Training Complements for Belief Reasoning in Developmental Language Disorder

Purpose Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) experience difficulties with an important Theory of Mind milestone, namely, false belief (FB) reasoning. Their FB success relates to mastery of a linguistic structure that is also challenging for them, namely, sentential complements (e.g., Claire says/thinks [that Santa Claus exists] ). Training typically developing (TD) children on complements has been shown to boost complements and, in turn, enhance FB, but such training has never been explored with children with DLD, which is the aim of the current study. Method Fifty French-speaking children followed a novel training program: 30 with DLD ( M age = 7;3) and 20 TD ( M age = 4;3). They engaged in iPad applications targeting complementation with verbs of communication (e.g., say, shout, answer ) during eight to 12 sessions lasting 30 min. Training commenced within 1–2 weeks of pretests and ceased 1–2 weeks before immediate posttests. After immediate posttests, the majority of children were available to be tested with follow-up tests after 4–6 weeks of no training. Results Findings revealed that both TD and DLD groups benefited from the training to significantly improve their complementation and FB scores. The gains achieved during immediate posttests were moreover maintained 6–8 weeks after training ceased, as revealed by preserved levels of performance during follow-up posttests. Conclusion This research thus suggests new avenues for therapeutic interventions for children with DLD, namely, the incorporation of a program directly training complements, which holds the promise of a double benefit, both for these structures and for Theory of Mind.

Too Many Apps to Choose From

Substantive research investigates the effects and impacts of tablets, in particular iPads, on children's education, but few papers discuss support for teachers in deciding which iPad applications can be integrated into the classroom. Even fewer articles are directed towards application developers. This chapter explores two standards for choosing apps for children - the four-pillar model of Hirsh-Pasek et al. (2015) and the rubric for the evaluations of educational apps for preschool children (REVEAC) by Papadakis, Kalogiannakis, and Zaranis (2017). This chapter draws from two standards for choosing iPad applications for young children in the classroom and through analysis of two applications will propose the REVEAC for educators and developers while also suggesting specific features that developers could consider when targeting children under 5 years old in educational contexts.

iPad Usage and Appropriate Applications

Mobile learning, learning delivered or accompanied by any handheld or individual device that contributes to increasing knowledge or skills, has continuously become popular in educational systems in the 21st century. Apple's iPad has been a popular mobile device that has been chosen for us in 1-to-1 learning environments. Research suggests that utilizing iPads in educational settings is beneficial due to its affordance, portability, ubiquitous access to information, ability to communicate with other iPad users, and the opportunity it offers to showcase creativity and individuality through various applications. Studies have found value in providing students with their own iPads. This chapter overviews both the benefits and concerns of iPad usage in K-12 classrooms. Furthermore, specific web and iPad applications are discussed. When educators take appropriate steps to create a controlled learning environment, concerns and limitations regarding mobile learning with an iPad can be diminished.

Exploring and conceptualizing teacher formative assessment practices and digital applications within a technology-enhanced high school classroom

Formative assessment is essential for improving student learning. Formative assessment research has predominantly used cognitive learning theories. In this dissertation study, I used sociocultural learning perspectives to understand how formative assessment supported student learning during interaction and how it empowered students. This dissertation included three manuscripts. The first manuscript was a conceptual study. I developed a new formative assessment cycle that was built on sociocultural perspectives and prior formative assessment cycles. The model included four steps: building community, monitoring community, community mediation, and redefining goals. These steps were described in detail with examples, and the roles of the teacher, learners, and peers were discussed. Future researchers may potentially use the model to understand formative assessment practices. Practicing teachers and teacher educators may benefit from the provided examples for classroom implementation of the model. In the empirical part of the dissertation, Chapter Three and Chapter Four, the participant teacher, who was a high school physics teacher, was selected from teachers that had been actively using iPads in their classrooms. This study was conducted at a public high school in the Midwest United States that had a diverse student population. Data were collected across eighteen class sessions. Primary data sources included video recorded observation of class sections, iPad applications, and teacher interviews. Supporting secondary sources included pictures taken during observations, lesson plans, assessment examples, student-works, and student interviews. In the second manuscript, I examined a high school physics teacher's technology enhanced classroom to understand the impact of technology on the teacher's formative assessment practices, and how the iPad influenced the formative assessment process, by using sociocultural learning perspectives. The participant teacher's formative assessment practices were described (members, tools, and classroom norms). Results showed that influences of the iPad on the formative assessment process were: 1) transforming classroom community, 2) empowering students, and 3) facilitating evidence-based discussions. This study shed light on: the impact of technology use on the teacher's formative assessment practice, how the impact rebuilt the classroom norms, and how technology use impacted student identity development. In the third manuscript, I focused on the most important aspect of formative assessment - feedback. I examined how well iPad applications (apps) supported providing feedback. Then, I compared the app affordances with teacher practice. To enable analysis of data, I enhanced Hatzipanagos and Warburton's (2009) feedback dimensions. Analysis revealed app diversity in supporting different feedback dimensions, and the teacher, through additional discussion and interactions with students, was able to support dimensions that an app did not. The provided examples of app affordances and teacher practices may be beneficial to prospective and practicing teachers. Application designers may benefit from this study towards improving their apps to support effective feedback.

The Impact of Educational Games-Based iPad Applications on the Development of Social Studies Achievement and Learning Retention among Sixth Grade Students in Jeddah

The present study aims to evaluate the impact of educational games-based iPad applications on the development ofsocial studies achievement and learning retention. Sample consisted of (48) sixth grade primary students in Jeddah.The author adopted Quasi-experimental design of the experimental and control groups. She also provided the teachera guidebook that explains teaching method using educational games-based iPad applications. Pre-post achievementtest was applied to both groups. Delayed achievement test, which evaluates learning retention, was applied fourweeks after post-test. The study showed the impact of educational games-based iPad applications on achievementand learning retention with statistically significant differences in scores means of both groups' participants in posttestand delayed test in favor of the experimental group. She recommended using iPad educational applications,which she prepared, in teaching.

Enabling Literacy and Empowering Learners

This research study examined the experiences of struggling readers and the teacher education candidates who supported them in a remedial reading clinical setting. Students in the study used open-ended tablet applications to support their own literacy development and to communicate their literacy knowledge and skill levels. The iPad applications positioned the students as curators of their own literacy content and promoted their ability to self-assess and reflect on their own growth and development. Students were empowered to represent and document their experiences in multiple modes and in their own voice. Their experiences could then be shared with parents. Similarly, candidates involved in tutoring the students were also involved in using the apps to promote their own growth and development as teachers of struggling readers. The candidates tutoring the students faced some challenges in managing the young readers' workflows and work with the apps; however, the insights they gained allowed them to truly understand the abilities of young learners, even those labeled as “struggling.”