Research

CAST is committed to advancing its mission of increasing learning opportunities for all people through connected activities in product development, education, and research. Selected articles and reports describing some of CAST’s applied research are included below. CAST research initiatives focus on the use of technology to support learners in various settings, with special attention to individual differences.

Students in Post Secondary Settings

• Lessons for everyone: How students with reading-related learning disabilities survive and excel in college courses with heavy reading requirements
  Ruzic, Roxanne (2001). Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, Washington.

Technology use in K-12 School Settings

• Using technology to address Language Arts standards
  Eagleton, M. & Hamilton, M. (2002). New England Reading Association, 38(1).
  Available: http://www.nereading.org/standardsArticle/abstract.htm

  Eight potential roles of the computer in the Language Arts classroom are described, with an emphasis on the ways in which technology can be used to support national and state learning standards.

• New Genres in Literacy: Classroom Webzine Projects
  Eagleton, M. & Hamilton, M. (2001). New England Reading Association.
  Available: http://www.nereading.org/webzineArticle/abstract.htm

  Based on a research study in a junior high school language arts classroom, the authors share some of the pedagogical benefits and challenges of student-created online magazines (webzines) and provide tips for setting up a webzine project.

• Understanding Science Through Captioning
  Rubin-Mindell, Amy (2000).
• The Benefits and Challenges of a Student-Designed School Website
  Eagleton, Maya (1999). Reading Online, April.

  This article reports a qualitative study in which a small group of 12- and 13-year-old students designed a school website.

• Wiggle Works Reports
  Pisha, Bart (1999).

  A comprehensive study of the use of WiggleWorks® in Urban and Rural Public School classrooms. Available by request.

• Rates of Development of Keyboarding Skills in Elementary School Aged Children With and Without Identified Learning Disabilities
  Pisha, Bart (1993)

Technology use in Post-Secondary Settings

• New solutions, new barriers: Current uses of the web in higher education.
  Ruzic, Roxanne (2000). Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, April.
  

Technology use in Community Settings

• Family and Community Literacy Initiatives.
  Coyne, Peggy and Hughes, Bob (1999)

  This report contains the history, research methods, findings and conclusions from a multi-year study of the use of technology to support reading activities between caregivers and children (pre-K and K-3) in family literacy centers. The project resulted in a replicable model that is described in the report.