Computer-Assisted versus Teacher-Directed Teaching of Community Living Skills in People with a Mild Learning Disability

Abstract

An experiment was carried out In which adults with a learning disability of the mild type undertook either computer-assisted or teacher-Implemented Instruction In community liVing skills, with a third group acting as a control group. All groups were pre-tested on a standardised psychometric measure of community living skills (the HANC 2 subscale of the Hampshire Assessment for Uvlng with Others test), after which the experimental groups received one half-day per week training in such skills as money handling and budgeting for 3 months, when all groups were reassessed. It was found that both the teacher-led and computer-assisted Instruction groups appeared to gain more than the control group, but only the teacher-led group differed significantly from the control group. The computer-assisted group Improved in their scores by an Intermediate amount, with their gains being non-significantly different from either the control or the teacher-led groups_ The strengths and weaknesses of the software used In the study are discussed.

Improving attention behaviour in primary and secondary school children with a Computer Assisted Instruction procedure

“…Lavely, Townsend, and Wilton (1998) achieved higher school performance with a group of students using a computer approach than in a control group instructed with standard methodology. Nicol and Anderson (1997) and Deborah, McGee, and Ungar (1998) report increasing self-confidence and attention in children with learning disabilities or low social skills using a computer-based training programme. CAI strategies have also been successfully tested with preschool children ) and children with special educational needs .…”