Effects of Computerized Instruction on the Use of Punctuation Strategies by Students with LD

Abstract

An interactive multimedia software program was developed for teaching punctuation strategies and then tested with middle‐school and high‐school students with learning disabilities. Students at each school level were randomly selected into an experimental or control group. Results showed that experimental students at both school levels performed similarly by earning significantly higher scores on a test of punctuation usage than the control students. Additionally, experimental students in both school cohorts inserted significantly fewer incorrect punctuation marks than the controls. Furthermore, the experimental students generalized their use of the strategies to a test where they wrote their own sentences. Thus, this study shows that students with LD can learn punctuation strategies at a high level of mastery and can generalize their skills to sentence editing and sentence construction tasks when taught through interactive multimedia.

The Effects of Computerized Sentence and Paragraph Strategy Instruction for Struggling Adolescent Writers

“…Clearly, the multimedia instruction represented here and in other studies (e.g., Lancaster et al, 2002, 2006, 2009; Schumaker, Fisher, & Walsh, 2019; Schumaker, Walsh, & Fisher, 2019) is a different type of instruction than what is typically used in today’s schools. Classrooms need to be equipped with computers that can run these very interactive programs (Lancaster et al, 2005, 2007; Schumaker, 2013; Schumaker & Sheldon, 2009, 2010), as well as with printers that students can use to print out their products. Nevertheless, interactive programs are required since students need high levels of interactivity and feedback.…”

“…Recently, researchers have developed and tested some IM programs for teaching writing strategies. For example, Schumaker, Fisher, & Walsh (2019) tested an IM program for teaching Punctuation Strategies (Schumaker & Sheldon, 2010), and Schumaker, Walsh, & Fisher (2019) tested a similar program for teaching Commas Strategies (Schumaker & Sheldon, 2009). The instructional methodology used in both IM programs was Strategic Instruction (Ellis et al, 1991; Schumaker & Deshler, 2006).…”

Effects of Computerized Social Skills Instruction for At-Risk Adolescents

“…Some researchers have shown that these instructional methods can be incorporated into interactive multimedia (IM) programs to teach academic skills (e.g., Lancaster et al, 2006Lancaster et al, , 2009Schumaker, 2020;Schumaker et al, 2019aSchumaker et al, , 2019b) and social skills. With regard to social skills, Lancaster et al (2002) conducted a study whereby students with learning disabilities (LD) were taught self-advocacy skills to be used in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings with an IM program.…”