Design and Delivery of Integrated Learning Systems: Their Impact on Student Achievement and Attitudes

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine if providing teachers with a wider variety of computer-based resources to integrate with the instructional activities for their students would have a positive effect on student achievement and attitudes. In this study, two variations of Integrated Learning System (ILS) software were available to teachers and students. One type of software (“foundations”) was designed to provide students with an individualized learning environment whereby students could complete computer-based reading activities at their own pace, receive feedback from the computer, and move on to the next set of activities. The other type of software (“explorations”) was designed as a more open-ended environment, where teachers selected specific activities for students (or groups of students) to complete. Results of the study indicate that the students of teachers who used either the explorations software or a combination of the foundations and explorations software in their instructional activities performed significantly better on standardized achievement measures than students of teachers who used the foundations software. In addition, students who used the explorations software had more positive attitudes toward reading than students who used the foundations software.