Research Article: Using Technology and Assessment to Personalize Instruction
A new research article about A2i titled Using Technology and Assessment to Personalize Instruction: Preventing Reading Problems and written by Dr. Connor has just been published in Prevention Science. Take a look at the abstract below and check out the full article here.
Abstract
Children who fail to learn to read proficiently are at serious risk of referral to special education, grade retention, dropping out of high school, and entering the juvenile justice system. Accumulating research suggests that instruction regimes that rely on assessment to inform instruction are effective in improving the implementation of personalized instruction and, in turn, student learning. However, teachers find it difficult to interpret assessment results in a way that optimizes learning opportunities for all of the students in their classrooms. This article focuses on the use of language, decoding, and comprehension assessments to develop personalized plans of literacy instruction for students from kindergarten through third grade, and A2i technology designed to support teachers’ use of assessment to guide instruction. Results of seven randomized controlled trials demonstrate that personalized literacy instruction is more effective than traditional instruction, and that sustained implementation of personalized literacy instruction first through third grade may prevent the development of serious reading problems. We found effect sizes from .2 to .4 per school year, which translates into about a 2-month advantage. These effects accumulated from first through third grade with a large effect size (d = .7) equivalent to a full grade-equivalent advantage on standardize tests of literacy. These results demonstrate the efficacy of technology-supported personalized data-driven literacy instruction to prevent serious reading difficulties. Implications for translational prevention research in education and healthcare are discussed.
UCI School of Education September Newsletter
The UCI School of Education September Newsletter has just come out and members of the ISI lab make a few appearances! Click here to view the full newsletter as well as get updated on the accomplishments of Dr. Connor and graduate student Taffeta Wood.
Word Knowledge e-Book Study Update
Education Professor Receives $1.4 Million Grant to Develop Elementary School e-Books
(Click here to read the full post)
An exciting story was posted on the University of California, Irvine news blog related to a recent grant received by Dr. Connor! This grant will allow the ISI lab to continue their work on the ongoing Word Knowledge e-Book (WKe-Book) project. The goal of WKe-Book is to improve students’ comprehension monitoring, strategy use, word knowledge, and word knowledge calibration. This project will also allow the ISI to expand the e-Book library into additional topic areas, such as science and social studies. You can read more about the WKe-Book here.