Improving Vocabulary Learning through Working Memory Training: Examination of Causal Effects and Learning Trajectories

通过工作记忆训练改善词汇学习：因果效应和学习轨迹的检查

• 批准号: 1729039
• 负责人: Young-Suk Grace Kim
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: University of California-Irvine
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-08-15 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1729039&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Improving; Vocabulary; Learning; through; Working

One of the biggest challenges in education is promoting oral language development. In particular, vocabulary learning is key for the development of higher-order oral language and literacy skills. New insights from theory and evidence-based approaches will help children build this foundational skill which in turn will ensure success in school. To this end, researchers will examine the extent to which vocabulary learning is influenced by a cognitive factor (i.e., working memory) and an environmental factor (i.e., input frequency and quality). The two primary goals are to develop and examine the feasibility of implementing working memory training for young children, and to develop working memory training on vocabulary learning, with the potential of mitigating effects of impoverished input often associated with children from low socio-economic (SES) backgrounds. This project focuses on the causal role of cognition (i.e., working memory) in vocabulary learning for young children. In the first year, the researchers will develop several child-friendly and engaging working memory training modules to examine whether working memory training improves vocabulary learning in general, as well as working memory for children from low SES backgrounds. In the second year, the training modules will be implemented in a small-scale pilot trial where children are randomly assigned to four conditions: (1) working memory training; (2) vocabulary training; (3) combined training on working memory and vocabulary; and (4) business-as-usual control. The findings are expected to provide proof-of-concept for development of a causal model of working memory in vocabulary learning, which can inform the development and design of interventions to improve vocabulary learning.

教育中最大的挑战之一是促进口语发展。特别是，词汇学习是高级口语和读写技能发展的关键。来自理论和循证方法的新见解将帮助儿童建立这种基本技能，从而确保在学校取得成功。为此，研究人员将研究词汇学习受认知因素影响的程度（即，工作记忆）和环境因素（即，输入频率和质量）。两个主要目标是开发和研究实施工作记忆训练的幼儿的可行性，并开发工作记忆训练的词汇学习，与贫困的输入往往与低社会经济（SES）背景的儿童的缓解影响的潜力。该项目侧重于认知的因果作用（即，工作记忆在幼儿词汇学习中的作用。在第一年，研究人员将开发几个儿童友好和引人入胜的工作记忆训练模块，以检查工作记忆训练是否能改善一般词汇学习，以及来自低SES背景的儿童的工作记忆。在第二年，培训模块将在一个小规模的试点试验中实施，儿童被随机分配到四个条件：（1）工作记忆训练;（2）词汇训练;（3）工作记忆和词汇的联合训练;（4）照常控制。 研究结果有望为词汇学习中工作记忆的因果模型的发展提供概念验证，这可以为开发和设计干预措施以改善词汇学习提供信息。