Vocabulary does not complicate the simple view of reading

Gough and Tunmer’s (1986) simple view of reading (SVR) proposed that reading comprehension (RC) is a function of language comprehension (LC) and word recognition/decoding. Braze et al. (2007) presented data suggesting an extension of the SVR in which knowledge of vocabulary (V) affected RC over and above the effects of LC. Tunmer and Chapman (2012) found a similar independent contribution of V to RC when the data were analyzed by hierarchical regression. However, additional analysis by factor analysis and structural equation modeling indicated that the effect of V on RC was, in fact, completely captured by LC itself and there was no need to posit a separate direct effect of V on RC. In the present study, we present new data from young adults with sub-optimal reading skill (N = 286). Latent variable and regression analyses support Gough and Tunmer’s original proposal and the conclusions of Tunmer and Chapman that V can be considered a component of LC and not an independent contributor to RC.     

Chaos: exploring an engaging online model for rapid application during the pandemic

Educational technology research and development - This paper is in response to the article entitled “A design framework for enhancing engagement in student-centered learning: own it, learn...     

Speaking up for vocabulary: reading skill differences in young adults

This study is part of a broader project aimed at developing cognitive and neurocognitive profiles of adolescent and young adult readers whose educational and occupational prospects are constrained by their limited literacy skills. We explore the relationships among reading-related abilities in participants ages 16 to 24 years spanning a wide range of reading ability. Two specific questions are addressed: (a) Does the simple view of reading capture all nonrandom variation in reading comprehension? (b) Does orally assessed vocabulary knowledge account for variance in reading comprehension, as predicted by the lexical quality hypothesis? A comprehensive battery of cognitive and educational tests was employed to assess phonological awareness, decoding, verbal working memory, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, word knowledge, and experience with print. In this heterogeneous sample, decoding ability clearly played an important role in reading comprehension. The simple view of reading gave a reasonable fit to the data, although it did not capture all of the reliable variance in reading comprehension as predicted. Orally assessed vocabulary knowledge captured unique variance in reading comprehension even after listening comprehension and decoding skill were accounted for. We explore how a specific connectionist model of lexical representation and lexical access can account for these findings.     

Migration change model: Exploring the process of migration on a psychological level

There have been many studies into how acculturation progresses for migrants upon arrival in their destination. However, outside of studies of forced migration, few researchers have examined the pre-departure period as important for understanding the context of the migration experience. This study was designed to develop a model of the migration experience beginning before migrants leave their country of origin and continuing through the acculturation process. Migration can be viewed as a major change in behavior, particularly when migrants are self-selected. We therefore modified the Stages of Change Model (DiClemente & Prochaska, 1982) into a proposed model of voluntary migration. A thematic analysis was then conducted on a dataset consisting of the posts made to three online migration forums for British migrants to New Zealand. The resulting Migration Change Model incorporates four stages of the migration process: precontemplation, contemplation, action and acculturation as well as a path for return or onward migration. The salient factors for the migrants in each of these stages included: intrapersonal factors and familial connections (precontemplation); macro and micro factors (contemplation); stress and coping (action), and psychological adjustment and sociocultural adaptation (acculturation). More studies that address the pre-departure period as part of a process of migration are needed, particularly for adult migrants who have a wealth of experiences before departing their country of origin.     

Designing for discovery learning of complexity principles of congestion by driving together in the TrafficJams simulation

We propose and evaluate a framework supporting collaborative discovery learning of complex systems. The framework blends five design principles: (1) individual action: amidst (2) social interactions; challenged with (3) multiple tasks; set in a (4) a constrained interactive learning environment that draws attention to (5) highlighted target relations. The framework addresses a persistent tension in discovery-based pedagogy between offering students the freedom to initiate, experiment, and explore and providing them with tailored experiences with many instances of particular relations underlying the target conceptual structure. The framework was realized with TrafficJams, a participatory simulation in which students drive together. A class of high-school students worked with TrafficJams over 2.5 h. The teacher’s role was to orchestrate the activity but there was no explicit instruction of the traffic and complexity principles. The students completed pre- and post-test questionnaires and their activities were observed and logged. In terms of driving in the simulation, the students learned to drive in ways that reduced congestion in traffic by decreasing lane and speed changes, and keeping their speed down. Even though there was no explicit teaching, half of the students learned that car speed distribution alone can generate traffic jams with no additional causes; and, keeping a safe following distance from the next driver increases everyone’s speed. Our study suggests that the learning environment partially met both the overarching design goal of constrained discovery and the specific content goal of systems reasoning.