Press Release

Students with Learning Disabilities
Fare Better with Recorded Textbooks

Johns Hopkins Research Study
Finds Improved Content Acquisition
Among Students Using
RFB&D's Recorded Textbooks

Princeton, NJ (November 25, 2002) - Students with learning disabilities who used digitally recorded textbooks from the national nonprofit Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D®) performed better on tests measuring content acquisition than classmates who did not have access to RFB&D's unique accommodation, according to a multi-faceted research study conducted by The Johns Hopkins University and RFB&D.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of RFB&D's AudioPlus™ digitally recorded textbooks on CD with and without a complementary organizational learning strategy on the acquisition of content - or the process of learning the assigned material - by secondary students with mild cognitive disabilities. Nearly 100 special education students from seven Baltimore County public high schools participated in the eight-week study that focused on the accessibility of the district's ninth grade American government text. Students were assessed by short-term and long-term comprehension tests to determine increased content acquisition. A pre-test and a post-test, developed by the textbook test maker, were administered to determine impact on content acquisition during the course of the study. Entire classes of students were assigned randomly to one of three groups:

1. Students using RFB&D's AudioPlus textbook on CD for 15-to-20 minutes daily.
   
   
2. Students using RFB&D's AudioPlus textbook on CD for 15-to-20 minutes daily with a specific organizational learning strategy designed to aid comprehension and knowledge by cueing active listening, directing readers' attention to important text and integrating new information with the students' existing knowledge base.
   
   
3. A control group that engaged in 15-to-20 minutes of reading daily, using a standard textbook, with no audio text or specialized instruction.For each of the two experimental conditions, the comparison with the control condition was statistically significant.

Students who had access to the textbook on CD had a 38.1 percent increase in their pre- to post-test scores than their peers in the control group (21.6 percent).

Students using both the textbook on CD and the complementary learning strategy had a 39.4 percent increase in their pre- to post-test scores than the control group.

"Educating students with learning disabilities is particularly difficult at the secondary level because the emphasis in the classroom shifts from learning to read, to reading to learn," said Shari Gallin Washburn, RFB&D's manager of educational programming, and a co-author of the study findings. "There exists a need to develop tools and strategies that stimulate a student's intellectual aptitude without watering down the curriculum. This is where RFB&D's recorded textbooks and complementary learning strategies can bridge the gap between a student's potential and performance."

"The findings are important because they demonstrate that students who need alternative ways to access high content material can experience success," said Michael Rosenberg, professor, department of special education, The Johns Hopkins University. "Also important is this kind of partnership between a national nonprofit organization and a team of university researchers because it enables us to conduct applied research that directly impacts the lives of children."

While the degree of content acquisition was slightly higher among students using both audio textbooks and a learning strategy, anecdotal reports from teachers and students indicate the demands of the strategy may have been too challenging (i.e. too much writing). To enhance the efficacy of the audio textbook technology, the strategy, SLiCK (Set it Up, Look Ahead, Comprehend, Keep it Together) will be redesigned, based on teacher-feedback, and tested in a Spring 2003 study.

Princeton, NJ-based RFB&D is the nation's educational library for students who cannot read standard print effectively because of a disability. Founded in 1948, RFB&D serves more than 102,000 students from kindergarten to graduate school and beyond with its library of 91,000 recorded textbooks. More than two-thirds of RFB&D's members have learning disabilities such as dyslexia.

The Johns Hopkins University was the first research university in the United States. Founded in 1876, its aim was not only to advance students' knowledge, but also to advance human knowledge generally, through discovery and scholarship. The university's emphasis on both learning and research - and on how each complements the other - revolutionized U.S. higher education. Today, Johns Hopkins has ventured from its home in Baltimore to countries throughout the world - China, Italy and Singapore, among many others. It remains a world leader in teaching, patient care and discovery.

The authors of The Effects of Audio Texts on the Acquisition of Secondary Content by Students with Mild Disabilities are Elizabeth Boyle, Michael S. Rosenberg and Vincent Connelly at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, and Shari Gallin Washburn, Loring Brinckerhoff, and Manju Banerjee, at RFB&D.

For more information about the study, its participants and the curriculum vitae of its authors, please call Morgan Roth, Vice President, Public Affairs at:

RFB&D News Desk 1-800-803-7201
media e-mail inquiries

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