A multiple baseline design investigated the effects of computer graphic organizers on the persuasive composition writing skills of four Hispanic students with specific learning disabilities. Participants reviewed the elements of persuasive writing and then developed compositions using a word processing program. Baseline planning was done with a paper and pencil, while intervention planning was done using a computer graphic organizer program. With variation, the use of computer graphic organizers during planning resulted in an increase in the total number of words written, time spent planning, number of supporting details planned, percentage of planned supporting details transferred to the composition, and syntactical maturity as measured by the number of T-units. Also observed was an improvement in the overall organization of the compositions as measured by an analytical scoring guide or rubric.

The authors explore the perceptions related to cohort education models (CEMs) of special education professors and doctoral students at a Carnegie-designated research extensive university in a multicultural, urban area in the southeastern United States. Three themes emerged: (a) Organizational efficiency of CEMs and benefits to student learning outweigh concerns, (b) structure of CEMs impacts students who are not in the CEM, and (c) CEM structure impacts professors. Benefits of a CEM included interstudent support, a flexible learning model, support for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners, opportunities for building trusting relationships, ease in class scheduling, and opportunity for maturation. Presence of the CEM affected the non-CEM students and professors negatively in several ways. Although CEMs are strong mechanisms for supporting students, the faculty must be aware of group cohesion within cohorts to effectively engage the students in the academic process to address the retention problem of doctoral students, decrease the disparity between CEM and non-CEM students, and improve graduate studies programs.

This study used a multiple baseline across subjects design to explore the effects of using a computer graphic organizer program during planning on the narrative writing compositions of four fourth- and fifth-grade boys with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). Four dependent variables were measured: total number of words, total minutes planning, number of common story elements, and overall organization. Baseline planning was done with paper and pencil, while intervention planning was done using the computer graphic organizer program Kidspiration 3.0 (2011). Compositions in both conditions were written and edited using paper and pencil. The results indicated that computer graphic organizers used during planning had a positive effect on three of four dependent measures. When looking at mean scores, participants wrote more words (from 20.25 to 41.86 more), planned for longer periods of time (from 1.00 to 5.00 more minutes), and included more story elements in their compositions (from 0.80 to 3.10 more out of a possible 6.00). There were nominal to no improvements in overall organization across the four participants. The results suggest that teachers of students with SLD should consider using computer graphic organizers for narrative writing planning. Future research should investigate the effects of computer graphic organizers with other writing genres, across multiple writing days per composition, with participants of varied demographics, and/or in combination with other remedial composition instruction.

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