Understanding How Adolescents with Reading Difficulties Utilize Technology-Based Tools

Abstract

This article reports the findings from a study that examined how adolescent students with reading difficulties utilized cognitive tools that were embedded in a technology-based middle school science curriculum. The curriculum contained salient features of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) theoretical framework. Sixteen general education teachers implemented the curriculum in 62 inclusive classrooms. Students' (N D 1153) tool use was monitored throughout the four-week curriculum to determine if there was a relationship between students' reading ability, use of cognitive tools, and their comprehension of scientific concepts and processes. Students were grouped into three reading ability levels based on their performance on a standardized reading test. Findings from this study indicate that students who scored below the 50th percentile on the reading assessment utilized and benefited from the tools in highly similar ways. Implications and recommendations for instructional design research and practice are discussed.

A multilevel analysis of diverse learners playing life science video games: Interactions between game content, learning disability status, reading proficiency, and gender

“…In their study of 647 students across general, honors, and advanced classes, the authors found that students in general classes made larger pre/posttest gains on distal assessments than students in more advanced classes. Marino () reported similar findings during a 4‐week study of 1,153 middle school students who participated in the Alien Rescue curriculum. The author noted that students with disabilities and poor readers benefitted from use of the technology at a rate 1.5× higher than their proficient reading peers.…”

Building Bridges Between Education and Health Care in Canada: How the ICF and Universal Design for Learning Frameworks Mutually Support Inclusion of Children With Special Needs in School Settings

“…Following these modifications, the authors reported an increase in student engagement and participation through measurement of increased social skills, class attendance, and overall enjoyment (Dymond et al, 2006). Inclusivity of students also was enhanced in a study by Marino (2009), who studied the impact of an online scientificinquiry program called Alien Rescue on students with reading difficulties. Alien Rescue incorporates evidence-based cognitive tools, such as databases and interactive tutorials that reduce processing and memory load for learners.…”

Accessibility and Instructional Technology: Reframing the Discussion

“…Research involving instructional design, cognitive tools, and adaptive systems can inform UDL studies that tend to overlook the research and models in the instructional technology field (Marino, 2009). Likewise, instructional technology and the learning sciences may benefit from a UDL approach that serves both primary and secondary target audiences efficiently and to the greatest extent possible.…”

“…Even so, operationalizing UDL in practice is no easy task. UDL applications often incorporate several layers like Marino's (2009) The degree to which each student is served in education depends largely on the attention designers dedicate to meeting individual needs. Such efforts may help narrow the achievement gap that persists among students in the majority and in the minority today (Edyburn, 2010).…”