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iPads as Writing Tools

iPads as Writing Tools. Kenneth Ruth 7202T.NET Seminar in Applied Theory and Research II Fall 2013. Table of Contents. Abstract Statement of the Problem Review of Related Literature Statement of the Hypothesis Method Participants Instruments Experimental Design / Procedure

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iPads as Writing Tools

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  1. iPads as Writing Tools Kenneth Ruth 7202T.NET Seminar in Applied Theory and Research II Fall 2013

  2. Table of Contents • Abstract • Statement of the Problem • Review of Related Literature • Statement of the Hypothesis • Method • Participants • Instruments • Experimental Design / Procedure • Threats to Validity • Results • Discussion and Implications • References • Appendix (Data Analysis)

  3. Abstract This action research study focuses on the use of technology, specifically the iPad, as a writing tool to help struggling first grade writers. It proposes that young writers who have difficulty with the physical production of handwriting will benefit from the virtual keyboard of the iPad and experience a more productive writing workshop experience as a result. It will utilize comparison of pre and post test writing exercises to measure the word production and word spacing mechanics of ten first grade writers in an elementary public school classroom in Brooklyn, NY. The results suggest the use of the iPad does not positively affect word production in a writer's workshop, but may increase compliance with use of spacing between words.

  4. Statement of the Problem This research stems from work with a small group of 1st grade students in a public school in Brooklyn who have difficulty producing writing work as compared with their peers. These students have no difficulty formulating ideas or creating stories, but they do have difficulty either with the mechanics of handwriting or with focusing long enough to write down their ideas. A possible answer lies in technology. Specifically, the use of iPads as a tool in the classroom to work with this group of struggling writers. The interface of the iPad may circumvent the handwriting mechanics issues of some of the students. The interest generated by a new technology in the classroom may also grab the attention and spur the productivity of the students who have trouble focusing through a standard Writing Workshop.

  5. Review of Related Literature • Van Leeuwen and Gabriel (2007) studied the effects of word processing technology on writing instruction in the first grade. The authors found a preference among some students for the word processor as a tool for first draft composition because of the avoidance of handwriting and the tendency for their hands to get tired while writing with pencil and paper. However, they noticed from an observation perspective that composition rates slowed considerably after a short period of time when using the keyboard due to lack of or insufficient typing skills. • Edwards-Groves (2012) sees writing as a multi-modal exercise which is influenced by the highly technology-saturated culture of the modern student. She believes that classroom practices must shift to encompass the new writing styles and writing focus of the new interconnected social technology which is so pervasive in modern culture. The author suggests that classroom planning must begin to account for the influence of technology on writing experienced by students every day – a technoliteracy which can not be ignored if the teacher wishes to fully engage the students. • Huang, Liang, Su, and Chen (2012) studied the use of e-book devices like the iPad as a learning system for elementary students. The researchers found the differences in reading accuracy were not significant between the devices and standard printed paper. However, they did propose that the ability of the devices to record and process data regarding the individual reader would be useful in tracking and monitoring the individual achievements of each student and could, therefore, prove a superior tool in that the educator could use the data to tailor instruction to the student.

  6. Statement of the Hypothesis Utilizing the iPad as a writing tool to aid struggling 1st grade writers at a public school in Brooklyn over the period of one month will increase word production during Writer's Workshop.

  7. Method Participants • 10 first grade Brooklyn public school students Instruments • Consent forms • Pre-test • Post-test • Student survey

  8. Experimental Design: OXO This research will be conducted in the pre-experimental, single group pretest-posttest design. The single (non-randomly selected) group of first graders will be administered a pretest (O). After the pretest, the treatment (X) will consist of small group and individual intervention utilizing iPads as writing tools. This period will be followed by a posttest (O) to measure the efficacy of the treatment. Procedure • Pre-Test Administration • Individual iPad Writing Intervention (4 weeks, 4 sessions per student) • Post-Test Administration • Student Survey Administration

  9. Threats to Internal Validity History. As a visitor to the classroom, history is a strong threat to validity. The researcher will have almost no control over the day to day operation of the classroom and will be at the mercy of the regular classroom teacher's schedule at all times. Controlling for historical threats will be a challenge. Testing/Pre-test Sensitization. This threat is valid as the posttest will be similar to the pretest. The students may have expectations about what is required on the posttest because of their exposure to the pretest. Instrumentation. The researcher will be creating the instruments used in this experiment. This could create some threats to validity. Differential Selection of Subjects. This may be a threat to validity as the students will enter the study at different ability levels which could affect the level of growth seen by the end of the study. Selection-Maturation Interaction. This may be a threat to validity as the sample group is of a young age. Small age differences among them could have a significant effect on maturity levels which might influence the research findings. Ecological Validity. This should not be an internal threat to validity as all research will be conducted within one classroom setting. Generalizable Conditions. This could be a threat to validity as different students may have different reactions to the technology used in this study.

  10. Threats to External Validity/Participants Effects Pre-test Treatment. This is a valid threat as the pretest may influence the students' focus and performance on the posttest. Specificity of Variables. This threat may be valid as some students might have prior experience with the technologies used in the study, which could influence the outcome of the experiment. Experimenter Effects. There should be no passive threats in this category. However, an active threat could be valid as the researcher has a personal bias in favor of the use of and effectiveness of technology in the classroom. Every effort will be made to reduce this bias and its effect on the research. Hawthorne Effect. This is a credible threat to validity. First grade students are likely to increase their attention and effort as a result of being viewed and interacted with individually. Compensatory Rivalry Effect. This is a threat to validity. Not every student within the classroom containing the sample students will be receiving the intervention and some level of rivalry may emerge. This could influence students within the sample to either work harder toward writing goals or to back away from them. Novelty Effect. This is a highly credible threat to validity as the technologies introduced for the intervention may carry their own novelty which could influence the effort exerted by members of the sample population.

  11. Results The results suggest the use of the iPad does not positively affect word production in a writer's workshop, but may increase compliance with use of spacing between words. Eight out of ten students demonstrated negative impact on word production as a result of the intervention. Lack of familiarity with the keyboard structure was the most significant cause.

  12. Discussion and Implications The action research study shows that simple implementation of iPads as writing devices is insufficient to support struggling first grade writers. The difficulties presented by inexperienced use of a keyboard structure overwhelm any positive influence in mechanics or student interest. Further Study Four out of ten students demonstrated positive impact on compliance with use of spacing between words as a result of the intervention. Further study is needed to isolate any potential benefits in this and other specific writing mechanics which might be gained from the use of iPads as writing tools.

  13. References Allsop, Y. (2011). Does collaboration occur when children are learning with the support of a wiki? Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET, 10(4), 130-137. Retrieved from http://www.tojet.net/ Andes, L., & Claggett, E. (2011). Wiki writers: Students and teachers making connections across communities. Reading Teacher, 64(5), 345-350. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/%28ISSN%291936-2714 Brady, J., & Millard, E. (2012). Weaving new meanings: Evaluating children's written responses to a story telling resource package. Literacy, 46(1), 17-24. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291741-4369 Edwards-Groves, C. (2012). Interactive creative technologies: Changing learning practices and pedagogies in the writing classroom. Australian Journal of Language & Literacy, 35(1), 99-113. Retrieved from http://www.alea.edu.au/resources/AJLL Englert, C. S., Zhao, Y., & Dunsmore, K. (2007). Scaffolding the writing of students with disabilities through procedural facilitation: Using an internet-based technology to improve performance. Learning Disability Quarterly, 30(1), 9-29. doi:10.2307/30035513 Evmenova, A. S., Graff, H. J., Jerome, M. K., & Behrmann, M. M. (2010). Word prediction programs with phonetic spelling support: Performance comparisons and impact on journal writing for students with writing difficulties. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 25(4), 170-182. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291540-5826/issues Gatzke, L., & LeDrew, J. (2008). Linking physical education and technology to engage primary students in meaningful literacy experiences. International Journal of Learning, 15(8), 287-294. Retrieved from http://thelearner.com/publications/journal Goldenberg, L., Meade, T., Midouhas, E., & Cooperman, N. (2011). Impact of a technology-infused middle school writing program on sixth-grade students' writing ability and engagement. Middle Grades Research Journal, 6(2), 75-96. Retrieved from http://www.infoagepub.com/middle-grades-research-journal.html Huang, Y., Liang, T., Su, Y., & Chen, N. (2012). Empowering personalized learning with an interactive e-book learning system for elementary school students. Educational Technology Research & Development, 60(4), 703-722. doi: 10.1007/s11423-012-9237-6 Istifci, I. (2011). Opinions of elementary level efl learners on the use of weblogs. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE), 12(1), 212-222. Retrieved from http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/ Jasmine, J., & Weiner, W. (2007). The effects of writing workshop on abilities of first grade students to become confident and independent writers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(2), 131-139. doi:10.1007/s10643-007-0186-3 Lan, Y., Hung, C., & Hsu, H. (2011). Effects of guided writing strategies on students' writing attitudes based on media richness theory. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET, 10(4), 148-164. Retrieved from http://www.tojet.net/ Levinsen, K. T. (2008). Reinventing papert's constructionism - boosting young children's writing skills with e-learning designed for dyslexics. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 6(3), 227-234. Retrieved from http://www.ejel.org/main.html

  14. References Lovell, M., & Phillips, L. (2009). Commercial software programs approved for teaching reading and writing in the primary grades: Another sobering reality. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42(2), 197-216. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/journals/jrte Marino, M. T., Black, A. C., Hayes, M. T., & Beecher, C. C. (2010). An analysis of factors that affect struggling readers' achievement during a technology-enhanced STEM astronomy curriculum. Journal of Special Education Technology, 25(3), 35-47. Retrieved from http://www.tamcec.org/jset/ McClanahan, B., Williams, K., Kennedy, E., & Tate, S. (2012). A breakthrough for josh: How use of an iPad facilitated reading improvement. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 56(4), 20-28. doi:10.1007/s11528-012-0572-6 McGrail, E., & Davis, A. (2011). The influence of classroom blogging on elementary student writing. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 25(4), 415-437. doi:10.1080/02568543.2011.605205 Patera, M., Draper, S., & Naef, M. (2008). Exploring "magic cottage": A virtual reality environment for stimulating children's imaginative writing. Interactive Learning Environments, 16(3), 245-263. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10494820802114093 Ponce, H. R., Lopez, M. J., & Mayer, R. E. (2012). Instructional effectiveness of a computer-supported program for teaching reading comprehension strategies. Computers & Education, 59(4), 1170-1183. Retrieved from http://www.journals.elsevier.com/computers-and-education/ Uusen, A. (2009). Changing teachers' attitude towards writing, teaching of writing and assessment of writing. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 10, 100-108. Retrieved from http://www.pecob.eu/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/EN/IDPagina/2787 Van Leeuwen, C. A., & Gabriel, M. A. (2007). Beginning to write with word processing: Integrating writing process and technology in a primary classroom. Reading Teacher, 60(5), 420?429. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/%28ISSN%291936-2714 Warren, S. J., Dondlinger, M. J., & Barab, S. A. (2008). A MUVE towards PBL writing: Effects of a digital learning environment designed to improve elementary student writing. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 41(1), 113-140. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/%28ISSN%291936-2714 Woo, M. M., Chu, S. K. W., & Li, X. (2013). Peer-feedback and revision process in a wiki mediated collaborative writing. Educational Technology Research and Development, 61(2), 279-309. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/journal/11423 Xuanxi Li1, x. h., Samuel Kai, W. C., Wing, W. K., & Matsuko Woo3, m. c. (2012). Using a wiki-based collaborative process writing pedagogy to facilitate collaborative writing among chinese primary school students. Australian Journal of Education Technology, 28(1), 159-181. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/submission/index.php/AJET/index Yunus, M. M., Salebi, H., & Chenzi, C. (2012). Integrating social networking tools into ESL writing classroom: Strengths and weaknesses. English Language Teaching, 5(8), 42-48. doi:10.5539/elt.v5n8p42

  15. Data Analysis The data show a surprising lack of correlation between attitude toward Writer's Workshop and word production. Unexpectedly, the students with the highest word production were the students with the strongest feelings about Writer's Workshop, both positive and negative.

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