Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Extended Practice
The extended practice module has been updated to address some of the motivational
concerns from the original iSTART. The basic functioning of extended practice
remains very similar to its original iSTART implementation. That is, students have
the opportunity to apply the self-explanation reading strategies and are asked to use
these skills with a variety of texts. iSTART-ME extended practice uses the same
assessment algorithms as the original iSTART, so students still receive feedback on
each of their self-explanation attempts. However, in iSTART-ME extended practice,
students also receive points based on the quality of their self-explanation. Students
are rewarded with more points when they engage in consistently good practice
performance and receive fewer points if they fluctuate between good and poor per-
formance. Students accumulate points both within and across their interactions with
texts. In between texts, students have the opportunity to use these points in various
ways (see Fig. 14.5 for screenshot).
Fig. 14.5
Example screenshots of the iSTART-ME selection menu. The student is provided infor-
mation on points earned while self-explaining texts during training and choices for how to spend
points
The points in extended practice are the main component of a metagame and
help to drive several of the other game elements in iSTART-ME. The iSTART-
ME metagame primarily consists of earning points, advancing through levels, and
purchasing rewards. As students accumulate more total points, they automatically
