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Dissertation Information for M. Delia Neuman

NAME:
- M. Delia Neuman
- (Alias) Delia Neuman

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Education

SCHOOL:
- The Ohio State University (USA) (1986)

ADVISORS:
- None

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: LEARNING DISABILITIES AND MICROCOMPUTER COURSEWARE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF STUDENTS' AND TEACHERS' INTERACTIONS WITH INSTRUCTIONAL DIMENSIONS

Abstract: This study explored two major research questions: (1) How do students with learning disabilities perceive, react to, and interact with various instructional dimensions of the courseware to which they are exposed on a daily basis? (2) How do teachers of these students perceive various instructional dimensions of this courseware and use these to enhance students' learning?

Sixty-two students aged 9 to 17 and seven teachers from five subject areas participated in the study at a private school for learning disabled students. Data collection involved prolonged observation (5 1/2 months) of participants' use of 26 commercial courseware packages; interviews of individual teachers and administrators and small groups of students; and examination of the courseware itself and other relevant artifacts.

Data analysis was based primarily upon interview transcripts and fieldnotes compiled during the observations. Analytic techiques included (a) the development of coding categories based on the original research questions and subquestions and on other topics that emerged as significant; (b) the assignment to and sorting of the data according to these codes; and (c) the creation and use of an organizational scheme for final data analysis and reporting. This last step involved developing a series of matrices and resorting, refining, and condensing the data for each in four stages culminating in the creation of the findings tables. Teacher tables show such things as teachers' logistical and instructional strategies for computer based education. Student tables relate data to characteristics of stimulus presentations, response requirements, and feedback and reinforcement provisions inherent in the courseware and display students' strategies for dealing with these characteristics.

Among the primary findings are (1) students' needs for speech synthesis and explanatory feedback in order to use courseware effectively and independently and (2) teachers' recommendations that courseware (a) focus on underlying processes rather than only on answers and (b) allow teachers to specify content, pace, and other elements. Students universally recommended more game formats and showed that competition is an extraordinarily powerful motivator. Students did not use screen hints effectively, evidenced few sophisticated strategies for dealing with difficult concepts, and revealed that successful performance was far more rewarding than graphics or verbal praise.

Implications for courseware design are noted throughout.

MPACT Scores for M. Delia Neuman

A = 4
C = 8
A+C = 12
T = 11
G = 2
W = 7
TD = 7.5
TA = 1
calculated 2012-07-30 15:27:31

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