The Effects of a Computerized Reading Program on "At-Risk" Secondary Students.

A year-long study examined the effects of a computer-based reading project on students' attitudes and performance in reading and writing. Subjects (73 "at-risk" eighth-grade students in an inner-city school in Paterson, New Jersey) were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group used a software package that dealt with the real-life issues of this special population. The control group used a variety of skill-based reading packages from the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium as well as test preparation software for the New Jersey statewide assessment test. Three pre-post assessment instruments were used: (1) a 22-item teacher-made attitudinal survey; (2) alternate forms of the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests; and (3) part 1 of the writing section of New Jersey's High School Proficiency Test. Analysis of variance procedures indicated that while there were no significant differences attributable to the group for reading and writing, the attitudes of the experimental group toward their work with computers and themselves as readers and writers improved significantly. (Seven tables of data are included.) (Author/RS) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** The Effects of a Computerized Reading Program "At-Risk" Secondary Stuesents Shelley B. Wepner The William Paterson College of New Jersey Wayne, Nov Jersey 07470 "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS /L HAS BEEN GRANTED BY 4 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." 1991 Olt U 5 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OMIcP ot EducittiOnel Readaarce and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has Peen reproduced as received Own the person or cultenitalion originating it r Minor chenwes llayt been made to Improve reproduction cluaLly Points 01 vie* ot opinionS slated in thiS dcX:u ment do not necessarily represent official OE RI position or policy 2RFST COPY Mill ANT 1 The Effects of a Computerized Reading Program on "At-Risk" Secondary Students Abstract This study describes a computer-based reading project with 73 "at-risk" eighth grade students in an inner-city school in Paterson, New Jersey. The experimental group used a software package that deals with the real-life issues of this special population. The control group used a variety of skill-based reading packages from the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium as well as test preparation software for the New Jersey statewide assessment test. T1, .ee pre-post assessment instruments were used: (1) a 22-item teacher-made attitudinal survey; (2) alternate forms of the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests, Levels 7-9; and (3) Part 1 of the writing section of New Jersey's High School Proficiency Test. Analysis of variance procedures indicated that while there were no signficant differences attributable to group for reading and writing, the attitudes of the experimental group toward their work with computers and themselves as readers and writers increased significantly. Plausible reasons for these findings are explained. Computerized Reading Program and At-Risk Students 1 The Effects of a Computerized Reading Program on "At-Risk" Secondary Students Introduction Given that "in some inner-city public schools, more than 50 percent of the students leave before graduating" (Bialo & Sivin, 1989a, p. 35), educators are constantly searching for intervention programs and resources to reverse this trend (Moskowitz, 1989; Ryan & Brewer, 1990; Vescial, 1989). Because the computer has been lauded for its ability to assume different software-driven roles, it is especially well-suited to the needs of at-risk students (Bialo & Sivin, 1989a, 1989b; Knights, 1988; "Programs," 1989; "Technology and," 1988). Notwithstanding technology's capability to provide at-risk students with varied multi-sensory opporturtities to read and write about their own concerns and issues, many educators resort to using basic skills software to remediate these students' reading and writing deficiencies (Bialo & Sivin, 1989a, 1989b). While this latter type of software addresses specific curricular objectives, its content typically is not written to address the needs and interests of this special population. Research is needed to determine whether reading software, written specifically for this population, affects students attitudes and achievement. This study was designed to examine the effects of "real-life" reading software versus skillbased reading software. A major purpose was to determine whether software makes a difference in students' attitudes toward their work with computers and themselves as readers and writers. A secondary purpose was to determine whether software affected students' achievement in reading and writing. Methodology Subjects and Procedures Seventy-three eighth grade students (86% Afro-American, 14% Hispanic) from an innercity school in Paterson, New Jersey, participated in this yearlong study which was funded in part by the New Jersey Department of Higher Education. Because these students went to an "I Have a Dream" School (#6) in Paterson, New Jersey, they were identified as "dreamers" at the beginning