TRAINing to Read: A Cognitive Tutor for Children with Mental Retardation (Part 2)
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Bob the Conductor will be shown delivering all of the toys that each child learned about through the reading activities, and at the end of this sequence of graphics, children will be presented with a redemption code where they can ask a parent to help them enter online and chose one of the many prizes to be mailed to their home.
The physical construction of this downloadable computer program must be designed and tested on hundreds of children with mental retardation to determine the efficacy of the model with an appropriate power. Developers must first identify a school district similar to those involved in the testing of Betty’s Brain where cooperation and collaboration is beneficial to both parties and there exists a large population of high functioning individuals with mental retardation. In the initial test stages, TTR should first be deployed specifically for children with mental retardation with IQs greater than 70 because previous research suggests that these children are capable of learning to read. Once the effectiveness has been determined and revisions made to the program, children with lower IQs should be tested to ensure that children of all cognitive abilities can benefit from the TTR computer program. Modifications may be required to provide a more suitable learning environment for children with lower cognitive functioning, but this should be addressed after initial deployment and revisions have been made.
To ensure proper implementation and execution of the TTR literacy program, teachers must “buy into” the program, for lack of a better word. During the initial beta testing of the program, teachers from school districts participating in the first pilot studies will be invited to attend a free two-day seminar where they will learn about TTR’s development. Attendees will have the opportunity to test out the TTR software and make recommendations to the developers, as well as sign up for their classrooms to be one of the first to launch the program. Through these pre-release seminars, classroom teachers should feel ownership for the program and will thus be more likely to administer and supervise according to the original design. New modules in place of the train theme, additional hint instructions, and other improvements will be made based on teacher feedback before the final version is released. As TTR will be available for update on the internet, this software can be modified and downloaded throughout the life of the program to continually improve it as a literacy training resource.
Once TTR has been downloaded onto school computers and teachers have been trained to administer the program, an informational session will be held for parents at the school so that TTR may be successfully used in the home. Parents and teachers will be able to communicate with one another through the program’s messaging service to track student progress and indicate concern in specific areas of learning.
Should the initial implementation of TTR be successful, additional academic lessons for older children with mental retardation can be produced within a similar framework. In this way, children with intellectual and even physical disabilities could safely conduct their own science experiments using virtual Bunsen burners and volatile chemicals that would otherwise be unsafe in a special education classroom. Cognitive tutors can be expanded beyond reading and mathematics applications to encompass other courses that could benefit children with mental retardation. Based on the design and implementation process described, I predict great success in the use of TTR and other future cognitive tutor models to supplement traditional academic instruction.
References
Antshel, K. Marrinam, E. Kates, W. Fremont, W. & Shprintzen, R. (2009). Language and literacy development in individuals with Velo-cardio facial syndrome. Topics in Language Disorders, 29, 170-186.
Atwell, J. Conners, F. & Merrill, E. (2003). Implicit and explicit learning in young adults with mental retardation. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 108, 56-68.
Crowley, R. Legowski, E. Medvedeva, O. Tseytlin, E. Roth, E. & Jukic, D. (2007). Evaluation of an intelligent tutoring system in pathology: Effects of external representation on performance gains, metacognition, and acceptance. Journal of American Medical Informatics Association, 14, 182-190.
Davies, D. & Hastings, R. (2003). Computer technology in clinical psychology services for people with mental retardation: A review. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 38, 341-352.
Davies, D. Stock, S. & Wehmeyer, M. (2002). Enhancing independent time-management skills of individuals with mental retardation using a palmtop personal computer. Mental Retardation, 40, 358-365.
Davies, D. Stock, S. & Wehmeyer, M. (2003). Utilization of computer technology to facilitate money management by individuals with mental retardation. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 38, 106-112.
Davies, D. Stock, S. & Wehmeyer, M. (2004). Computer-mediated, self-directed computer training and skill assessment for individuals with mental retardation. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 16, 95-105.
Don, A. Schellenberg, E. Reber, A. MiGirolamo, K. & Wang, P. (2003). Implicit learning in children and adults with Williams syndrome. Developmental Neuropsychology, 23, 201-225.
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