Charles A. Hughes

Using the Pause Procedure to Enhance Lecture Recall

To determine the effect of a pausing procedure (three 2-minute pauses spaced at logical breaks during lecture presentations) on two dependent variables (free recall of facts and performance on objective tests), a separate 2 (class) x 2 (procedure) factorial analysis of variance was used. Seventy-two undergraduate students enrolled in either a course on educating the learning disabled or a course on educating the emotionally disturbed. Each semester, one class served as the control group and the second as the experimental group. Students in the experimental condition scored significantly higher on both dependent variables than did the control groups.

Mild/Moderate Behaviorally Disordered StudentsA Population at Risk for Language Disorders

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the language skills of a group of 38 mildly to moderately behavior-disordered students. At issue was whether such students suffer from language disorders as has been reported for Children with more severe behavior disorders such as autism. The results from the Test of Language Development-Intermediate (TOLD-I) (Hammill & Newcomer, 1982) revealed that 37 of the children (97%) fell a minimum of one standard deviation below the normative mean on one or more of the TOLD-I subtests. These findings are offered in support of the notion that the mildly to moderately behavior-disordered child is at risk for language disorders.

Graphic Organizers and Students with Learning Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis reviews experimental and quasi-experimental studies in which upper-elementary, intermediate, and secondary students with learning disabilities learned from graphic organizers. Following an exhaustive search for studies meeting specified design criteria, 55 standardized mean effect sizes were extracted from 16 articles involving 808 participants. Students at levels ranging from grade 4 to grade 12 used graphic organizers to learn in core-content classes (English/reading, science, social studies, mathematics). Posttests measured near and far transfer. Across several conditions, settings, and features, the use of graphic organizers was associated with increases in vocabulary knowledge, comprehension, and inferential knowledge. Mean effect sizes varied from moderate to large based on type of measure, type of graphic organizer, and subject area. Conclusions, implications for future research, and practical recommendations are presented.

Response to Intervention: A Research-Based Summary

Response to Intervention (RTI) is an instructional framework through which schools can provide early intervention for students experiencing academic and behavioral difficulties. It is also promoted as an alternative to the IQ-discrepancy model for identifying students with learning disabilities. Most states have developed, or are developing, models of RTI that can be used by school systems and the topic of RTI is frequently written about in educational journals and spoken about at professional conferences. The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with a summary of the research base related to the typical components of the RTI process, as well as the evidence base for RTI when implemented in its entirety.

Cognitive and Academic Performance of College Students with Learning Disabilities: A Synthesis of the Literature.

The literature pertaining to college students with learning disabilities was reviewed to arrive at a summary of empirical reports on the academic achievement and cognitive ability of this population. Of the more than 100 articles published over a 20-year time span, less than one third were data based and reported academic and cognitive performance. Nevertheless, there is evidence that college students with learning disabilities may present unique problems which adversely affect academic performance. Findings include levels of intellectual functioning, as well as performance in reading, math, writing, and foreign language. Research needs and implications for service provision are discussed.

Note-Taking Skills of University Students With and Without Learning Disabilities

The notes of 30 university students with learning disabilities (LD) and 30 nondisabled university students were compared on the number of cued and noncued information units recorded and the number and type of abbreviations used. Results showed that the university students with LD performed significantly lower on all variables. Implications for practitioners are provided and future research discussed.

Technology-Based Practices for Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities

The researchers conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on technology-based practices for secondary students identified as having learning disabilities (LD) involving instruction and/or assessment that measured some aspect of performance on a general education task or expectation (i.e., test). Technology-based practices included computer- or video-based interventions, multimedia programs, technology-based assessment, and verbatim audio recordings. Three practices appear promising for educating students with LD: (a) hypertext and hypermedia software programs; (b) videodisc instruction involving contextualized learning; and (c) multimedia software. Educational recommendations and directions for future research are offered based upon results.

Benefits of Notetaking: Implications for Secondary and Postsecondary Students with Learning Disabilities.

Notetaking is the primary method used by secondary and postsecondary students with learning disabilities (LD) to acquire lecture information. The literature on notetaking was reviewed to obtain an empirical base for designing effective notetaking programming and identifying critical areas for future research. Results include the benefits of recording and reviewing notes as well as identification of listener- and lecturer-controlled variables that influence effective notetaking. Findings are discussed in relation to the learner characteristics of secondary and postsecondary LD students.

Effects of Instruction in an Assignment Completion Strategy on the Homework Performance of Students with Learning Disabilities in General Education Classes

Homework is an important activity in the lives of school-aged children, including students with learning disabilities (LD). Characteristics often associated with LD (e.g., poor organizational skills) may adversely impact the rate and quality of homework completion. In this study, a multiple-probe across-students design (Horner & Baer, 1978) was used to evaluate the effects of instruction in a comprehensive, independent assignment completion strategy with regard to homework completion rates and the quality of products completed in response to assignments given in general education classrooms. Eight of nine students mastered use of the strategy, and their homework completion rates and the quality of their homework products improved. Associated with these improvements were increases in quarterly grades and teacher ratings of the quality of the assignments. Thus, direct instruction in a comprehensive strategy comprised of organizational behaviors can result in independent completion of more homework by students with LD. Nevertheless, instruction in organizational skills alone appears insufficient to produce a 100 percent submission rate: student motivation to complete assignments and mastery of the skills required, as well as the appropriateness of assignments for students, need to be addressed.

Self-Management with Behaviorally Disordered Students in School Settings: A Promise Unfulfilled?.

Self-management procedures have been promoted in the professional literature as effective in producing, maintaining, and generalizing behavior changes in behaviorally disordered students. Additional purported advantages are increased student involvement in the behavior change process with a concurrent decrease in teacher involvement. The present review was conducted to evaluate studies of self-management procedures (i.e., self-evaluation, self-instruction, self-monitoring, and self-reinforcement) used with behaviorally disordered students in school settings. While general support for these techniques was found, many procedural concerns must be addressed in future research before educators can use them with confidence and efficiency.