Effects of Computerized Instruction on Mastery and Generalized Use of Commas Strategies by Students With LD

Abstract

The effects of an interactive multimedia (IM) software program for teaching comma strategies to students with learning disabilities (LD) were determined with regard to the students’ sentence-editing and sentence-construction skills. Students with LD at the middle-school and high-school levels were randomly selected in their intact cohorts for the experimental and control groups. Results showed that the experimental students completed the software program and readily learned information about and mastered the comma strategies. Additionally, experimental students at both school levels significantly outperformed the control students with regard to the percentage of correct commas inserted in an editing task. Moreover, they inserted significantly fewer incorrect commas. They also outperformed the control students with regard to the construction of complete sentences containing correct comma usage when prompted to write certain kinds of sentences while writing about a topic. Furthermore, both cohorts of experimental students with LD significantly outperformed their corresponding age groups of students who participated in validating the editing task. Therefore, this study indicates that students with LD can learn and generalize complex writing skills through the use of an IM program at a high level of quality.

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.…”