Knowledge Accessibility and Availability in Forming Knowledge-to-Text Inferences Among Middle Grade Readers

NCT03782012 | Completed Results DMC

• 1 other identifier: R15HD092922
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 241
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Recent adolescent-based research shows that inference making improves across grades 6-12, uniquely accounts for variance in sentence- and passage-level comprehension, and that individual differences in inference making relate in a principled way to variations in reading comprehension for readers of all abilities (Barth et al., 2015; Barnes et al., 2015). These findings suggest that comprehension requires inference making and that comprehension fails when readers do not possess relevant knowledge (i.e., availability) or slowly retrieve (i.e., accessibility) and integrate knowledge from text or semantic memory during reading (Kendeou, 2015). To date, only one study has examined the effects of knowledge availability and accessibility on inference making among adolescents. To extend this limited body of research, this project will conduct two experimental studies designed to examine (a) the extent to which knowledge-base availability and accessibility relates to the accuracy and rate of constructing inferences using that knowledge (Aim 1) and (b) the extent to which retrieval practice (i.e., spaced practice testing) increases knowledge availability and accessibility and improves the accuracy and rate of forming inferences using that knowledge-base among middle grade readers (Aim 2). In addition, this project will integrate investigative research into an undergraduate Honors Research Program by developing an investigative laboratory component that engages undergraduates in conducting applied research (Aim 3). The research design uses 558 students in grades 5-8. To address Aim 1, mixed effects explanatory item response models will fit to the trial-by-trial reading accuracy and speed data. Repeated measures analysis of variance models will address Aim 2 with analysis of variance models used for Aim 3. The expected outcomes of the proposed research include (a) understanding how knowledge availability and accessibility relate to inference making among adolescent readers; (b) understanding the sources of inference making difficulty; and (c) methods for improving knowledge availability and accessibility and inference making to broadly implement in secondary grade classrooms.

Conditions

Reading Problem

Keywords

Reading Comprehension; Adolescents; Knowledge Availability and Accessibility; Inference Making

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Knowledge Accessibility and Availability

  Know-It task is an individually administered assessment of knowledge accessibility (rate of response) and availability (accuracy of response) for a taught knowledge base. Scale title is the Know-It, the minimum value is 0 the maximum value is 14, a score of 14 is a better outcome. Construct: Literal and Inferential Comprehension Higher score indicates better reading proficiency

  immediately after training KNOW-IT knowledge base items; one week after training KNOW-IT knowledge base items; and 1 month after training KNOW-IT knowledge base items

Secondary Outcomes (13)

• Direct and Indirect Effect of Reading Comprehension for Grade Level Texts on Knowledge Accessibility & Availability

  180 days from training of KNOW-IT knowledge base items

• Direct and Indirect Effect of Reading Strategy Use for Content Area Texts on Knowledge Availability and Accessibility

  45 days from training of KNOW-IT knowledge base items

• Direct and Indirect Effect of Word and World Knowledge and Understanding on Knowledge Accessibility and Availability

  180 days from training of KNOW-IT knowledge base items

• Direct and Indirect Effect of Reading Fluency for Words on Knowledge Accessibility and Availability

  180 days from training of KNOW-IT knowledge base items

• Direct and Indirect Effect of Text to Text Inference Making on Knowledge Accessibility and Availability

  45 days from training of KNOW-IT knowledge base items

Study Arms (2)

Knowledge Supported

EXPERIMENTAL

Students will have 30 seconds to view pictures of the knowledge base items and discuss relations among items.

Behavioral: Supported

Knowledge Not Supported

EXPERIMENTAL

Students will be provided 30 seconds to view pictures of the knowledge base items.

Behavioral: Supported

Interventions

Supported BEHAVIORAL

Visual organization of knowledge base items plus discourse-based discussion supporting knowledge availability and accessibility

Knowledge Not Supported; Knowledge Supported

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 10 Years - 14 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• \- Must be able to hear study directions and stimuli

You may not qualify if:

• Students who are enrolled in a Life Skills class focused on activities of daily living
• Students who are enrolled in English as a Second language introductory classes
• Students with severe disabilities that impact reading and listening.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Buena Vista University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Storm Lake Community School District

Storm Lake, Iowa, 50588, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Barnes MA, Dennis M, Haefele-Kalvaitis J. The effects of knowledge availability and knowledge accessibility on coherence and elaborative inferencing in children from six to fifteen years of age. J Exp Child Psychol. 1996 Apr;61(3):216-41. doi: 10.1006/jecp.1996.0015.

  PMID: 8636665 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Palliative Care

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Patient Care; Therapeutics; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Limitations and Caveats

The sample was relatively small, and results of this study are based on a sample of students from one rural school district. Data was collected from one cohort of typically developing readers and one cohort of at-risk readers across two years and combined for our primary and secondary analyses. Next, we were unable to administer or did not have access to students' scores on multiple measures due to restrictions related to COVID-19. Third, students with significant disabilities were excluded.

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Amy Elizabeth Barth
• Organization: William Jewell College

bartha@william.jewell.edu

816-415-7622

Study Officials

• AMY E BARTH, PHD

  Buena Vista University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Provide information about other parties who may be masked in the clinical trial,
• Purpose: DIAGNOSTIC
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: This study will randomly select 300 from Storm Lake students in grades 5-8 (i.e., 75 students per grade) (see Table 1). Because of the short duration of the experiment (3 sessions), we estimate 20% attrition (n = 60 students). We will replace all students who exit from the sample within grade to ensure sufficiently power. Students will randomly be assigned within grade to one of two conditions: support versus no support.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 17, 2018
• First Posted: December 20, 2018
• Study Start: January 14, 2019
• Primary Completion: May 27, 2022
• Study Completion: August 31, 2022
• Last Updated: May 16, 2024
• Results First Posted: May 16, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR
• Time Frame: All data and related materials are available upon request.
• Access Criteria: All data and related materials are available upon request.

Locations

US (1)