Abstract:
This rigorous single-subject research study investigated the effects of alternative
narration, highlighted text, picture/word-based captions, and interactive video searching
features for improving comprehension of non-fiction academic video clips by students
with intellectual disabilities. Two experiments combining multiple baseline across
participants, alternating treatments, and elements of ABAC single-subject research
designs across the primary and counterbalancing studies were employed to evaluate
factual and inferential comprehension by 11 postsecondary participants with intellectual
disabilities. Comprehension was measured by the number of correct oral (Level 1) and
multiple choice (Level 2) responses after watching regular, non-adapted videos in the
baseline phases, as well as after watching adapted videos and after searching videos for
answers via hyperlinks in the treatment and maintenance phases. All adaptations were
validated by existing research, a pilot study, and expert panel reviews. Visual analyses of
data, percents of non-overlapping data, and statistical analyses via randomization tests
were conducted. The major findings included: (a) the participants significantly improved
their factual comprehension as well as showed relative but more modest increases in their
inferential comprehension of non-fiction video content after viewing videos modified
with alternative narrations and various captioning adaptations, which significantly
improved further after students had an opportunity to search the video for answers and
adjust their original oral responses; (b) adapted and interactive videos enabled students to
provide the correct oral responses more frequently than with non-adapted videos,
eliminating the need for a more concrete multiple choice questioning format; (c) the
majority of participants performed equally well regardless of the type of the captions
(highlighted text or picture/word-based); and (d) there was no significant difference in
comprehension measures between motion videos and static images taken from the video
for any of the participants. Subsequently, social validity interviews were conducted to
determine participants’ perceptions towards usefulness and effectiveness of various video
adaptations. Additional findings are discussed with respect to the importance of
randomization procedures and tests in single-subject research, study limitations,
implications and recommendations for both practical implementation and future research.
Overall, adapted videos offer innovative, universally designed solutions for legally
required access and active participation of students with intellectual disabilities in grade
and subject-linked academic general education curriculum (Agran, Cavin, Wehmeyer, &
Palmer, 2006; Browder et al., 2007; Dymond & Orelove, 2001; IDEIA, 2004; NCLB,
2001; Wehmeyer, Lance, and Bashinski, 2002).
