Research Background CompassLearning Odyssey December 2013 CompassLearning 203 Colorado St. Austin, TX 78701 1-800-232-9556 www.compasslearning.com CompassLearning 2 Table of Contents Product Research Basis ................................................................................ 5 Odyssey Reading/Language Arts ............................................................... 27 Odyssey Math ............................................................................................. 30 Odyssey Science ......................................................................................... 31 Odyssey Social Studies .............................................................................. 32 Product Research Bibliography ................................................................ 33 Professional Development Research Bibliography................................. 37 Effectiveness ............................................................................................... 41 CompassLearning 3 CompassLearning 4 Product Research Basis CompassLearning has always been about teaching more than rote foundational knowledge and discrete procedures. Our attention to brain research and how content is retained and successfully applied or transferred is, and has been, a key differentiator for CompassLearning. This has resulted in us building content that offers vast opportunities for exploration, discovery, critical thinking, analysis and deep reasoning around concepts. CompassLearning’s Odyssey curriculum is based on the recommendations and research of the national professional organizations, federal advisory panels, and independent groups such as the Instructional Research Group (directed by Russell Gersten and Joseph Dimino) in Long Beach, CA. CompassLearning’s assessment and reporting meet NCLB accountability requirements and requirements for curriculum that is based on scientific-based research. CompassLearning closely monitors federal legislation to assure that we remain compliant. In developing computer-based instructional programs, CompassLearning has chosen pedagogy that best relates to the subject matter and utilizes the unique features of a computer for delivering instruction. The pedagogy was selected based on the educational research of subject area experts and product development teams and incorporates both traditional and current learning theory. CompassLearning 5 Designed to efficiently and effectively improve instruction for learners at diverse performance levels, the scope and sequence of Odyssey addresses and prioritizes important grade-level competencies. The program’s research-based pedagogy ensures that students are provided with clear examples and focused activities that move from the simple to the complex and from the concrete to the abstract in a manner that provides scaffolded support to the learner. Intervention activities are delivered through engaging, highly interactive, and individualized learning paths that provide targeted instruction on specific skills and concepts. Instant feedback and repetitive skill development ensure that students are mastering critical objectives before moving on to more complex materials. CompassLearning takes cues from a variety of experts and researchers in the field of cognitive and instructional theory. The following theories are incorporated into the design, content, and delivery methods of CompassLearning Odyssey. Marc Prensky and James Paul Gee’s Gaming and Motivational Theories Odyssey's online activities contain text, graphics, animation, and audio. Students are engaged through music, graphics, animation, and interaction. The use of multimedia is designed to enhance the learning experience; not overwhelm the student. Interactive multimedia addresses the various learning styles and multiple intelligences of students. CompassLearning 6 Richard Mayer’s Principle of Personalization Richard Mayer’s Principle of Personalization shows that students performed up to 40% better when content was delivered in a first-person, conversational style rather than with a formal tone (Mayer 2000). In a study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, Mayer and research partner Roxana Moreno conclude, “The reported results have strong implications for teaching. The most direct practical implication of the present study is that multimedia science programs can result in broader learning if the communication model is centered around shared environments in which the student is addressed as a participant rather than as an observer.” CompassLearning has a team of entertainment writers to take the rigorous instructional content from the curriculum and instruction team and turn it into conversational, age-appropriate activities. Delivering content using an interactive conversational interface allows CompassLearning products to: Stimulate the brain Connect response to prerecorded characters Create suspension of disbelief and give the computer human-like qualities Create feelings of personal connection The Role of Positive Emotions in Learning Students retain what they learn when the learning is associated with a strong, positive emotion (Dulay and Burt, 1977, Krashen, 1982). Age-appropriate humor and positive feedback are incorporated throughout CompassLearning Odyssey activities to engage the student and create positive feelings about the learning activities. Studies have shown that when classroom activities are pleasurable, the brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that stimulates the memory centers and promotes acetylcholine, which increases focused attention (Willis 2007). Eric Jensen’s Work on the Difference between the Child and Adult Brain Students’ minds work differently from adult minds. In Eric Jensen’s study in 2000, researchers took a digital electronic scan of an adult’s brain doing a specific mental process and compared it to children’s brains doing the same process. Results showed that the children use significantly different neural pathways to take in, process, and store the same information as adults — especially in the visual cortex in the back of the brain. CompassLearning Odyssey uses a variety of interactive visual techniques in online activities to bring concepts to life. In the lower grades, characters often play a role in conveying information, whereas the high school courses feature 2–3 minute instructor-led video segments. Bertelsman Foundation Study about the Impact of Media and Technology A Bertelsman Foundation study examined the impact that media elements and technology can have on learning and retention levels. In the study, students were split into two groups to learn about the Civil War. Group A used traditional methods and Group B used media tools and computer instruction. Both scored the same on a teacher-built traditional test administered immediately after instruction. One year later, the students in Group A could recall very few facts they had learned, while the students in Group B displayed recollection of elaborate concepts and ideas that they had extended into other areas of history. Group A defined history as the record of the facts of the past while Group B defined history as a process of interpreting the past from different perspectives. CompassLearning 7 The Response to Intervention Model Response to Intervention is designed to provide early, effective assistance to struggling learners. Response to Intervention seeks to prevent academic failure through early intervention, frequent progress measurement, and increasingly intensive research-based instructional interventions for children who continue to have difficulty. CompassLearning promotes a Response to Intervention approach by providing various levels of student support and additional time on task. Madeline Hunter’s Method of Direct Instruction Hunter emphasizes in her method of direct instruction that each activity should begin by setting the stage for the lesson with clear objectives, and then provide an understanding of the standards or what is expected from the student during the lesson. Next, Hunter stresses the importance of the “anticipatory set” or grabbing the student’s attention before moving into teaching through input of information, modeling, and checking for understanding. Many techniques from Hunter’s method of direction instruction are incorporated into CompassLearning Odyssey. In Odyssey, there are multiple opportunities for guided practice and monitoring. Lessons end with closure and opportunities for independent practice. Robert Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction According to Robert Gagne, there are nine events that activate processes needed for effective learning. Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction are: 1. Gain attention—grab the student’s attention with devices like story telling. 2. Inform learner of objective—this allows students to better understand what they are about to do. 3. Stimulate recall of prior knowledge—learners are more successful if they are able to build on previous knowledge. 4. Present the material—a variety of learning strategies can be used at this stage. 5. Provide guidance for learning—teach the students how to learn. 6. Elicit performance—allow the student to use his or her new skills. 7. Provide feedback—tests, quizzes, or verbal feedback can provide valuable information. 8. Assess performance—testing will determine if the student has learned the lesson. 9. Enhance retention and transfer—review the lesson by providing additional practice; put the learner in a transfer situation. These events should create the necessary