Reading, Reading
Material, and
Research
T. Cavanaugh, Ph.D
C. Cavanaugh, Ph.D.
K. Hall, Ph.D.
S. M. Syverud, Ph.D.
M. McCrudden, Ph.D.
Florida Education Research Association
Jacksonville
November 15, 2006
Reading, Reading Material, and
Research
Description: This session will present
some of the current facets in reading
research, running the gamut from
individual cognitive, to classroom
strategies, to online school libraries and
accreditation. Panel presenters will each
discuss their ongoing research design,
implications, and results to date.
Reading Research
Student
Classroom
School
Virtual Schools and
the School Library
Terence Cavanaugh
Cathy Cavanaugh
University of North Florida
College of Education and Human
Services
Department of Leadership, Counseling,
and Instructional Technology
School Library Missions
• “To ensure that students and staff are effective
users of ideas and information” (AASL 1998, p. 6).
• Accomplished through the two primary
purposes:
– supporting the curriculum
– promoting reading for enjoyment.
• Ensure that students are provided with
opportunities that will engage them in reading,
and create an environment where reading is
valued and encouraged (AASL 1999).
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
School Library Advantages
• “Research findings from more than 4,000
schools indicate links between academic
achievement and strong school
libraries”
• Other findings indicate that strong libraries
correlate to higher standardized test
scores
Students – Millennial Generation
• Majority use tools such as Google to
research a topic
(Kaminski, Seel, & Cullen 2003)
• While using such search tools, the
students recognize that they are wasting
time in their research process and desire
assistance
(McEuen 2001)
DL Success Factors
• Effective practices based on experience and
research. Resources--Processes--Results cycle
(Cavanaugh, 2005).
• Practices that support library services in virtual
schools are:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Student services (Resources)
Qualified, experienced staff (Resources)
Appropriate learning materials (Resources)
Student access to learning resources (Resources)
Focus on content and students (Practices)
Development of information literacy (Practices)
Program accreditation (Results)
Accrediting Agencies
U.S. DoE recognized regional accrediting bodies:
• (MSAS) Middle States Association of Colleges and
Schools
• (NCACSI) North Central Association of Colleges and
Schools
• (NEASC) New England Association of Schools and
Colleges
• (NAAS) Northwest Association of Accredited Schools
• (SACS) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
• (WASC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Accreditation Requirements
Library Services
• Staffing
• Collection
– Integration
• Practices
– Planning
– Budget
Sample Accreditation Requirements
Related to School Libraries
North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement
http://www.ncacasi.org/standard/cp/ra
• Library Staffing:
– The school employs the equivalent of at least one professionally
trained individual.
• Library Collection:
– An appropriate collection of books and periodicals is provided to
support the instructional program. In addition to print materials,
the collection should include filmstrips, computer programs, tape
and disc recordings, and videotapes.
• Library Practices:
– The professional staff has developed a statement of policy for
the selection of reference materials, instructional materials for
the library, and textbooks.
VS and Brick Accreditation
Standards
(sample)
NAAS
Brick School
Virtual School
Certified library
media specialist
Required – Number depends on
school enrollment
Required – no population
mentioned
Collection
A wide range of materials,
technologies, or other
library/information services
required
A wide range of materials,
technologies, or other
library/information services
required
Access
Students, faculty, and support staff
have regular and frequent
access to services
No requirement
Independent
inquiry
Enables students and faculty to use
various resources and
technologies
Enables students and faculty to use
various resources and
technologies
Policies
Policies are in place for the
selection and removal of
information resources and the
use of technologies and the
Internet.
Policies are in place for the
selection and removal of
information resources and the
use of technologies and the
Internet.
Study
For this study, librarians, teachers,
administrators from online schools were
surveyed and interviewed to gather
information about their student library
services and teacher/library collaboration.
Information from accrediting agencies
regarding virtual school library requirements.
Study Methods
•Online surveys
– Administrators
– Librarians
– Primary language
instructors
• Interviews
– Accrediting
agencies
– Accredited schools
– Teachers
http://www.unf.edu/~tcavanau/projects/
research/survey_of_virtual_schools.htm
Survey Topics
•
•
•
•
•
•
General/Demographic
Personnel
Access
Funding/budget
Accreditation
Students
Survey Questions
• The priority given to library services
• How students access library resources (local
school, public library, online, etc.)
• Whether the school has a budget for library
materials
• Whether the school employs certified librarians
• Demographics of the students served
• School’s current accreditation status
• The collaboration between distance learning
teachers and school librarians.
Initial Survey Results
• Librarian
–
–
–
• Library Services
–
–
–
–
1 full time
1 part time
5 none
Full Time
Part Time
None
3 library
3 online library
3 subscription library
8 no service
Library
Online Library
Subscription
None
From twelve online schools
Initial Survey Results (cont.)
• Library Priority
–
–
–
–
–
• Library Access
–
–
–
0 highest
2 high
2 moderate
2 low
2 no
Highest
High
Moderate
Low
None
3 local school
5 public libraries
3 no expectations
School
Public
None
From eight responses
Initial Survey Results (cont.)
VS provides for:
• Reading Enjoyment
–
–
3 yes
5 no
• Students expected to
use a library
–
–
5 yes
3 no
• Research
–
–
3 yes
5 no
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
From eight responses
Initial Survey Results (cont.)
Teacher interviews
Teachers working with part-time online
students had:
• no collaboration with regional
librarians/libraries
• not even considered contacting regional
school libraries
Online Library – Subscribe
• Subscription library fees based on usage
• 24/7 access to the collection
• School purchases a collection of titles or pays a
service fee
• Only one student at a time may access each
purchased copy
• Set the checkout time allotment
Online Library – Vendors
Library subscription vendors:
• netLibrary (http://www.netlibrary.com/Gateway.aspx)
• ebrary (http://www.ebrary.com/index.jsp)
• Questia (http://www.questia.com/Index.jsp)
• OverDrive – Digital Library Reserve
(http://www.overdrive.com)
Students with special needs (free):
• Bookshare.org (www.bookshare.org)
• Accessible Book Collection
(www.accessiblebookcollection.org)
Online Library - Create
• Personnel
• Server
– Adobe’s Content Server
(timed checkout)
• Collection
– Construct
– Purchase
• Blackmask
• Gutenberg
• Baen
School Library
Benefits
Issues
• Dedicated to students • Access issues
– Ex. Florida’s Jessica
• Age/stage appropriate
Lunsford Act
collection
• Lack of coordination
• Curriculum related
between teachers &
• Staffed with K12
library
trained personnel
• Collection may not
reflect VS curriculum
Public Library
Benefits
• Free and public
• Expanded time
access
• Wide range of
materials
(preK-adult+)
• Reading enjoyment
focus
Issues
• Not dedicated to
student applications
• Lacking curriculum
support
• Lacking research
focus
References
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
AASL (American Association of School Librarians). (1999). Position Statement on the Value of
Independent Reading the School Library media Program. Adopted June 1994, revised July 1999.
Retrieved October 2006 from
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/positionstatements/aaslpositionstatementvalueindepende
nt.htm.
AASL (American Association of School Librarians). (1998). Information Power: Building
Partnerships for Learning. Chicago: American Library Association.
ALA (American Library Association). (2003). Information Literacy and Accreditation
Agencies. http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolit/infolitstandards/infolitaccred/accreditatio
n.htm
Cavanaugh, C. (2005). Distance Education Success Factors. Encyclopedia of Information Science
and Technology. Khosrow-Pour, M. Ed. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference.
Kaminski, K., Seel, P., and Cullen, K. (2003). Technology Literate Students? Results from a
Survey EDUCAUSE Quarterly, V26, N3, pp 34-40. Retrieved October 2006 from
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0336.pdf .
Libraries called key. (2004, February/March). Reading Today, 21(4), 1, 4. Retrieved October 2006
from http://www.reading.org/publications/reading_today/samples/RTY-0402-libraries.html.
McEuen, S. F. (2001). How Fluent with Information Technology are our Students? EDUCAUSE
Quarterly, V24 N4 p8-17. Retrieved September 2006 from
http://www.educause.edu/apps/eq/eqm01/eqm014.asp.
USDOE. (2006). Recognized Accrediting Associations.
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-accredrecog_associations.html
Pre-Service Student
Teachers Providing a
Safety Net for
Struggling Readers
Susan M. Syverud,
Ph.D.
University of North
Florida
Department of
Exceptional Student and
Deaf Education
susan.syverud@unf.edu
Katrina Hall, Ph.D
University of North
Florida
Department of Early
Childhood Education
katrina.hall@unf.edu
Participants and Setting
• Pre-service student teachers enrolled in the reading
methods for exceptional learners class provided a safety
net in reading to struggling first graders at an elementary
urban professional development school (PDS).
• Pre-service student teachers enrolled in the general
education reading methods class provided a safety net
in reading to struggling kindergarten, first, and second
grade readers at a local elementary school.
• The elementary students were identified as at-risk for
reading failure by means of results from the Dynamic
Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS, 2002)
or by teacher judgment.
Materials
• Both classes of undergraduate students
received training in the implementation of Teach
Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
(Engelmann, Haddox, & Bruner, 1983) by the
special education faculty member.
– This curriculum includes:
• Explicit and systematic phonemic awareness instruction
• Explicit, systematic, and synthetic phonics instruction
• Students enrolled in the general education
methods class also received training in use of
guided reading books and children’s literature.
Pre-service Student Teacher Preparation
Prior to Safety Net Provision
• Three 2 hours and 50 minute class sessions
were devoted to preparing the both classes of
undergraduate students to use the 100 Easy
Lessons book.
Both classes of students were presented research
on phonemic awareness and phonics instruction
and practiced teaching those skills from the 100
Easy Lessons book with their classmates.
Safety Net Provision in Reading
• Students enrolled in the reading methods for
exceptional learners class tutored one-on-one
for 30 minutes one day a week.
• Students enrolled in the general education
reading methods course tutored one-on-one 1
hour two days a week (D.I. & guided
reading/phonemic awareness/phonics
tasks/comprehension/writing)
• Support and coaching was provided as needed
by both university professors.
Evidence of Highly Qualified
Teacher Education Preparation
• Pretest/Posttest Comparison on DIBELS
– Students were identified as High Risk (HR),
Moderate Risk (MR), Low Risk (LR), or Above
Average (AA) on:
• Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF)
– (e.g. Tell me the sounds in mop.)
• Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)
– (e.g. Read this word the best you can. “lut”)
• Initial Sound Fluency (ISF)
– (e.g. This is mouse, flower, pillow, letters. Which one begins with
the sound /m/?)
Pre-Service Student Teacher Comments
Results from DIBELS at
Elementary Urban PDS
PSF
1st Grader
9/29/05
NWF
11/23/05
9/29/05
11/23/05
Erica
33 (MR)
53(AA)
25 (LR)
56(AA)
Faith
36 (LR)
43 (LR)
12 (HR)
62 (AA)
Cody
3 (HR)
54 (AA)
16 (MR)
26 (MR)
Nadia
42 (AA)
54 (AA)
25 (LR)
51 (AA)
Shalease
51 (AA)
63 (AA)
28 (LR)
50 (AA)
Hunter
39 (LR)
33 (MR)
26 (LR)
49 (AA)
Tyrease
0 (HR)
40 (LR)
15 (MR)
45 (LR)
Summary of local elementary
school (39% free & reduced lunch)
• 6 kindergartners – PSF; NWF; ISF
– Jan.: PSF- 5 HR/1 MR; NWF- 5 HR/1 MR; ISF 4 HR;
2 MR
– March: PSF- 1 HR/2 MR/3 LR; NWF- 4 MR/2 LR; ISF
2 HR; 2 MR; 2 LR
• 6 first graders- PSF; NWF
– Jan: PSF 3 MR; 2 LR; NWF 3 MR; 3 LR
– Mar: PSF 2 MR; 2 LR; 2 AA; NWF 1 MR; 4 LR; 2 AA
• 4 second graders – PSF; NWF
– Jan: NWF 3 MR/ 1 LR; ORF 3 HR; 1 MR
– Mar: NWF 2 LR/2 MR; ORF 2 LR; 1 MR; 1 AA
Pre-Service Student Teacher Comments
at Elementary Urban PDS
• “I would like to say that I found this course to be full of
pertinent information on a section that is a primary
concern in education—reading!”
• “From my initial meeting with my tutee, I knew that she
could accomplish a great deal during our tutoring
sessions if she was properly motivated. I was initially
worried about the responsibility of teaching this six-year
old girl the correct sounds associated with each letter,
since it was not the way I was instructed to read. I was
certainly apprehensive about the experience of direct
instruction, but the results were worth the worry. I am so
very impressed with all that my tutee achieved in reading
thus far. Her above average fluency levels as determined
by DIBELS, is utterly gratifying.”
Pre-Service Student Teacher
Comments at Elementary Urban PDS
• “This tutoring opportunity was a great experience for me.
As a future educator, I have been able to acquire hands
on experience and teaching techniques that will be
helpful for my future career.”
• “This class was very beneficial for me as a future
teacher… Reading is a tough area for many teachers
and students.”
• “As a secondary teacher, I thought all my kids will be
able to read, now I have to take a second look at this
notion.”
• “This experience gave me the knowledge of teaching a
student directly and seeing the results firsthand.”
Pre-service Teacher comments at
local elementary school
• “I learned that being able to say the letters
doesn’t mean a child knows the sounds or can
blend or segment.”
• “I have been able to use my ‘100 Easy Lessons’
book in my urban field placement and it’s helped
my guided reading group a lot.”
• “Working with real children and seeing them
actually learn is something you can’t get from a
lecture or reading a chapter. I am going to
continue to work with my student weekly after
this class ends– I just love her!”
Classroom Teacher Comments
• “I have seen tremendous progress and am
using this to document my safety net work
with the kindergarten children.”
• “This is perfect for guided reading with the
children who have gaps in their learning.
• “The work that the tutors do has been very
helpful and allows the children an extra
session of learning—great intervention.”
Assessing the Effect of a
Causal Diagram on Text
Comprehension
Matt McCrudden, Ph.D.
University of North Florida
College of Education and
Human Services
Department of Foundations
and Secondary Education
mmccrudd@unf.edu
Phases of the Study
1. Identify a specific reading activity
–
Causal inference generation
2. Provide instructional intervention
–
Supplemental visual display
3. Assess understanding
–
–
–
Recall
Transfer
Reasoning
4. Evaluate effect of instructional intervention
Big Picture
• Readers frequently have difficulty
understanding cause-effect relationships in text
(Carney & Levin, 2002; Graesser, Leon, & Otero,
2003; Pearl, 2000).
– What influences comprehension of causal relationships?
– How can comprehension of causal relationships from text be
improved?
Causality
• Causality is established when a reader infers
that an antecedent event precedes and
causes a subsequent event.
Anatomy of a Causal Inference
• Example: “Bone loss leads to increased
amounts of calcium in the blood.”
– Cause = bone loss
– Effect = more calcium in blood
– Supporting knowledge:
• Bones contain calcium.
• Bones lose calcium during bone loss.
• Calcium travels throughout the body in the blood.
Causal Diagram
• A visual display that spatially organizes the
causal relationships of a process or sequence
of events with arrows indicating direction of
causality
– e.g. Why are astronauts more likely to develop
kidney stones during space travel?
Lack
of
Gravit
y
Decreased
physical
stress on
loadbearing
bones
Decreased
production
of bone
building
cells
Bones
absorb
less
calciu
m
Bone
loss
Increased
calcium
levels in
the blood
Kidneys
filter
more
calcium
from
blood
Excess
calcium
in tissues
of kidney
Increased
potential
for kidney
stones
Potential Benefits of Causal Diagrams
1. Relevant events are more salient
2. The spatial organization facilitates
understanding of causal relationships
between relevant events
3. Reduces load on working memory
Research Question
Does a causal diagram facilitate
comprehension of causal relationships
--OR-is a causal diagram redundant with the text
and not facilitate comprehension of causal
relationships?
Competing Hypotheses
Causal Explication
Hypothesis
Redundancy
Hypothesis
•Causal diagrams improve
comprehension by explicitly
representing the causal
structure of the text in a
visual format
•Causal diagrams provide
information that is redundant
with the reader’s mental
representation of the text and
does not improve causal
inference generation
Participants and Design
• 81 undergraduate education majors
(conditions similar with respect to sex, race,
age, GPA, background knowledge)
• 3 conditions
– Text-Text
– Text-Causal Diagram
– Text-Outline
Learning Outcomes
• Causal sequence test
• Transfer test
• Holistic causal comprehension test
Causal Sequence Test
• Recall steps in the causal sequence
– Explain why astronauts are more likely to get
kidney stones during space travel. List as many of
the steps in the causal sequence as you can,
starting with the very first step, with as much
accuracy and detail as you can.
Transfer Test
• Integrate causal steps into general principles
and extend those principles to situations not
described in the text.
– Sample item:
• Imagine one of your friends is ill and must stay in bed
for 6 weeks. Using what you have learned about how
kidney stones form, explain why your friend is more
likely to develop kidney stones than if she was not
required to stay in bed.
Holistic Causal Comprehension Test
•
Comprehension of transitive relationships (A
causes B, which causes C. How does a change in A affect
C?)
–
If the bones were absorbing less calcium, how
would the potential for kidney stones be
affected?
a) The potential would increase.
b) The potential would decrease.
c) The potential would have no effect.
Procedure
• Read text (460 words) for 4 minutes then:
– Reread,
– Study the CD, or
– Study the outline for 4 minutes
•
•
•
•
Interpolated task (Prior knowledge test and demographics)
Causal Sequence test
Transfer test
Holistic causal sequence test
Analyses
• Three one-way ANOVA’s
• Independent variable
– Study materials (Text-Text, Text-Outline, &
Text-CD)
• Dependent Variables
– Causal sequence test
– Transfer test
– Holistic causal sequence test
Results
• Causal Sequence Test
– Main effect for Study Condition
• F (2, 81) = 10.71, p < .001, η2 = .215
• Transfer Test
– Main effect for Study Condition
• F (2, 81) = 3.51, p < .05, η2 = .083
• Holistic Causal Sequence Test
– Main effect for Study Condition
• F (2, 81) = 4.14, p < .05, η2 = .096
Group Means
Text-CD
Causal Seq.
.76*
Text-Outline
.63
Text-Text
.47
(proportion)
Transfer
Holistic
Causal Seq.
(proportion)
8.7*
.83*
8.2
.81
6.6
.68
Summary
• The causal diagrams improved comprehension
by explicitly displaying the implicit causal
structure of a text in a visual format. (Support
for causal explication hypothesis)
Implications for Educators
• Providing learners with causal diagrams during
study is relatively:
– simple
– efficient
Thank you for your attention!
• Presentation
http://www.unf.edu/~tcavanau/
presentations/presentations.htm