Project Activities
The research team refined and completed development of a web-based intervention, Goal Guide, aimed at improving functional outcomes for students with mild or moderate autism. In the first 2 years, the research team focused on the iterative development of Goal Guide, curriculum integration, and examination of the application's usability and feasibility of implementation. In the final year, Goal Guide was pilot tested using a within-subjects repeated measures study to evaluate the promise of the intervention for improving students' goal setting and other outcomes.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The study took place in midsized urban and suburban middle school, high school, and transition settings in Oregon.
Sample
Approximately 25 parents and teachers were recruited to provide design input and to facilitate use and evaluation. The project involved 40 middle and high school students and students in transition to high school or postsecondary settings with mild to moderate ASD ages 14-21.
Goal Guide is a web-based application designed to support the self-management and goal setting of students with mild or moderate autism. Goal Guide promotes self-management through the following steps: (1) create activity goals, (2) monitor their own performance, (3) evaluate progress through accessible information displays, (4) share performance and evaluate goal accomplishment and designated incentives with others, and (5) revise or renew goals. The intervention includes a goal-management mobile application that incorporates a step-by-step guide for using the application, a dashboard facilitating the ease-of-use of the application, and universal design principles. The application also includes an integrated curriculum component, where teachers provide instructional support for key concepts. In order to promote student accountability, teachers and parents stay involved in students' progress through email updates on students' interactions with their goals.
Research design and methods
In the first 2 years, the research team iteratively developed the web-application, Goal Guide, using feedback collected from multiple sources. The research team conducted focus groups to obtain usability and feasibility feedback about the intervention. The following year, the research team analyzed the usability and feasibility of the intervention through a single-case study of eight students with autism. Next, 20 students participated in additional field testing of Goal Guide. In the final year, 16 transition students participated in a within-subject repeated measures study designed to evaluate the promise of Goal Guide. The research team collected student data prior to, directly following, and 12 weeks following the intervention.
Key measures
The students were participants in a high school transition program. Students were assessed on goal accomplishment as measured by content knowledge, goal task performance, self-advocacy, and sense of self-determination as measured by the AIR Self-Determination Scale. Teacher and student satisfaction with the intervention were measured using a researcher-developed survey. Usability, feasibility, and fidelity of implementation data were collected using observational checklists throughout the study, supplemented by an online implementation checklist.
Data analytic strategy
The research team analyzed usability through visual analysis and usability ratings. For the pilot study data, the researchers conducted analyses of covariance to assess the main effect of using Goal Guide on students' goal-setting skill, content knowledge, satisfaction, and self-advocacy outcomes.
Key outcomes
The main findings of this study, as reported by the principal investigator, are as follows:
- The project resulted in the completion of the Goal Guide application and its use in conjunction with the Cognitopia Transition and Goal Management Curriculum during pilot testing. Goal Guide is a cognitively accessible, web-based, self-management tool that enables students to create goals, track progress, and share data with teachers and other IEP team members.
- The Cognitopia Transition and Goal Management Curriculum was developed and field-tested. The curriculum is a 16-lesson sequence that integrates application use with instruction in goal management, task accomplishment, and IEP self-direction.
- Pilot study findings of curriculum implementation showed high usability and satisfaction ratings, and a significant improvement on self-advocacy scores (p<.05) with a medium to large effect size (r=.50).
- These findings support the promise of goal management tools and self-management tools more generally to foster an improved sense of self-advocacy for students with autism.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Project contributors
Products and publications
Project website:
Publications:
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Additional project information
Additional online resources and information:
Blog: https://blog.cognitopia.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKHSkbiwLiXxYDVnOwTbbdQ
Previous award details:
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