Structured Abstract
Setting
The studies are being conducted in fifth-grade urban/semi-urban classrooms in the northeast of the United States.
Sample
The students participating in this research project include both typical and struggling readers, as well as students for whom English is a first language. Over 3 years, approximately 320 grade 5 students are participating. In addition, 14 teachers are participating in the research project.
Intervention
The digital reading environment being developed is called universal learning editions (ULE). ULE embeds vocabulary and reading strategy instruction in interactive scaffolded digital versions of narrative and informational texts.
Research design and methods
In phase 1, the research team is developing a ULE with interactive vocabulary supports. This ULE is being formatively evaluated with 40 students in 2 classrooms. To assess the relative contribution of vocabulary versus reading strategy supports to reading achievement, a small evaluation to obtain evidence of the potential efficacy of this intervention is being conducted in phase 2, with 6 classrooms randomly assigned to condition, and a total of 120 students participating. The three conditions being compared are (1) ULE with vocabulary supports, (2) ULE with reading strategy supports, and (3) ULE with both vocabulary and strategy supports. In phase 3, the research team is randomly assigning 8 classrooms either to a full ULE treatment with both vocabulary and strategy supports or a control condition. Approximately 160 students will participate in the phase 3 experiment.
Control condition
In phase 3, students in the control condition read the same digital texts with only text-to-speech capacity and a glossary.
Key measures
Measures include pre/post standardized and researcher-developed reading comprehension and vocabulary tests, student ULE worklogs, event-usage tracking data, and field notes. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies are being used to assess reading outcomes and gain insights on students' ULE use and teachers' implementation.
Data analytic strategy
For the quasi-experimental studies, the researchers are using multiple regression techniques to determine differential effects of each condition on vocabulary and comprehension outcomes, for struggling readers and for ELL students. The researchers are also examining the relationship among students' use of ULE supports, student characteristics, and reading outcomes. This development project is intended only to obtain evidence of the potential effectiveness of the intervention; the study is under-powered for analysis at the unit of random assignment (classroom) and will be analyzed at the level of the student.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
WWC Review: Proctor, C. P., Dalton, B., Uccelli, P., Biancarosa, G., Mo, E., Snow, C., & Neugebauer, S. (2011). Improving Comprehension Online: Effects of Deep Vocabulary Instruction With Bilingual and Monolingual Fifth Graders. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 24(5): 517-544. [WWC Review]
Select Publications
Book chapters
Dalton, B., and Proctor, C.P. (2007). Reading as Thinking: Integrating Strategy Instruction in a Universally Designed Digital Literacy Environment. In D.S. McNamara (Ed.), Reading Comprehension Strategies: Theories, Interventions, and Technologies (pp. 421-440). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum Publishers.
Uccelli, P., and Snow, C.E. (2008). A Research Agenda for Educational Linguistics. In B. Spolsky, F. M. Hult (Ed.), The Handbook of Educational Linguistics (pp. 626-642). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
Journal articles
Dalton, B., Proctor, C.P., Uccelli, P., Mo, E., and Snow, C.E. (2011). Designing for Diversity: The Role of Reading Strategies and Interactive Vocabulary in a Digital Reading Environment for Fifth-Grade Monolingual English and Bilingual Students. Journal of Literacy Research, 43(1): 68-100.
Proctor, C.P., Dalton, B., Uccelli, P., Biancaros, G. Mo, E., Snow, C.E., and Neugebauer, S. (2009). Improving Comprehension Online: Effects of Deep Vocabulary Instruction With Bilingual and Monolingual Fifth Graders. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 24(5): 517-544.
Proctor, C. P., Uccelli, P., Dalton, B., and Snow, C.E. (2009). Understanding Depth of Vocabulary Online With Bilingual and Monolingual Children. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 25(4): 311-333.
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigator(s): Proctor, Patrick; Snow, Catherine
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
