Using Errorless Learning and Discrimination Training to Teach Early Literacy Skills in a Pre-School Setting

This case study investigates the effects of using an intervention package of errorless learning and discrimination trial training to teach a 4-year old preschool student to read Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) words. A single case multiple baseline design across three equal instructional sets was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention package. Each set contained six CVC words incorporating words with each of the five vowels. The results of this study indicate that utilizing both errorless learning and discrimination training to teach a preschool student how to read CVC words was effective. In addition, generalization assessments post-intervention showed an increase in (a) mastering new unknown CVC words, as well as (b) book text reading.

Reconceptualizing Symbolic Magnitude Estimation Training Using Non-declarative Learning Techniques

It is well-documented that mathematics achievement is an important predictor of many positive life outcomes like college graduation, career opportunities, salary, and even citizenship. As such, it is important for researchers and educators to help students succeed in mathematics. Although there are undoubtedly many factors that contribute to students' success in mathematics, much of the research and intervention development has focused on variations in instructional techniques. Indeed, even a cursory glance at many educational journals and granting agencies reveals that there is a large amount of time, energy, and resources being spent on determining the best way to convey information through direct, declarative instruction. The proposed project is motivated by recent calls to expand the focus of research in mathematics education beyond direct, declarative instruction. The overarching goal of the presented experiment is to evaluate the efficacy of a novel mathematics intervention designed using principles taken from the literature on non-declarative learning. The intervention combines errorless learning and structured cue fading to help second grade students improve their understanding of symbolic magnitude. Results indicate that students who learned about symbolic magnitude using the novel intervention did better than students who were provided with extensive declarative support. These findings offer preliminary evidence in favor of using learning combination of errorless learning and cue fading techniques in the mathematics classroom.

Errorless Learning Therapy in Semantic Variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia

Background: The semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) is characterized by a progressive loss of semantic knowledge impairing the ability to name and to recognize the meaning of words. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the immediate and short-term effect of errorless learning speech therapy on the naming and recognition of commonly used words in patients with svPPA. Methods: Eight participants diagnosed with svPPA received 16 sessions of intensive errorless learning speech therapy. Naming and word comprehension tasks were evaluated at baseline, immediately postintervention, and at follow-up after 1, 3, and 6 months. These evaluations were performed using two item sets (a trained list and an untrained list). Results: In the naming tasks, patients showed a significant improvement in trained items immediately after the intervention, but that improvement decayed progressively when therapy ended. No improvements were found either in trained comprehension or in untrained tasks. Conclusion: Errorless learning therapy could improve naming ability in patients with svPPA. This effect may be due to the relative preservation of episodic memory, but the benefit is not maintained over time, presumably because there is no consolidation.

Kurzfassung der S2e-Leitlinie „Diagnostik und Therapie von Gedächtnisstörungen bei neurologischen Erkrankungen“ (AWMF-030/124)

Die wichtigsten Empfehlungen auf einen Blick Zusammenfassung. Diagnostik. Zur Basisuntersuchung der Gedächtnisleistung gehören die Untersuchung der Orientierung, verbaler und figuraler Merkspannen sowie des Arbeitsgedächtnisses, ein Lernparadigma (z.B. Wortliste) mit verzögertem Abruf sowie die unmittelbare und verzögerte Wiedergabe komplexer verbaler und figuraler Informationen. Die Ergebnisse der neuropsychologischen Untersuchung sollten dem Patienten, und (soweit das Einverständnis des Patienten vorliegt) seinen Angehörigen sowie dem Behandlungsteam mitgeteilt werden. Therapie: Die Evidenz für die Wirksamkeit des übenden Funktionstrainings konnte für Patienten mit leichten bis mittelschweren Gedächtnisstörungen in einer Reihe randomisierter Kontrollgruppenstudien erhärtet werden. Daher sollen diese Patienten ein spezifisches funktions- oder strategieorientiertes kognitives Training erhalten. Elektronische Gedächtnishilfen stellen wichtige Hilfsmittel dar, um die Auswirkungen von Gedächtnisstörungen im Alltag zu kompensieren. Bei Menschen mit schweren Gedächtnisstörungen sollte der Fokus der Therapie auf dem Erlernen von Kompensationsstrategien liegen. Für den Aufbau von Routinen spielt das fehlerfreie Lernen (Errorless Learning) dabei eine wichtige Rolle. Während für Neurostimulationsverfahren bislang keine Wirksamkeit zur Verbesserung des episodischen Gedächtnisses nachgewiesen konnte, wird im Einsatz virtueller Realität ein hohes Potential für Diagnostik und Therapie gesehen.