a condition in which an instructional program was administered by a teletypewriter as compared to a condition in which the material was presented by means of programmed texts. Both conditions in which instruction was presented by a CAI communication device took significantly more instructional time than the programmed text condition.     

Intelligence Examinations for College Entrance

ABSTRACT

Sixty-one elementary school students who had never participated in cooperative learning lessons before were included in this study. Students were randomly assigned to the conditions of cooperative learning with and without group processing and participated to 5 instructional sessions during a period of approximately 15 instructional days. Results on achievement show that by the end of the study students assigned to group processing condition achieved higher than did students assigned to no processing condition. Results on perception of peer academic and personal support and teacher academic and personal support do not show significant differences between the experimental groups.     

The effect of instruction on the acquisition of conservation of volume

Performances of fourth and sixth grade children who had been in a program based on Science—A Process Approach were compared with performances of control groups on two conservation-of-volume tasks. The fourth grade children who had had Science—A Process Approach performed at a higher level than the control group on one of the tasks. There were no other significant differences between groups. The volume tasks were analyzed and learning hierarchies devised. A test based on the hierarchies was constructed and administered to all (189) children. An instructional program based on the hierarchies was carried out with approximately half of the children in each school at each grade level. All children were then post-tested on the volume tasks and the tasks of the learning hierarchies. All groups who had deceived instruction had higher mean scores on the Learning Hierarchies Test but no group made a significant improvement on the volume tasks. Performance of the volume tasks was found to be related to age and score on the Learning Hierarchies Test.     

Effects of Multilevel Versus Unilevel Metacognitive Training on Mathematical Reasoning

Abstract

The effects of 3 instructional methods on mathematical reasoning were investigated. The methods are (a) cooperative learning embedded within multilevel metacognitive training (MMT), (b) cooperative learning embedded within unilevel metacognitive training (UMT), and (c) learning in the whole class with no metacognitive training. MMT was implemented in mathematics and English classrooms; UMT was used only in mathematics classrooms; and the whole class with no metacognitive training served as a control group. Results indicated that students who were exposed to MMT significantly outperformed their counterparts who were exposed to UMT who, in turn, significantly outperformed the control group. Effects of MMT were observed on students while they solved mathematical problems. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.