CBM embedded in Online Learning Environments, a study

The article I read was a study that sought to discover the benefits of embedding curriculum based measurement into a UDL (universally designed learning) online learning environment using a research based reading tool, Strategic Reader.  The study involved 14 classrooms and 284 students. Of this participant group,  participants that were trained to participate in the study were chosen from a middle school and there was a percentage of students with disabilities and without disabilities.

These students chose 2 of 4 texts to complete reading in the online UDL environment.  Strategic Reader provided these digitial texts with many options for supports, such as highlighting text, changing fonts, and choosing whether to give required responses in text or orally.

There were two treatment groups.  The first group, called Treatment 1, used Strategic Reader and their teachers could utilize the online tools that would allow them to progress monitor their students online.  The second group, Treatment 2, used all the same things, except their teachers had to progress monitor the students with paper/pencil, or with any other offline progress monitoring method.

The results of the study showed a statistically significant improvement in scores for students who had disabilities.  The research of this team seemed to show that using online tools to progress monitor created more improvement in reading comprehension scores.  These teachers could scaffold with the tools Strategic Reader offered and create more interventions for their students.  The teachers who had to use offline methods of progress monitoring showed a lesser percentage of growth.

Also, the ease of use of the online progress monitoring showed that teachers who had access to it created more interventions for their students.  In my opinion, this ability to use the online tool is what may have helped those students improve more.  The teachers had access to students results that were computer generated and could point-click and create more specific interventions than those teachers who had to progress monitor on their own.

My connection to this topic, and the reason I chose to write about this article is because I was able to use a similar program for my first grade students last year.  The program I used all year was called Imagine Learning.  It was paid for by the district and was part of our K-3 Intervention plan.  While using this program, I found the ease of creating interventions and interpreting data to be beyond beneficial and amazing.  I also found my students improved greatly on standard tests at benchmarks and I attribute it to the supplemental use of this program.  It helped to reteach things I had already taught.  I could go over a lot of data (when I had the time) and see exactly where the breakdowns in their learning were taking place.  I will say that the classrooms that were part of this study were more supported than I was.  While I saw awesome improvement and achievement from my kids, it would've been nice to have a grade level meeting or data day to go over the results and really be able to delve deeper into more intense planning.

I feel that this article was helpful and practical because the things that it was seeking to research were clear and measurable.  I think that I agree with some of the limitations listed, such as the age levels weren't as mixed as they intended at the beginning.  They sought to test middle schools evenly (sixth, seventh, and eighth graders) and their median age of participants was around 11 years old.  This shows their study was mostly sixth grade participants.   I think the article's strongest point was the statistically significant scoring of students with LDs when they are given progress monitoring via online tools.  It shows that these students can improve even more when they are engaged and enjoy technology.  The weakest part for me was the scope of the research.  Or maybe, what I mean by that is, I'd like a follow up to show the results of an intervention program with a younger group of readers.

Hall, T. E., Cohen, N., Vue, G., & Ganley, P. (2015). Addressing learning disabilities with UDL and technology: Strategic  reader. Learning Disability Quarterly, 38(2), 72-83.  Retrieved September 14, 2015 from EbscoHost.