A publication of the Technology and Media Division of the Council for Exceptional Children
JSET Articles Index
Volume 24 Number 4
Deepening Content Understanding in Social Studies Using Digital Text and Embedded Vocabulary Supports
Karen Clay, Judith Zorfass, Alise Brann, Andrea Kotula
Education Development Center, Inc.
Keith Smolkowski
Oregon Research Institute
This article discusses a strand of research conducted by the Education Development Center, Inc. in collaboration with the National Center for Supported Electronic Text. The research investigated the use of an online vocabulary support tool, Visual Thesaurus, for middle school students with and without disabilities. Data were collected from 10 eighth grade inclusive classrooms using a randomized control trial to compare the impact of Visual Thesaurus and Merriam-Webster OnLine on vocabulary and content knowledge from two social studies textbook chapters. Data analysis revealed significant posttest gains for students in both conditions, but no significant difference between the two treatments. Discussion focuses on the need for online vocabulary support tools to align with student needs and teacher expectations.
