Summary: Effects of reading skills from using 3 different methods of material from computer assisted instruction

Title: Variability in reading ability gains as a function of computer-assisted instruction method of presentation

Name: Rachelle Vogt

Date: 5/13/2010

Reference: Johnson, E., & Perry, J. (2010). Variability in reading ability gains as a function of computer-assisted instruction method of presentation. Computers and Education, 55(1), 209-217.

Problem: This study looks at the reading ability of pre-school and kindergarten students using computer assisted instruction (CAI). Those completing the study examined three different methods of CAI including: learner-controlled picture menu, which allows the student to choose the activity, linear sequencer, which leads the student through a pre-chosen / paced activity, and mastery based adaptive sequencer, which allows the student to continue on with an activity once they have mastered the specific activity. The authors hypothesized that the mastery based adaptive sequencer would have the most positive effect on the reading skills of pre-school and kindergarten students; followed by the linear sequencer computer assisted instruction.

Context: The authors randomly assigned 183 pre-school and kindergarten children to four different groups. For 40 minutes a week, for 13 weeks, the students were put in either a learner controlled picture menu group, a linear sequencer group, a mastery based sequencer group, or a control group.

Findings: Results of the post reading test ability show a significant improvement in reading ability from the mastery based sequencer. Results gathered were based on individual task analysis, rather than overall reading ability. From these findings, the linear sequencer did best on the sound fluency task, but the mastery based sequencer did the best on all the tasks given. Overall, the study shows that the use of a sequencer in CAI software is vital to learning for a pre-school and kindergartener.

Recommendations:

Because there was no statistically significant results between the linear and mastery sequence in the posttest it seems both CAI software could be used as a successful learning tool.

Instructional designers can use the findings from this study in many different arenas, not just for preschool and kindergarten learning.

For those designers in higher education, the results from this study are very relevant. Designing online courses using mastery based adaptive sequencer seems to be the best route for truly understanding the material presented.

Those instructional designers in the corporate field, a learner controlled picture menu might be the best CAI to use in order to draw in the consumer and let them have control over the activity or learning topic they choose.

From the following article, it seems that CAI software is just in the beginning stages of becoming a monumental force in learning tools.