Comparison of the Effects of Smart Board Technology and Flash Card Instruction on Sight Word Recognition and Observational Learning
By Mechling, Linda C.; Gast, David L.; Thompson, Kimberly L.; Journal of Special Education Technology, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 34-46Publication Date: 2008
Study compared the effectiveness of SMART Board interactive whiteboard technology and traditional flash cards in teaching reading to young adults with moderate intellectual disabilities in a small-group instructional arrangement. Participants were one male and two female students, aged 19 to 21 years, who were enrolled in a high-school transition program for young adults. Under each condition, participants were each taught to read six multi-syllabic, compound, and multiple words selected, based on students’ identified need to be able to shop independently, from aisle-marker words sampled from grocery stores. The words were presented individually on a 58-inch by 42-inch SMART Board screen, and printed on 3-inch by 5-inch flashcards using a 36-point font. Observational learning, defined as students learning other group members’ words, was also assessed across each condition. The effectiveness of the two procedures was evaluated using an adapted alternating-treatments design across two conditions and replicated across students. Results indicated that both SMART Board and flash card instruction were effective in teaching target sight words. However, students read a greater percentage of observational words when words were presented using SMART Board technology. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
Published by: Exceptional Innovations (Website:http://www.exinn.net)
Technology and Media Division (TAM) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) (Web Site: http://www.tamcec.org )
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J56354
