Computer-Assisted Instruction to Teach Academic Skills

What is it about?

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) has been defined as a systematic approach to developing students’ knowledge and/or skills that uses a computer as a central feature to support instruction via activities including, but not limited to, presenting materials, assessing progress, and guiding activities (Anohina, 2005). CAI is a subset of technology-aided instruction, and is distinct from online, internet, or other network learning in that CAI implies the software is local to the computer, not accessed via the internet.

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Why is it important?

Technology has transformed everyday life for many people in the 21st century. From its infancy in the form of teaching machines (Pressey, 1926; Skinner, 1958) to the wide forms and platforms that are ever evolving (Stephenson & Limbrick, 2013), instructors and researchers have evaluated the usefulness of technology as the central feature of an intervention to increase academic skills. The current application of CAI originates from the work of psychologists in the early 20th century. The evidence-base of CAI to teach academics to students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) goes back over three decades. Panyan (1984) was one of the first to make the argument for the incorporation of computers into the education of students with disabilities in her review of the literature on the use of computers with individuals with ASD. She concluded her review by proposing several distinct benefits computers may offer. These included consistency of instruction, the potential to facilitate generalization, and the inclusion of preferred sensory stimuli into instruction. An updated review by Root, Stevenson, Ley Davis, Geddes, and Test (2015) found the results of the analysis of instructional materials and methods of high and adequate quality studies may be of interest in future research using CAI. Instructional materials are no longer limited to consumable worksheets; they now include devices, software, assistive technology tools and services to deliver CAI to students with ASD. Looking to future trends in CAI, some of the technology listed should be considered for future research: 1. Websites 2. Mobile devices (cell phones) 4. Virtual Reality (VR) 5. Voice Control to Sentient: 6. Artificial Intelligence Personal Assistants, Chat Bots, and Conversational Interfaces These are only a few examples of the multitude of ways CAI instructional materials for students with ASD have made their way into classrooms. Looking to future trends, it is important for educators to continue to investigate all the various assistive technology tools, devices, and services to determine their effectiveness, efficiency, and evidence-base. Finally, future experimental research should adhere to established design QIs. For future studies to be able to contribute to the evidence base, they need to attend to QIs such as those described by Gersten et al. (2005) and Horner et al. (2005).

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