Browsing by Author "Evmenova, Anna S."
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Item Effectiveness of the ALL Curriculum to Teach Basic Literacy Skills to Groups of Students with Severe Disabilities and Complex Communication Needs(2014) Ainsworth, Melissa Kay; Ainsworth, Melissa Kay; Evmenova, Anna S.For students who have severe and multiple disabilities including intellectual disabilities, complex communication needs, physical and/or sensory disabilities, there are many barriers to literacy acquisition. Some barriers are a result of extensive support needs, some due to the attitudes and low expectations of parents, teachers, and administrators, and some are due to a general shortage of evidence-based research supporting effective instructional strategies for use with this student population (Agran, 2011; Bailey, Angell, & Stoner, 2011). However, literacy remains a "critical component of an independent adult life" (Downing, 2005, p. 12). Literacy also remains an elusive reality for many individuals with severe and multiple disabilities.Item Improving the Comprehension of Students with Significant Developmental Disabilities: Systematic Instruction on the Steps for Completing and Using a Graphic Organizer(2015) Britt, Alexander P.; Britt, Alexander P.; Evmenova, Anna S.A single-subject, multiple-baseline across participants design was used to examine the functional relation between systematic instruction and the ability to complete a graphic organizer and recall facts about informational texts by students with significant development disabilities. Four high school students enrolled in an adapted academic program for individuals with intellectual disabilities participated in this study. Systematic instruction procedures included four separate trainings: (a) direct instruction on seven story-grammar concepts for social studies content, (b) guided practice on the steps for completing the graphic organizer using a modified system of least prompts, (c) guided practice on the steps for using the graphic organizer to answer comprehension questions using verbal and verbal-gestural prompts, and (d) independent practice with feedback using verbal and verbal-gestural prompts. Data were collected on three dependent variables: (a) task completion; (b) total independent story-statements; and (c) total guided story-statements, with and without materials displayed. The results of this study demonstrated strong evidence of a functional relation between systematic instruction and students’ performances on the task completion and total guided story-statements, with and without materials displayed, measures. However, there was no evidence of a function relation between systematic instruction and total independent story-statements. Data collected in the generalization indicated all four students continued to perform at or near the improved level on the task completion and total guided story-statements measures after accessing texts that followed novel structures. Therefore, the findings of the current study suggest students with significant developmental disabilities were able to complete the graphic organizer in order to summarize an informational text. These results also indicate these same students were able to answer questions about texts with and without materials displayed after completing the graphic organizer. Study practical implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.Item Lights! Camera! Captions!: The Effects of Picture and/or Word Captioning Adaptations, Alternative Narration, and Interactive Features on Video Comprehension by Students with Intellectual Disabilities(2008-06-11T19:46:38Z) Evmenova, Anna S.; Evmenova, Anna S.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).Item The Impact of Computer-Based Graphic Organizers with Embedded Self-Regulated Learning Strategies on the Content Area Argumentative Writing of Typical and Struggling Writers(2015) Boykin, Andrea Lechelle; Boykin, Andrea Lechelle; Evmenova, Anna S.This study determined the effects of a computer-based graphic organizer (CBGO) with embedded self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies on the argumentative writing performance by 4th-and 6th-grade typical and struggling writers in the science and social studies content areas. This study extended the research of the use of SRL strategies and CBGOs to support student writing about science and social studies text. This study employed mixed methods research design and included group true experimental research and qualitative methods to determine the effects of the CBGO with embedded SRL strategies as well as explore the possible explanations for these effects. Results from this study indicated that the CBGO with embedded SRL strategies positively impacted the argumentative writing of typical and struggling writers. The improvements were in the areas of holistic quality, number of transition words, and number of sentences. However, there were no statistical significant differences in number of words or accuracy across conditions. In addition, students who used the CBGO to write their argumentative responses showed greater SRL strategy use in comparison to the control group. Students in the experimental condition were able to internalize the SRL strategies and maintain their performance when writing without the CBGO, outperforming the control group on most measures. Following instruction, students in the experimental group self-reported a greater sense of motivation to write than students in the control group. These findings add to the limited body of research on instructional strategies that support struggling writers in the content areas of science and social studies. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.Item The Perceived Impacts of Access to the Least Restrictive Academic Environment for Academic and Career Goal Attainment for Students with High-functioning Autism in the Commonwealth of Virginia(2015) Harris, Laura; Harris, Laura; Evmenova, Anna S.This study uses an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to explore, through parental report, access to the least restrictive environment (LRE) for high school students with high-functioning autism (HFA), how LRE affects academic and career goal attainment, and how students with HFA are experiencing the LRE provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Data were collected via an online questionnaire completed by 31 parents and follow-up interviews conducted with 11 parents. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric correlational statistical analysis of the responses on the questionnaire, thematic analysis of qualitative data from open-ended questions on the questionnaire and interviews, as well as document analysis were conducted.