Running Head: ARTICLE REVIEW 1

Article Review 1 Gabrielle J. Agwu EDUC 500 Advanced Educational Psychology Dr. JoAnn Oster Liberty University January 19, 2014

ARTICLE REVIEW 1 The article Student Attitudes Toward Accelerated Reader: Thanks for Asking! by Amy F. Smith and Karen L. Westberg of University of St. Thomas is the focus of this review. The authors, Smith & Westburg (2011) wanted to discover students true feelings about the widely used reading program developed by Renaissance Learning called Accelerated Reader (AR). The purpose of AR is to develop a students love of reading and their reading

comprehension over a period of time. While there have been numerous studies on the effect AR has had on students standardized tests scores and teacher/administration/school district views on the subject, the opinion of the student has been sparingly studied. In order to have a wellrounded idea on the effectiveness of a program the opinions of all players must be heard and studied. This article being reviewed researches the opinion of the student who is the main player in the AR program. The article raises the question What do students think of AR?. The authors of the study sought to answer their question in a two part study. The first part was in the form of a questionnaire given to 1365 Grade 3-8 students. The results of that study were presented at the American Education Research Association in May of 2010. The results of part one lead to part two of the study. While many students saw AR as being helpful in motivation and development of reading skills older students saw it as a hindrance to their reading freely because their motivation was to earn points and incentives. With this in mind the authors of the paper wanted an opportunity to further discuss the results of part one with focus groups. While reading the article, the reviewer found the authors were doing research on effective programs using a qualitative approach. They used the qualitative approach by using a focus group setting with 10 open-ended questions as the methodology of their research. The students

ARTICLE REVIEW 1 were interviewed in this manner to have them feel free to share their thoughts about the AR program. The authors discovered that the students had more recommendations for AR than commendations. Students felt that because of the points system they read differently that they would if they didnt have the points system. They read lower level books to finish quickly to earn their points and their incentive for reaching their goal. Students also didnt read the books they wanted because it was outside of their ZPD or didnt garner enough points to help them

achieve their points goal. It motivated them to read more, not for the love of learning but for the love of points and incentives. Students also felt that the questions were too easy or too hard and didnt correlate to the learning strategies they were being taught in their reading classes. Finally, students felt that the pressure led students to cheat by taking quizzes for each other, writing down the questions and taking quizzes after watching the movie of the book and not reading the book. The results of this research are very beneficial to education. AR is one of the leading reading management programs and as a result, it is important that research is taken from the points of view from all of the participants in the program. There is extensive research on the effects of AR on testing scores and from teachers point of view, but the main participant, the student, needs to be heard from also. What they see, learn and gather as participants is important to know and incorporate into further development of the program. Slavin (2012) states Research in educational psychology not only provides evidence for principles of effective practice but also about the effectiveness of particular programs or practices. The research by Smith & Westberg (2011) did see to find the effectiveness of the AR Program. The results from this research could encourage Renaissance Learning (the developer of AR) to improve their program. They can further research students opinion on the style and type

ARTICLE REVIEW 1 of questioning. With the wave of higher level thinking and learning in Reading with reading strategies and comprehension skills, perhaps Renaissance Learning can find a way to correlate

what is being taught in the class with the style of questioning on their quizzes. Second, they find a way to make the points a minor factor instead of a major factor thus hindering a students enjoyment of reading. Finally, perhaps they can design a version of their program that doesnt include or depend upon the points aspect of the program allowing the teacher to develop an incentive program that would be better suited for his/her students. Educators could use the information to use the components of AR that would work best for their student body. School districts and teachers can also use the results from this research to analyze how they can better encourage students to read and love reading without the pressure of points or ZPDs in their way. They can also use the information to see if the results (higher test scores, students reading) are worth the risks (cheating, reading for point accumulation, reading for incentives). On another hand educators and teachers can use the idea of the AR program and design a similar reading program for their school/class that works for their population. Questions that the reviewer had after reading the article were several. What are the opinions of students who have used AR for at least 5 years? Are the opinions of students more favorable the longer they use the program? Does an early introduction and longer use make a difference in recommendations versus recommendations from the students? Does the student opinion vary amongst students who have an incentive factor versus students who dont? The reviewer believes that the question What is the role of research in Educational Psychology? was answered. The role of research in Educational Psychology is to better aid teachers, administrators, and educators in general in making decisions on curricula and supplemental programs that aid in a students academic and mental growth. The answer with

ARTICLE REVIEW 1 this article in mind closes the gap on the on the analysis on the AR Program by analyzing the thoughts and opinions of the main participant in the program. The article is an example of evidence-based practice, which is important in the field of education. Gall, Gall & Borg (2010)

define evidence-based practice as the art of solving problems of practice through the integration of the best available research combined with the practitioners clinical expertise and values. In layman terms, the collaboration of expertise, current evidence, and user reviews to develop the best service possible for the user. With this information and hopefully more information for further research on student estimations on the effectiveness of Accelerated Reader, schools and districts can make a well-rounded opinion on the use of the program in their classrooms. This article adds to the final leg of evidence-based practice with the reviews of students on the effectiveness of Renaissance Learnings Accelerated Reader program. The reviewer, after reading the article would like to see more research from the students point of view. There is concern on the part of reviewer when it comes to the ease of which students were willing to bypass the proper protocols to attain their points and incentives. Indirectly, this would lead students to believe that the end (getting a reward for positive behavior) justifies the means (cheating, reading a lower book, or watching the movie). The encouragement of little deceits is not worth it to encourage a child to read. The little seeds sown there can grow and lead to bigger issues later on in their academic and personal life.

ARTICLE REVIEW 1 References

Bibliography
Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, R. W. Applying Educational Research. Boston, MA, USA: Pearson. Slavin, R. E. Educational Psychology. Boston, MA, USA: Pearson. Smith, F. A., & Westberg, L. K. (2011). Student attitudes toward accelerated reader: "Thanks for Asking!". Retrieved from Current Issues in Education: http://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/article/view/632