Increasing Word Learning Efficiency in Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing through Retrieval Practice

项目摘要 尽管几十年来一直在努力缩小聋儿和聋童的口语技能之间的差距 对于重听人(DHH)和他们的听力同龄人来说，这一目标仍然难以实现。降低了可听性和延迟 识别和放大阻碍了DHH儿童的口语发展。为了“迎头赶上” 他们的语言学习速度必须超过典型的发展速度。然而，它们通常表现得更慢，而不是 语言习得速度更快，学习单词需要更多的暴露时间。因此， 患有DHH的儿童需要有效和有效的干预措施，以实现达到年龄所需的轨迹 预期的语言技能，并改善他们的长期教育和职业成果。 提取练习，这在认知心理学中是突出的，但在教育和 对于特殊教育来说，更糟糕的是一种经过经验验证的方法，它可以提高语言水平 DHH儿童的学习。检索练习的假设是通过加强学习来改善学习 单词展示的价值，并抵消了相对于听力同行的额外单词暴露的需要。至 推进了关于检索实践的有前途但未得到充分利用的研究，我们完成了下一个合乎逻辑的步骤 评估两个关键检索实践特征的有效性和效率：反馈(目标1)和间隔 (目标2)。反馈预计会导致更有效的学习，因为它将注意力集中在没有掌握的人身上 材料，防止成功的幻觉，并减少重复的错误。据预测，间隔试验将导致 比集体试验更有效率的学习，因为它们需要更多的努力，提供的线索更少。学习 创新包括对保留和使用多时段干预背景的关键评估。 我们将通过四个单病例适应交替治疗设计研究来实现这些目标 16名5-8岁的DHH儿童。四个孩子完成每个条件的对比，以隔离 反馈和间隔的影响。通过视觉分析和效果大小的结果将揭示以下程度 检索练习应支持DHH儿童的单词学习，以及学习是否 通过纳入反馈和间隔教学试验而得到加强。这方面的知识可能很广泛 在短期和短期内最大限度地提高单词学习干预的有效性和效率的影响 从长远来看，对DHH儿童进行更全面的语言干预。下一步将 处理(A)评价检索做法的效果和可能的机制， 有效干预特征和(B)确定调解和适度干预的儿童特征 在随机对照试验中的效果。未来的研究将把检索实践扩展到其他语言领域和 手语的情态。这项工作将推动这一领域的发展，这一领域缺乏严谨的 干预研究，尽管提高语言技能和 DHH儿童的后续教育和职业成果。

Project Summary Despite decades of attempts to “close the gap” between spoken language skills of children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) and their hearing peers, this goal remains elusive. Reduced audibility and delays in identification and amplification hamper spoken language development of children who are DHH. To “catch up,” their language learning rate must outpace that of typical development. However, they often exhibit slower, not faster, language acquisition rates and require more exposures to learn words than their hearing peers. Thus, children who are DHH need effective and efficient interventions to achieve the trajectory required to reach age expected language skills and improve their long-term educational and vocational outcomes. Retrieval practice, which is prominent in cognitive psychology but less dependably applied to education and even less so to special education, is an empirically validated approach that could improve the language learning of children who are DHH. Retrieval practice is hypothesized to improve learning by enhancing the value of word presentations and countering the need for extra word exposures relative to hearing peers. To advance the promising yet underutilized research on retrieval practice, we complete the next logical step of evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of two key retrieval practice features: feedback (Aim 1) and spacing (Aim 2). Feedback is predicted to result in more efficient learning because it focuses attention on unmastered material, prevents the illusion of success, and reduces repeated errors. Spacing trials are predicted to result in more efficient learning than massed trials because they require more effort with fewer cues provided. Study innovations include the critical evaluation of retention and use of a multi-session intervention context. We will accomplish these aims through four single case adapted alternating treatments design studies with sixteen 5-8 year old children who are DHH. Four children complete each contrast of conditions to isolate the effects of feedback and spacing. Results via visual analysis and effect sizes will reveal the degree to which retrieval practice is expected to support word learning for children who are DHH and whether learning is enhanced by the inclusion of feedback and spaced teaching trials. This knowledge could have broad implications for maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of word learning interventions in the short-term and more comprehensive language interventions in the long-term for children who are DHH. Next steps will address (a) evaluating the effects and possible mechanisms of retrieval practice that combines the most effective intervention features and (b) identifying child characteristics that mediate and moderate intervention effects in a randomized control trial. Future studies will expand retrieval practice to other language areas and the modality of sign language. This work would advance the field, which exhibits a dearth of rigorous intervention research, despite the important, long-standing challenge of improving language skills and subsequent educational and vocational outcomes of children who are DHH.