Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 14
The Evolution of an Automated Reading
Strategy Tutor: From the Classroom
to a Game-Enhanced Automated System
G. Tanner Jackson, Kyle B. Dempsey, and Danielle S. McNamara
University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
Introduction
The implementation of effective pedagogical software is difficult to achieve. Indeed,
a recent assessment of commercially available educational software illustrates this
point (Dynarski et al., 2007). Unfortunately, many educational sites and programs
focus on designing edutainment, by emphasizing the entertainment and engagement
aspects of computer-based learning environments while expending significantly less
effort to incorporate effective learning principles (Okan, 2003). Another problem
plaguing educational software is that systems are often designed using a linear,
sequential model (Pressman, 1997), in which case the software is programmed and
implemented without being empirically tested in a real educational environment
(Kennedy, 1998). Additionally, some educational software suffers due to inade-
quate implementations of established learning theories (Conole, Dyke, Oliver, &
Seale, 2004), and even the lack of pedagogical principles entirely. These prob-
lems are typically more common to commercial software development, and various
programming solutions have been discussed and implemented within the higher
education research community (Anderson, Corbett, Koedinger, & Pelletier, 1995;
Conole et al., 2004; Kennedy, 1998; Oliver, 2002). This chapter provides an example
solution (similar to Anderson et al., 1995) and describes a successful implementa-
tion of effective pedagogical software, and details the development and evolution of
the educational program.
One way to ensure that computer-based systems promote effective pedagogi-
cal principles is to model the system after an empirically proven training method
and to then compare performance between the original and the adapted versions
(Anderson et al., 1995; O'Reilly, Sinclair, &McNamara, 2004b). By beginning with
an established training program, the effective pedagogical underpinnings remain
essential to the computerized program, and the interface and engagement elements
can be amended as needed (Anderson et al., 1995). This type of development
