Technology in Developmental Education: A Review of Research

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Technology in Developmental Education A Review
of Research
David C. Caverly, Ph.D. Cynthia L. Peterson,
Ph.D. Southwest Texas State University Paper
presented at the annual meeting of the College
Reading and Learning Association Salt Lake City,
UT November 5, 1998
2
Flippo, R.F. Caverly, D.C. (1991) Teaching
College Reading and Study Strategies. Newark,
DE International Reading Association. Flippo,
R.F. Caverly, D.C. (1991) College Reading and
Study Strategies Programs. Newark, DE
International Reading Association.
3
Flippo, R.F. Caverly, D.C. (2000) Handbook of
College Reading and Study Strategy Research.
Mahwah, NJErlbaum Publishers.

• Technology in College Developmental Reading -
  Caverly Peterson

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A Technology Support Model for Developmental
Reading
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Computer as Tutor

• Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)
• Sequencing instruction into simple skills
• Industrial Age model of education

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Integrated Learning Systems (ILS)

• Package delivered over a network
• Typically diagnostic/prescriptive
• Computer directed remediation
• Report generation
• Teacher proof mentality

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Computer as Tutor Research Findings

• .31 effect size for achievement
• .22 effect size for attitude
• 10 percentile point post-test gain
• ILS research mirrors this, but done by companies
• .48 effect size for achievement on hypermedia
  tutorials
• 18 percentile point post-test gain

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Computer as Tutor Strengths

• CAI can improve lower level, basic skills if
  supplementing not supplanting
• ILS more effective when students work in pairs
• Greater gains in math than in reading or writing
  skills

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Computer as Tutor Weaknesses

• Little transfer to standardized tests
• Little transfer to future classroom reading or
  writing task demands
• Attitude gains are short-lived

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Computer as Tutor Conclusions

• Viable, but limited usefulness
• Matthew Effect
• academically rich progress faster
• academically poor fall further behind

Matthew Effect
academically rich
academically poor
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Computer as Tutor Limitations

• technology used to transmit information rather
  than create knowledge
• complex skills needed in Information Age
• need to redefine use of technology for Knowledge
  Age
• Readers need to convert information to knowledge

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Computer as Tool

• word processing, data bases, spreadsheets, search
  engines, mapping, desktop publishing,
  presentation programs

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GAP
GAP

• Gather

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GAP

• Gather Arranging

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GAP

• Gather Arranging
  Presenting to confirm

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Computer as Tool Conclusions from the Research

• Writing about reading improves both skills
• Collaborative writing improves all writers
• Collaborative use of complex software best aids
  ESL students to improve linguistically
• Tool use can reduce Matthew effect

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Computer as Tutee Learning by Teaching

• discussing over e-mail
• creating multimedia/hypermedia instructional
  tutorials to teach others
• creating instructional tutorial web pages to
  teach others

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Computer as Tutee Research Support

• Tutor/Tutee comparable achievement gains
• Tutors show greater attitude gains
• Reading gains by developmental students serving
  as reading tutors
• Developmental students are able to use technology
  to teach others

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Future of Technology and Developmental Reading

• More sophisticated hypermedia tutorials
• Tools to support students in hypermedia
• More sophisticated tools
• To support the computer as tutee (i.e., social
  constructivist learning)

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A Technology Support Model for Developmental
Reading