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Design Process
Statement of the Problem
Students in special day classes are often several years below grade level in their reading levels, as measured by formal and informal assessment tools. Many such students have had negative experiences with reading, have low levels of self-confidence, and consequently do not read independently to the extent that students who do not have learning disabilities do. Since reading is an essential skill for academic success, students with disabilities affecting their reading often have difficulty in other content areas. My research is focused on determining which tools can help students develop their reading skills and confidence, with the goal of increasing their motivation to read. Below is my prototype map of my research and a link to a screen-cast I made which explains the map. |
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Research Questions
The question the researcher addressed in this study is whether adaptive technology can be used to develop language and vocabulary skills and student motivation to read in special education settings, as measured by data provided by the programand surveys of students. The intervention the researcher implemented was Moby Max, which is an adaptive technology that assesses individual student skill levels and provides individual skill instruction accordingly. The researcher also studied the effectiveness of using digital storytelling software to have the students create a trailer for a book and determine whether that had an effect on engagement.