Trekking the Web: Internet Inquiry in a Supported Learning Environment for Students with Disabilities

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The Internet is revolutionizing the ways in which students access and use information both at school and at home. However, the same powerful technology that offers rich educational opportunities for some may erect significant barriers for novices, young children, and students who have learning disabilities.

Heavy emphasis on text, confusing displays of information, and flashy distractions are just some of the barriers that may easily sidetrack a student. Constructing appropriate search terms, evaluating the utility and veracity of various sites, and using information to accomplish diverse purposes are new and challenging Internet literacy skills for students. They are also challenging tasks for teachers who are learning how to integrate the Internet into their teaching.

For students with learning disabilities, the Internet can be a particularly challenging place. Many students with learning disabilities are poor readers who struggle to decode words and understand Web page information. Difficulties with spelling can introduce errors that derail a search. Students with learning disabilities often have difficulty setting goals, planning, organizing, self-monitoring, and course-correcting--critical components of Internet searches. Problems with attention, memory, and executive functioning may interfere with finding and evaluating information, and gaps in background knowledge may make it hard to devise good research questions and search terms.

This problem is immediate and urgent, particularly when an increasing number of schools are connecting to the Internet, implementing rigorous standards-based assessments, and mandating technology-specific curriculum strands. There is a critical need for substantive research on how students with learning disabilities search for information on the Internet -- research that will guide the development of appropriate tools, teaching techniques, and curricula.

The Project

Beginning in September 2001, CAST is conducting a three-year research study using descriptive statistics and multi-case study methodology to

1. better understand the Internet inquiry processes of middle school students with and without learning disabilities, and
2. contribute to the development of software tools and instructional strategies to support students' Internet learning.

Students are using eTrekker, a software prototype developed by CAST, to conduct a series of Internet inquiry projects in middle school inclusion classrooms. eTrekker guides students through the Internet inquiry process, providing supports for planning a project, generating research questions, selecting key search terms, organizing information, and taking notes on relevant information.

Researchers will develop richly detailed case studies on 15 students with and without learning disabilities, based on in-depth participant observation and field notes, semi-structured interviews with students and teachers, student assessments, Internet audit trail data, and student inquiry projects, which will be analyzed by the research team using the constant-comparative method and externally audited by study participants and CAST personnel.

Project outcomes will include:

• A conceptual framework and illustrative case studies to fill a major research gap on Internet inquiry by middle school students with and without learning disabilities;
• An Internet Inquiry Toolkit for teachers that will provide instructional strategies to support middle school students in becoming more successful at using the Internet as a meaningful learning tool; and
• Design recommendations for Web-based content and tool developers to make online materials that are more accessible and provide learning supports for students with learning disabilities.

These contributions will be made widely available to researchers, parents, students, teachers, teacher educators, and administrators through publications, conferences, the CAST Web site, and similar projects in which CAST is demonstrating national leadership in using technology to support learners with diverse needs.

Current Activities

During Year 1 (2001-02 school year), CAST researchers worked with 131 eighth graders, 13 of whom have learning disabilities, in inclusive classrooms at Ipswich Middle School, Ipswich, MA. Data analysis of Year 1 work resulted in a conceptual framework for Internet inquiry, five case studies, and an article in the April 2002 issue of the New England Reading Association Journal, "Strategies for supporting student Internet inquiry."

During Year 2 (2002-03 school year), CAST is working with a pull-out class of ninth graders with learning disabilities at Sabina High School in the Tucson (AZ) Unified School District to determine whether students' understanding and ability to carry out the inquiry process can be improved based on what was learned in Year 1. The researchers are also looking at the supports teachers will need to assist their students in acquiring Internet inquiry skills. In addition, the researchers are collaborating with the teacher and school librarian to design offline curricular materials that supplement the eTrekker prototype. At the same time, the eTrekker prototype is being refined based on research data from Year 1.

Funding

Funding for this project is provided by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the U.S. Department of Education, Award No. H324N010005. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the U.S. Department of Education.