Dr. Margo Vreeburg Izzo and her research team are investigating the use of “Guided Notes” to support an online curriculum entitled "EnvisionIT" to increase on-task behavior and reading comprehension of high school students with disabilities. Students become proficient with skills in information technology as they navigate the Internet to explore careers and complete a self-directed transition portfolio! For more information about EnvisionIT, please visit http://nisonger.osu.edu/Transition/EnvisionIT. To contact Dr. Izzo, please email her at izzo.1@osu.edu.
The Effects of Guided Notes on the On-Task Behavior and Academic Performance of High School Students with Disabilities Receiving Services via the EnvisionIT Transition Curriculum
Margo V. Izzo, Kelly Dillon, Jeanne Novak, Ralph Gardner, III,
Mellissa Feagin-Hinton, Leigh Bookwalter, Bianca McArrell, and Sarah Priest
The Ohio State University
Bowling Green State University
Introduction
The use of guided notes in traditional curricula has been found to increase both academic achievement and on-task behavior of students with and without disabilities (Hamilton, Seibert, Gardner, & Talbert-Johnson, 2000; Lazarus, 1991, 1993; Sweeney, Ehrhardt, Gardner, Jones, Greenfield, & Fribley, 1999). Guided notes are instructor-prepared handouts that are designed to provide students with specific spaces to write facts, key concepts, and/or vocabulary terms that students encounter (Heward, 1994). Blackwell and McLaughlin (2005) state that the more opportunities students have to actively respond and become engaged with instructional material the more likely they are to learn. Guided notes have been demonstrated to increase on-task performance and achievement in both inclusive and resource classrooms (Anderson, Yilmaz, & Washburn-Moses, 2004; Hamilton et al., 2000; Lazarus, 1991, 1993). They solve the problem of what to write and how to organize information by providing students with accurate and sequential notes of the content thereby reducing the frustration, lack of motivation, and off-task behaviors that may result from poor notetaking skills (Anderson et al., 2004). This is particularly important for students with disabilities who can easily become overwhelmed by the task of writing down and organizing information (Mastropieri, Scruggs, Spencer, & Fontana, 2003).
Guided notes have been shown to improve the academic achievement of students with learning disabilities across a range of content courses and grade levels. Kline (1986) found the use of guided notes significantly improved the quiz scores of inner-city students with disabilities during the instruction of social studies. When guided notes were implemented, students averaged three more correct responses on 10-item quizzes.
Yang (1988) studied the use of guided notes in the instruction of science content in a general education classroom at a suburban middle school. In a 23 student classroom, five students had SLD. Twenty-two students improved their quiz scores by an average of two letter grades when guided notes were used. All five of the students with SLD improved their performance on class quizzes.
Similar results were reported when guided notes were used in an elementary general education classroom to teach social studies (Pados, 1989), in a regular curriculum science class (Lazarus, 1991), and with academically at-risk students and students with SLD (Courson, 1989). In each study, students improved their quiz performance with the use of guided notes.
Hamilton et al., (2000) investigated the effects of guided notes on the academic performance of seven students with learning and behavior disabilities in a medium-security juvenile detention center for criminal offenses. In the study, six of the seven students using guided notes improved their quiz performance. Eighty-six percent of the students indicated that they preferred guided notes and all students stated that they learned more when using guided notes. The results of this study replicated previous study results on guided notes.
In summary, the research evidence indicates that the use of guided notes is an effective and adaptable strategy for increasing active responding during teacher-led instruction and for improving the academic achievement of students in both general education and special education settings. However, research assessing the effects of guided notes delivered as a support for an online curriculum is sparse. This study examined the use of guided notes in the context of an online transition curriculum delivered to students with disabilities.
The online curriculum used in this study is EnvisionIT: a computer based transition curriculum designed to help students define their career interests and develop a self-directed transition portfolio while they learn information technology skills. The EnvisionIT curriculum is composed of ten units, each with a content section and an activity section. The content section within the EnvisionIT curriculum is similar to reading a text, in that students are required to read and retain information by reading content on the computer screen. The activities section is designed to help them apply the information technology skills as they explore and select careers and develop their transition plans to enter their chosen career.
Guided notes were developed as universal design for learning supports as part of the EnvisionIT curriculum. The notes are verbatim replications of the content with key words, phrases, and concepts left blank for the student to complete as they read the content on the computer screen. In the primary research project designed to pilot EnvisionIT (Grant # H327A050103), students are encouraged to use the guided notes and are given extra points for correct use. In this single-subject study, use of the guided notes intervention was experimentally manipulated with students who were identified as needing instructional intervention based on the results of their AIMSweb reading assessment.
Methods
Participants
Participants were students with disabilities enrolled in resource room classes who were receiving English credit for completing the EnvisionIT transition curriculum at a suburban high school. Students selected were identified as needing strategic and intensive instruction as measured by the AIMSweb MAZE reading assessment (Shinn & Shinn, 2002). Other factors determining participant eligibility were consistent school attendance and low levels of on-task behavior at baseline. The six participants chosen for this single-subject study were 9th and 10th graders with cognitive, learning, or emotional disabilities.
Dependent Variables
The dependent variables in this study were academic achievement and on-task behavior. To measure academic achievement, 5-item quizzes were developed and inserted into EnvisionIT. The quizzes were written from the 1-2 pages of content introduced before the 5-item quizzes. Final comprehensive unit quizzes embedded within the EnvisionIT program were also used as a measurement of academic achievement. Students were only given one attempt at each short quiz and up to three attempts for the unit quiz. Quiz results were automatically tabulated within the EnvisionIT course management system ATutor and downloaded weekly.
To measure on-task behavior, two 12-minute observation sessions were used to conduct a discontinuous momentary time sampling procedure with a 30-second time interval. Data was recorded after the first 3 minutes of the class period and before the final 5 minutes of the class period. A data collection observation form was developed for the purposes of this study. On-task behavior was operationally defined as using the EnvisionIT program or EnvisionIT specified websites/activities by typing/pushing buttons on the keyboard, clicking or moving the computer mouse, writing on guided notes, looking at computer screen or guided notes, raising hand for teacher attention, verbally interacting with the teacher about the EnvisionIT program or guided notes, verbally engaging or making observable responses with a fellow student about the EnvisionIT program or guided notes on their keyboard, mouse, or guided notes program/related websites/activities. Besides recording on or off-task behavior, observers recorded what type of content the student was engaging in (i.e., content, activity, or quiz), how the student was engaged (i.e., alone, peer, or teacher) and which, if any, quiz the student was taking (i.e., either 5-item quiz or the final quiz).
Research Design
An ABAB reversal design was used to examine the following research question: What effect does using guided notes (compared to not using guided notes) have on the academic achievement and on-task behavior of students with disabilities completing the EnvisionIT online curriculum? Units 3, 4, and 5 were recorded as baseline, with no Guided Notes (condition A). In units 6 and 8, students were instructed to use Guided Notes (condition B). Interobserver reliability checks were conducted for 30% of the observation sessions to assure data collection integrity. Interobserver agreement was calculated by dividing the number of agreements by the sum of the agreements plus disagreements and then multiplying by 100%. During the study, if inter-observer agreement fell below 80%, observer retraining occurred.
Findings
Group Means
Group means of all 6 students were analyzed to examine trends across both treatment conditions. Overall, mean quiz scores of all students increased from 48.6% in the no-guided notes condition to 61.7% in the guided notes condition. Mean on-task behavior increased from 75.4% in the no-guided notes condition to 86.2% in the guided notes condition. Finally, mean on-task behavior when students were working independently from a teacher or peer increased from 61.5% in the no-guided notes condition to 68.6% in the guided notes condition.
Individual academic achievement
Five of the six participants increased their quiz performance using guided notes when compared to quizzes taken without guided notes. Clear reversals in academic achievement were seen in 4 students between no-guided notes, guided notes, and then again to no-guided notes. Student KC increased quiz performance from 55% in unit 5 (no-guided notes) to 80% in unit 6 (guided notes), and back down to 53.3% in unit 7 (no-guided notes). Student TC had a similar reversal in academic achievement, scoring 55% and 56.7% in units 5 and 7 respectively without guided notes. When TC used guided notes in unit 6, his quiz performance increased to 80%. Student MB scored only 46.7% and 50% respectively in units 5 and 7 without guided notes. Once MB used guided notes in unit 6, quiz performance increased to 90%. Student JH also increased quiz performance in unit 6 to 90% compared to performance in no-guided notes units 5 and 7 of 50% and 53.3% respectively. Finally, student GO had two clear reversals between treatment conditions. In units without guided notes, GO scored 43.3% and 45% compared to performance in treatment units of 60% and 50%.
An anomaly in academic performance in this study was student MH. After one reversal, it seemed as if guided notes had a negative effect on his quiz performance. In unit 5 (no-guided notes) MH scored 40% while in unit 6 (guided notes) he scored 30%. When without guided notes in unit 7, his quiz performance increased again to 40%. Finally, in unit 8, with the reintroduction of guided notes, MH performed his best on quizzes scoring 56.7%.
Individual on-task behavior
Five of the six participants increased overall on-task behavior using guided notes compared to behavior during the no-guided notes condition. Four of these participants, TC, MB, JH, and GO, had clear reversals between no-guided notes and guided notes conditions. Student TC improved from 74.1% on-task in unit 5 without guided notes to 92.9% on-task in unit 6 when using guided notes. When guided notes were removed in unit 7, TC regressed to only 60% on-task behavior and improved once more in unit 8 to 95% on-task behavior using guided notes. Student MB had similar results and a double reversal through the treatment conditions. In units 5 and 7, without guided notes, MB stayed on-task only 63.3% and 73.8% respectively. With guided notes in units 6 and 8, MB increased on-task behavior significantly to 85.8% and 90%. Student JH reached 93.8% on-task behavior using guided notes in unit 6 compared to only 72.8% in unit 5 and back down to 90.9% in unit 7 without guided notes. Student GO had a similar reversal once guided notes were removed from EnvisionIT. GO was on-task 88.9% of the time in unit 6 using guided notes compared to only 74.8% and 76.7% in units 5 and 7 respectively without guided notes.
Two students, KC and MH, demonstrated continuous increases in on-task behavior across the curriculum units. It is likely that they generalized the skills they learned using guided notes. Student KC recorded on-task behavior 75% of the time during unit 5 without using guided notes. In units 6, 7, and 8, KC increased his on-task behavior to 93.3%, 97.5% and to 100% respectively, regardless of the use of guided notes. Similarly, student MH continuously increased his on-task behavior from a rate of 47.9% in unit 5 without guided notes to 69.1% in unit 6 using guided notes. When in unit 7 without the assistance of guided notes, MH continued to increase his on-task behavior to 97.7% and leveled in unit 8 with guided notes to 90%.
Individual Independent On-Task Behavior
Observations were analyzed to determine the effect of guided notes on on-task behavior when the student is working independently. This examination would illustrate the effect guided notes has on on-task behavior outside of peer or teacher assistance. Five of the six participants increased on-task behavior working independently overall using guided notes compared to behavior during the no-guided notes condition. Of the six participants, 3 had clear reversals in independent on-task behavior, 2 students generalized the skills learned, and one exhibited the unique effect of guided notes taking him off-task when used independently.
Students TC, MB, and GO illustrated clear reversals in their ability to stay on-task independently using guided notes compared to without guided notes. Student TC was on-task 64.1% of the time in unit 5 and increased on-task behavior to 65.5% in unit 6 while using guided notes. When in unit 7 and without guided notes, TC regressed to only staying on-task independently 36.7% and jumped back to 84% on-task behavior in unit 8 with the use of guided notes. Student MB had a similar double reversal rate of on-task behavior. MB was only able to stay on-task independently 60% and 62% of the time in units 5 and 7 respectively without guided notes. When using guided notes, MB’s on-task behavior jumped to 80.4% and 90% in units 6 and 8 respectively. Finally, student GO moved from 60.7% independent on-task behavior in unit 5 without guided notes to 88.9% on-task behavior in unit 6 with the use of guided notes. When in unit 7 (no guided notes), GO fell to 72.2% on-task behavior when working independently.
Students KC and JH appeared to learn how to remain on-task independently after guided notes were introduced, and continued to do so in units without guided notes. Students KC began in unit 5 (no guided notes) at a rate of independent on-task behavior of 66.6%. In unit 6, with the introduction of guided notes, KC’s on-task behavior increased to 70.5%. In unit 7, again without guided notes, KC’s on-task behavior continued to climb to 81.7% and leveled at 81.3% in unit 8 using guided notes again. Student JH began in unit 5 keeping on-task independently at a rate of 24.6%. His on-task behavior continued to climb with each subsequent unit, regardless of use of guided notes to 37.5% in unit 6 (with guided notes), 59.6% in unit 7 (no guided notes), and down to 50% in unit 8 with the use of guided notes.
Finally, student MH illustrated the opposite effect when using guided notes. Data suggests that when working independently, guided notes actually took MH off-task. In unit 5, MH was able to stay on-task independently at a rate of 71% without any guided notes. When guided notes were introduced in unit 6, MH’s rate of on-task behavior dropped to 65.9% and rose again in unit 7 (no guided notes) to 79%. In unit 8 with guided notes, MH was only on-task when working independently 50% of the time.
Conclusions
Data from this single subject study illustrates the effects of electronic guided notes on students’ academic achievement and on-task behavior. Most students improved their 5- item and final quiz scores and stayed on-task significantly more with guided notes than without guided notes. Rates of independent on-task behavior increased for most participants when using guided notes, while taking one student off-task. Previous research findings demonstrate the use of guided notes with teacher-led lectures improves the academic performance of students with disabilities (Hamilton, et al., 2000; Lazarus, 1991, 1993; Sweeney, et al., 1999). This pilot study extends the guided notes literature by demonstrating that improvements in academic performance can also be achieved when guided notes are used within the context of an online curriculum. Future study will focus on expanding the use of other electronic supports such as electronic review sheets, vocabulary games, and assisstive technology to improve the academic achievement of students with disabilities engaged in the EnvisionIT curriculum.
References
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