DESIGN PROJECT

 Improving Reading Comprehension through the development of  Macro and Micro

skills for Grade Six Students at the Owia Government School

ID No. 07007511 

A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Science

Instructional Design and Technology at University of the West Indies

EDID 6512: Design Project

University: University of the West Indies Open Campus 

Course Coordinator: Dr. Camille Dickson-Deane

Project Advisor: Camille Bremnor

Date: December 20th , 2021

 Table of Content 

Executive summary…………………………………………………………… 2

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………4

Problem Statement……………………………………………………….........5

Elaboration of the Need for the Design ………………………………………..5

Target Group …………………………………………………………….........9

Literature Review and Theoretical Foundation ………………………………10

Proposed Design……………………………………………………………….16

Evaluation of the Design Using Suitable Research Methods…………………24

Modification for the Design……………………………………………………29

Discussion and Conclusion…………………………………………………….31

References……………………………………………………………………...33

Appendix………………………………………………………………………37-53

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 Executive Summary

This paper seeks to introduce a problem that was identified through reports obtained from the

results of CPEA. Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) is an exam administered by The

Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) to assesses every primary school student in the

participating countries of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, British

Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and

Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Turks and Caicos Islands. Reports have

shown that students in grade six are currently scoring below the average range of 20% in section

three of the CPEA paper. The purpose of this test is to guarantee they are well prepared for the

next chapter in their academic and social lives. The test also enables the students to use their

academic qualifications all across the Caribbean region in the Participating Countries. However,

not all students achieve a pass in this section of the paper. Upon observation it was noted that

students are taught rote learning,  which makes it difficult to comprehend and analyze

comprehension questions.

The main aim of this design project is to provide a solution which can aid in improving test

scores in section three of the Language Arts test paper at the Owia Government School. The

overall objective is to provide students with a concise , interactive and motivating solution based

on learning theories and research which will help easily make changes to the way things are

being done at present time. 

Keywords: reading comprehension, CPEA, literacy, macro skills, micro-skills

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 Introduction

By definition, reading comprehension is simply the capability of a learner to read and

process a text, understand what it means, and link that with their already acquired knowledge

(Sahin, 2013).  The Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) is an assessment that learners

must pass to complete their primary/elementary educational level, to be promoted to the next

level in their academic lives. Many schools/communities utilize this exit exam as a way to

maintain graduation standards in public high schools. All schools are not equal in terms of

standard of living, nor do they offer the same learning experiences. Some schools have a history

of producing island scholars, doctors, lawyers, marine biologists who leave a mark on that

institution, whereas others merely produce secondary dropouts and a not too pleasant expertise.

The Owia Government School is located in the northern part of St. Vincent. It has rarely

produced students who performed well over the past five years. The pass rate for one of the more

recognized schools is at 10% on average. It must be noted some schools are labeled as a “top

school” based on the ranking done on the results of the exam. These students are offered

scholarships form various institutions throughout the country, whereas the other schools bear the

burden of taking the struggling students with little support of remediation and have developed a

reputation of behavioural problems and low performance.

The CPEA is very competitive, especially among some of the prestigious schools. They aim for

the top positions for their students because only five hundred of the students are allowed to

choose a school of their choice. With limited space available, students work extra hard to obtain

that desired pass rate. The Owia Government school has been trying over the years to curb the

stigma of being a low performing school. The main reasons for such performance is the fact that

students struggle with reading comprehension which affects all subject areas of testing, such as

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Language Arts, Science, Maths and Social Studies. The subject matter that suffered the most is

the Language Arts paper section three where four comprehension passages are given.

Language Arts achievement inherently involves boosting students’ reading

comprehension capacities in different text types and levels. Nevertheless, the overall efforts to

pursue this progression have involved a paradigm shift that involves a renewed focus on

improving students’ reading abilities. The perspective has also questioned the viability of reading

as a reading skill in promoting successful performance on all core areas. Notably, the argument

is that despite the current overwhelming technology implementation for information acquisition,

these options cannot replace reading as the fundamental knowledge source. The pervasive online

sources, including reliable e-books and e-journals, have only compounded reading’s importance

(Sofsian, 2006). These insights emphasize this skill’s value in cultivating learners’ core

capacities.   

      Language Arts Test scores were at its lowest in the 2019-2020 Exit exams where only 40%

of the students achieved a passing rate for section C of the Test. These scores need to improve

because they prove that a Grade six student meets educational standards as set out by the

country. CPEA exam results can influence educational policy decisions at the state and national

levels.

Problem Identification 

      Students at the Owia Government Schools are currently scoring low in section three of the

CPEA practice paper in preparation for the upcoming exam done at the end of the sixth grade.

Test results show low performance in this section of the paper which tests analysis and

application or the ability to think critically. The relationship between reading comprehension and

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academic performance has significance among all subject areas. According to Stewart (2006),

reading and writing have an inseparable relationship, with the skills remaining so interconnected

that it becomes impossible to understand them separately (p.618). Therefore, learners usually

comprehend these capabilities simultaneously. The views in Steward (2006) also expound on the

value of reading and literacy skills on students’ academic performance, specifically as they

reflect in other areas like Sciences and Computer Technology, Mathematics, and the Arts.  

      It is also noted that that lack of reading comprehension skills hinders the cognitive ability

that drives symbol processing connection between Language Arts and Mathematics. Montalban

(2010) cited the perspectives in Sutton & Krueger regarding reading, writing, and arithmetic as

inseparable skills. Supporting perspectives within Montalban (2010) also derive from Hiebert &

Wilkinson’s views, who reiterate the importance of teaching reading and thinking approaches

within content areas instead of devoting resources to distinct reading lessons. In addition, social

studies and science achievement were hindered due to lack of vocabulary and comprehension

development which is mostly needed to decipher text and gain meaning. This problem has

proved to be a grave problem and has made achieving the pass rate more difficult.

Elaboration and Justification of the need for the Design

      In my country of St. Vincent, the main purpose of passing CPEA exams is to enter a school

of choice which is only designed for students who placed in the first five hundred (500) when the

results are released. All other students are placed by the Ministry of Education based on where

they lived. This process has made the passing of the exam an achievement for students, parents,

teachers and the community as a whole. As a student at the school their main goal is to attend a

school that has high performance levels which can enhance their long-term educational

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development. The low performance, however, on the Language Arts exam, particularly in section

three where the comprehension questions are set, has proven to be detrimental to students in

achieving the passing grade. Reading comprehension has gained significance in idea sharing and

accessing timely and updated information in all life’s aspects in the contemporary information-

based society. Despite the significance of this practice or skill in all subject areas, the focus of

these capacities and their application in Language Arts remains highly lacking.

    As a teacher for the past 10 years, it is observed that the sixth-grade students of the Owia

Government School cannot understand the underlying meaning of non-explicit statements during

their reading of comprehension passages in Language Arts Lessons. More specifically, despite

the possession of a large vocabulary, these learners inadequately express illative reading

comprehension capacities. The problematic issues emanate from teachers’ devotion of significant

instruction time portions to assessing reading bits at the expense of delivering and evaluating

higher order comprehension abilities in Language Arts. Notably, the traditional high-stakes

testing practices still guide instructional strategies as the teachers select the content and format to

meet its demands, embrace dated drills and testing areas, and overlook useful perspectives absent

from these tests. Multiple global studies, including Levinson (2000) and Pendulla et al. (2003)

have reiterated this perspective, evidencing the inclination towards high-stakes test requirements

in instructors’ material selection and alignment. 

     In addition, test-taking strategies have had a significant impact on students’ limitations of

inferential reading capabilities. Taylor, Shepard, Kinner, and Rosenthal (2003) explained these

shortcomings, arguing that teachers’ emphasis on test-taking approaches have emanated from the

significance of the traditional high-stakes tests, limiting the potential for developing lifelong

learners and reducing students’ true understanding. Instructors afford extensive resources to

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prepared students on ways to excel in their high-stakes examination, overlooking the significance

of comprehension capabilities within this dynamic. Therefore, many learners have had deliberate

instruction on the ways of guessing the correct answers in uncertain situations, without any

penalization for their lack of knowledge. The outcome has been their limitations in effective

reading strategies.   

       Moreover, the low reading comprehension level of the students were heavily relied upon

teachers’ misapprehension that assessment is an activity for rating and categorizing learners

according to performance instead of enhancing their learning. Consequently, most instructors

have perceived evaluation as a summative lesson or unit activity to perpetuate grading. Their

approach diminishes the effective score interpretation for determining students’ positions in their

learning, their consequent objectives, and the education paths for these learners. Besides,

teachers have failed to utilize reading assessments to plan consequent steps based on presenting

student needs, to diagnose the limitations in their reading capabilities, or individualize delivery

methods to tackle these challenges. The overarching focus is on scores, which only poorly

predict students’ reading comprehension and reflect limited indications of learner outcomes.

Additionally, the low-level cognitive questions and off-the-shelf tests presenting in commercial

texts perpetuate the continued conformance to high-stakes testing. These aspects combine with

limitations in performance assessment format awareness among teachers to culminate in

inadequacies in their classroom application. 

The insights imply that all the potential reasons for Owia Government school students’

limitations in reading comprehension levels closely relate to the significance of the traditional

high-stakes testing. Mainly, instructors have emphasized formats that reflect conventional

assessments. They have also deviated from teaching reading comprehension and prioritized

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strategies for high achievement in examinations. These perspectives emphasize the boredom that

characterizes the learning and assessments contexts of reading comprehension. 

Ultimately, it is crucial to recognize that teachers’ unwillingness to move beyond their

comfort zones underlies the problematic exploitation of traditional testing in delivering

instruction and evaluating reading comprehension. Instructors are contented in the norm of

conventional formats, especially as they learned and received evaluations using the same. The

familiarity diminishes the willingness to attempt an application of innovative alternatives for

evaluating classroom performance. Their reluctance also increases in the absence of pre- and in-

service training emphasizing these formats. Therefore, these factors have diminished the

possibilities of a practice shift towards the more beneficial approach.  

     The students at the Owia Government school required a solution that meets their specific need

in preparation for the Language Arts component of the CPEA exam which carried four

comprehension passages and had a weighing of 40% This design was supposed to be done on a

face-to-face basis but due the recent volcanic eruption on the island and the rising cases of

Covid-19, the exam date was rescheduled.

      The main goal is to provide a solution that helps the students of the Owia Government

School in grade six to improve their Language Arts test scores in an attempt to achieve a

passable grade in that paper. The need is therefore for a design to assist these students with a

viable solution that is relevant, motivating, engaging and most of all enjoyable.

Upon conducting a needs analysis that was administered individually in the six grade classrooms

at Owia Government School, the data obtained showed that students were lacking in the skills

needed to answer Comprehension questions properly. The teachers understand the concept of

reading comprehension within the area of Language Arts as the wheel for studying the origin of

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words (etymology) and develop communicative skills (speaking). They do not see the language

in other aspects such as knowing the culture, pragmatism, phonetics, linguistics, syntax, and

semantics. It is important to know that more than speaking there are other competencies to be

developed. If the teachers do not realize the fact of these relevant components, it would be more

difficult to activate certain communication strategies.

         Also, the teachers state that they have knowledge about Piaget, a philosopher known for his

epistemological work with children; and Skinner, a behaviorist. Apart from these psychologists,

they mention constructivism as one of the theories they know about highlighting its

implementation in their  classes. Evidently, they know the theories, but according to the observed

class there’s no evidence where the teacher constructs knowledge with the students since it’s

notable as an authority and students do not participate at all in the teaching-learning process. The

topics are imposed through the book students had to buy, adding the lack of collaborative work

between students and teachers.

Intended  Audience

       The target audience is grade six students aged between the ages of 11 and 13 of the Owia

Government School in St. Vincent and The Grenadines.  There are 18 students within the class

ages ranging from 10 to 13 most students are from poor socio-economic backgrounds because of

being in single parent and extended family homes. Lack of resources due to parental

unemployment plays a vital role in most students not performing to the required standard. Based

on reading assessment completed it is noted that 60% of the students have average reading and

comprehension ability, 30% reads and comprehends at grade 1 level and 10% reads and

comprehends at 6 to 7 level. Traditional teaching materials used were textbook, charts and the

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chalkboard with the most recent modern-day equipment being a projector. Email accounts and

password had to be created and given to students to join the chosen LMS by the Government for

online learning. Along with this came various issue as students consistently forget password and

failed to enter class along with internet problems and lack of parental supervision.

Since the introduction of technology in this rural community, these students were

characteristics of “Digital Natives.” Most students have access to at least one advanced device,

such as laptops or tablets and phones, and an internet connection, allowing the deliberate

application of online platforms and materials in this educational process. Being called a “Digital

Native” is a categorization that refers to children who have encountered technology, including

the mobile devices, computers, and internet connectivity, throughout their lifespan and growth

(Technopedia, 2018). 

Literature Review and Theoretical Foundation

Instructional design is an essential facet of the teaching-learning process since it defines

how educators inculcate knowledge on learners. According to Reigeluth (1983), the instructional

design focuses on how to understand, improve, and apply instructional methods in the teaching-

learning environment. The process involves deciding the best ways of instruction to elicit the

desired behavior change in learners. Knowledge and skills must be specific course content and

suit a given student population. In a nutshell, the primary objective of instructional design is to

optimize instructing learners' learner process. Learning theories can provide the basis for

instructional design, particularly on such domains as learners’ behavior, cognitive, and

constructive elements. Harasim (2017) defines theory as an explanation for the reasons behind

the occurrence of something and how it happens. Typically, a question or curiosity can cause one

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to generate a theory to respond to a phenomenon. A fundamentally important feature of a theory

is that scientists or scholars develop using state-of-the-art research methods and the available

information. 

Researchers in the learning milieu have developed learning theories that help apprehend

how people learn. Social Learning Theory is among the theoretical frameworks that explain how

the learning process should occur. According to Harasim (2012), Vygotsky played a critical role

in advancing collaboration's importance for knowledge construction. The author revised the

learning theory to encompass an individual concerning their environment and how they interact

with other people in society. The author defines learning as a social process based on language

and conversation. Another vital social aspect of learning is the "zone of proximal development,"

which involves learning through contact and discourse. The individuals facilitating the process

are peers or adults with more competent and rich knowledge of the field. 

      Leonard (2002) affirms that collaborative learning gets its basis in Lev Vygotsky's social

development theory. The proponents postulate that social development and interaction are

critical to developing a child's cognitive abilities in this theory. The abilities include thinking,

learning, as well as communication. Collaboration facilitates knowledge and resource sharing

among learners. Through this process, learners get to interact better within their groups, leading

to the production of theoretically more complete as well as robust deliverables than those that

individual learners create while working alone. Leonard (2002) also identifies enactivism and co-

emergence theory to support collaborative learning as a means of realizing positive changes in

tandem with better learning results when learners continuously interact among themselves over

time.

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 Scholars have also developed theories that support collaboration among learners.

According to Harasim (2012), Online Collaborative Learning Theory (OCL) aims to promote

collaborative learning and knowledge building among learners that can happen through internet

use to reshape formal, non-formal as well as informal education among the knowledge age.

Harasim (2012) asserts that OCL addresses the 21st-century knowledge age requirements, which

is internet-based, while unveiling a theoretical basis for transforming the instructional design.

The author affirms that OCL theory is a learning model that encourages and supports students to

create knowledge as a group. This process can allow them to invent knowledge and explore

innovative ways. The approach can enable them to seek the conceptual knowledge needed to

solve problems instead of the rote method. 

Still, more theories that support the constructivist theory are available. Harvey and

Charnitski (1998) confirm that Jonassen, in his 1996 study, discusses “mind tools,” referring to

computer-based tools as well as learning environments that educators have adapted or developed

to function as intellectual partners with the learner. These tools engage and facilitate critical

thinking in tandem with higher-order learning. The authors identify the functional role of

mindtools as twofold, including the functioning extent of the learner’s cognitive facet during the

learning process and the level of engaging the learner in operations during knowledge

construction that they would not accomplish otherwise (Harvey & Charnitski, 1998). The authors

confirm that Jonassen views mindtools to support a learning environment that allows students to

process information intentionally and meaningfully. This way, the learners build on prior

learning and elaborate on new knowledge, which they interrelate with the one they previously

acquired. The new set of knowledge allows them to reflect on their learning consciously. In this

theory, Harvey and Charnitski (1998) note Jonassen’s suggestion that when teachers and students

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collaborate and cooperate, they enhance mindtools. Mindtools provide a structure that supports a

Vygotskian approach that highlights how learning should occur in mathematics. Harvey &

Charnitski (1998) suggests that Vygotsky's sociocultural theories likely support mathematics

education changes, particularly those that the NCTM Standards advocate. The standards support

literacy in a mathematical language that needs to help them articulate and communicate as well

as solve problems. 

The second theory underlying this study is David Ausubel’s Subsumption Theory.

Rothwell (2008) attributes the development of subsumption theory to the 1963 work by David

Ausubel and affirms the theory had a profound effect on training. In this theory, Ausubel

highlights how people can master a plethora of material within the shortest time frame, and it

assumes new ideas in those areas to which learners are privy. The introduction of the advance

organizers idea is one factor that contributes to Ausubel becoming famous. The concept provides

a roadmap that can allow learners to read and apprehend a material with much information

successfully. According to Leonard (2002), advance organizers include abstracts, outlines, and

introductions as part of a work with content that one can use to structure and organize the content

they want to teach. Educators use advance organizers to facilitate learning a large and new body

of content and relate it to the information they learned previously and still exists the learner’s

schema.

The third theory that underlines this study is intrinsic and extrinsic motivation theories.

Palmer (2005) describes motivation as either extrinsic or intrinsic depending on a person’s

source of interest.  Intrinsic motivation occurs when a person finds something inherently

interesting or enjoyable, while extrinsic motivation happens when one undertakes an activity that

is a separable outcome. Extrinsic motivation includes factors outside an individual that include

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rewards and privileges. Praise and attention are other external factors that can motivate an

individual. While referring to a 1959 work by White, Palmer (2005) construe intrinsic motivation

theory as a state that involves a person feeling instinctive pleasure concerning learning a new

concept or overcoming a challenging task. An individual in this state is often confident and has

good mastery. Since the two qualities are self-reinforcing, the learner enjoys success, making

them more inclined to activities involving future learning. Scholars have affirmed the

effectiveness of intrinsic motivation in promoting learning and achievement among students.

Palmer (2005) also refers to a 1989 work by Lepper and Hodell that proposed the possibility of

proving challenge and fantasy to enhance intrinsic motivation. Curiosity and control are other

ways that educators can consider to enhance learners’ intrinsic motivation. Challenge is

moderate difficulty level allowing learners to experience mastery and competence upon

successfully overcoming it.

Problem Based Learning Theory (PBL) is another theoretical framework to explore.

According to Savin- Baden and Major (2004), problem-based learning is recent, though scholars

like Barrows and Tamblyn managed to polarize it in their 1980 research. Impliedly, the theory

continues to gain fame due to the initiatives to proliferate its ideas. Poikela and Nummenmaa

(2006) state that problem-based learning found its way first in modern cognitive psychology

theory, suggesting that learning is not a receptive process but a constructive one. A constructive

process involves the learner using the current knowledge to construct new knowledge actively.

Problem-based learning often subjects learners to a messy and ill-structured situation, identifying

a problem and finding ways to solve it through investigation. The authentic experience that PBL

provides is vital to fostering active learning and supporting knowledge construction (Poikela and

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Nummenmaa, 2006). It also assists students to naturally integrate what they learn in school and

real life.   

Learning involves specific procedures that educators need to understand to make it

effective. According to Azer (2008), learning as a process requires educators to people to

apprehend the key elements that constitute it and the rules that guide its practice. How an

individual learns a given information influences its storage in long-term memory and the ability

to retrieve and use it. Since the process of learning can experience some challenges, PBL unveils

an ideal strategy with application elements to education to overcome the gaps in this academic

milieu. One thing to note is the availability of many teaching/learning options whole choice

hinges on the desired outcomes. One way to apply PBL is by using case scenarios to incorporate

it into the instructional design (Azer, 2008). The chosen case scenarios should be suitable to the

learner’s age group and culture. Other factors to consider about the learner include their prior

knowledge and expectations. Course designers can help eliminate any ambiguity by carefully

writing them to reflect case educational objectives. Briggs (2015) also provide insight into PBL,

situating its first introduction to the educational field by medical education specialist in the

1960s. Howard Barrows advocated the application of PBL to the teaching of medicine at

McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. The process should be organized to emulate the

reasoning of a skilled practitioner and confirms the adoption of PBL in most fields (Briggs,

2015). 

Another aspect of PBL concerns learners who are new to it and require help in line with

the theory. According to Briggs (2015), the new PBL learners need significant scaffolding to aid

the acquisition of the skills they lack. Problem-solving skills and self-directed learning skills are

among the areas that require development. Teamwork/collaboration skills also need to develop to

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a self-sufficiency level that allows the removal of the scaffolds. PBL may sometimes result in

"headaches whilst learning," necessitating the careful implementation of the theory

PROPOSED  DESIGN

   This classroom Project is based on the results obtained from the sixth-grade needs assessment

analysis at Owia Government School. A project called "INSPIRE dictionary" (Intriguing,

Synthetic, Phonics Instruction, and Reading Recovery) was implemented to enhance maro

and micro skills in the students' reading comprehension using app Education.com .These games

presented in Google Classroom was  used  to build on the strengths and weaknesses of pupils in

Reading and Reading Comprehension, in addition to enhancing general and scholarly vocabulary

in various learning situations to improve fluency and comprehension.

  Prototypes were developed, revised and evaluated based on feedback from students. This

project started in the month of March and continued for three months.. Due to the Covid-19

pandemic and the eruption of the St. Vincent La Soufriere,  face to face instructions were

hindered  and classes had to be done online using tablets donated by the government at the

inception. However, face to face classes resumed subsequently, therefore all activity was

achieved in the time specified.The main aim was to aid with reading comprehension which was

in the last section of the CPEA paper for the 18 students of the Owia Government School.    

Prototype 

       For this project, the proposed solution is a combination of the existing activity used in

building the comprehension skills  stated above to help students build their skills in reading

comprehension. Through research the various tools were used, evaluated and re-design based on

16
the students performance over a specific period. Google classroom was used as a host for the

website education.com and live worksheets. and websites which students had access to on a daily

basis. Some of such tools are the chat group Whatsapp ,the designated textbook for Grade six.

Google classroom

An introduction to the google classroom and education.com were done to students via

WhatsApp. Prior to the introduction, students were asked to bring their devices to school.

permission was sought  and granted from parents through the class group chat on Whatsapp. A

schedule plan was distributed to students in preparation for the task at hand. This plan outlines

the days and time each activity will take place.Students perused the app and got familiar with

navigating the various aspects of it. Through their email account an invitation was sent to the

students to join the class. After receiving the link, there is a link which said to join. On clicking

the link, the students automatically entered the classroom. Access was now given to assignments

and any other notification. Before any attempt to do the work presented, they must use their code

to join as a student which the teacher has provided in their WhatsApp class group chat (see

appendix)

The link and screenshot presented below showed how students were guided through the steps of

navigating google classroom. as shown in the video below the narrator recorded the steps needed

which must be taken to complete the task.

https://youtu.be/-pu3PTAx39w

Credentials for site: username: sutherlandcandie@gmail.com

password: $LoveP@08

17
Figure 1

This screenshot showed the homepage of google classroom.

Figure 2.

This screenshot shows the participants in the class which included teachers and students. 

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Education.com

Education.com is a website design with numerous digital resources, tools and learning materials

which caters from grade k to seven. The narrator created an account on the website of

Education.com. A class was created, and students’ names were added accordingly, and codes

were developed. Students’ codes were sent to them via WhatsApp for joining the class. (See

student codes attached in appendix). Upon adding the codes, students automatically joined the

class. Games and worksheets were chosen based on the skills and abilities of the students and

information gathered during the needs assessment. Through this website the games, suffix,

Practicing Subject and Verb Agreement, and Transition Bug- Star Rumble were assigned to

students three days per week for one hour. These games were designed as close passages

whereby students are asked to fill the blank spaces with the most appropriate word. Those

students who did not finished the task in given time or with more than one chance given has not

achieved a passing scored received one on one intervention daily for one hour. Reinforcement

was given to those students who were struggling to grasp the concept in this particular area of

Language arts.

This link and screenshot shows students participating in the online games on education.com.

This game has gained their attention and built their vocabulary skills. 

Link to game being played by students: class - YouTube

Login in credentials for education.com: username: candiepollard@gmail.com

Password: $LoveP@08

19
Figure 3
This screenshot shows the game Transition Bugs. In this game the students filled blank spaces

with an appropriate word to complete the passage.

Figure 4

This shows students participating in games during class time.

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WhatsApp  

Due to Covid-19 and hand, foot and mouth disease, the school was placed on a blended

approach. The students were asked to follow the necessary protocols. Teaching and learning took

place in two separate classrooms in groups of eight and nine respectively. Therefore, WhatsApp

was used as one of the medium to have conversations and clarify misconceptions of lessons

activities taught. The lessons involved locating unfamiliar words in games and passages in their

textbook. Students assisted their peers in pronunciation and enunciation of unknown words. The

more advance students made sentences with their words, then transform those sentences in

paragraphs. As a group, students created questions with the help of the teacher, and this is in line

with social constructivism theory which asserts that learning is a result of social interaction

(1978). Bere (2012) listed features of whatsapp messenger as following: Multimedia (videos, text

messages, images and voice notes); group chat; unlimited messaging; cross platform

engagements (personal digital assistants, smart phones, Galaxy tablets); offline messaging; no

charges involved; no pins and users name as it works through phone numbers and integrates with

users’ address books.

21
Figure 5

This shows conversation between teachers and students on how to join Google Classroom.

Figure 6

Teacher and students engaged in collaborative sessions during Language lesson.

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Following the former activities and skills acquired students completed a poster relating to the

word building /vocabulary in Reading Comprehension. This activity was based on the

connection that reading make to things in the real world. Students were grouped to complete a

poster as an assessment for the week. They shared the roles of drawing, colouring and writing for

their posters. This activity was well received by them based on their participation and

presentation skills.The new vocabulary and concepts  learned was displayed through posters,

poetry or songs written in their during class time on Microsoft Team.

FIGURE 7 and 8

Students posters depicting Reading Comprehension skills they have learnt. This was a group

activity. 

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Evaluation and findings of the Design

Performance assessment had occurred throughout this project as was evaluated through pre and

post testing. A reading assessment ( see appendix) was done prior to the prototypes and

following such activities on the Language Arts paper for CPEA in section three was given after

implementation of the design project. The design was implemented via google classroom and

WhatsApp chat. The narrator encountered many problems in seeing the grades for the students.

With disruptions to the internet services and being told that the process of fixing cables will take

a long time to be back to normal. Not being able to see the progress directly in Google

Classroom, I resort to the website education.com and gathered the necessary information needed

to make an intervention. Students found it difficult to explore Google Classroom which hinders

the progression of the designs although they were given extended time to navigate the sites, use
24
the resources and complete assignments. They had to constantly re-entered password. It was

noted however that some instructions were not explicitly stated by the narrator. Therefore,

continuation of the purpose and objectives of the lessons were presented to them through video

recordings and voice note message in WhatsApp.

Initially the hope was to conduct the proposed solution face to face but due to a rise in Covid-19

which places restrictions on face-to-face meeting, the presence of Foot, Hand and Mouth disease,

classes were done in a blended approach in addition to the mental and physical impact of the

eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano. All the activities presented in Google Classroom has

shown some improvement in the development of micro and macro skills in Reading

comprehension, however some modification needed to be added. The improvement for some

students were mainly due to peer tutoring in WhatsApp; however, this channel is missing from

google classroom, the preferred mode of interaction. Therefore, a chat and activity section will

be added along with students testing/assignment areas. In this section students prepared their

own INSPIRE DICTIONARY and uploaded it in the activity area for others to view and critique.

A posttest and questionnaire was also used to gather information on the designed solution so that

modifications can be made to the design.

The methods used for this design project was both quantitative and qualitative research.

Qualitative research was chosen because it was the most suitable for educational research

(Sillherman, 2014). The qualitative method was designed to assist in gathering data about the

students, their weaknesses, preferences and options. Test was carried out to investigate the

students’ reading comprehension score after they were taught by using different games and

worksheets in various websites. The test here was not meant to investigate the effectiveness of

the sites but it was used to find out how many students passed the standard minimum score.

25
 Pre-test

Twelve out of eighteen participants with average score results reported having applied a

deliberate method of reading through the lines and embracing limited decoding practices to

construct general narrative ideas during the engagement with the reading passages. Additional

participants pointed to overlooking the details of the sentence structuring, primarily because of

their simplicity and consistency. On the other hand, five respondents had discussions with their

teachers regarding the story details and character traits, further seeking related films' information.

Notably, the evaluation of the narratives displayed females' greater reading interest. The insights

supported the findings in Elley (1994) and Logan and Johnston (2009) regarding girls' expression

of inclinations and positive attitudes towards this activity, ultimately showing higher reading

comprehension scores in the area.

In addition, 45% of the male participants that spent more than five hours in the activity

reported the significance of vocabulary in their English text comprehension. Notably, this view

guided their response to sentences that were difficult to understand, intentionally rereading the

content word-by-word to highlight the meaning. Nevertheless, their efforts were ineffective

because their limited sentence structure comprehension curtailed the capacity to effectively

divide the sentences into appropriate grammatical phrases to guide understanding. The approach

differed from the previous strategies among female participants. The availability of the different

methods for this alternative group explained the better performance in reading comprehension.

Reading assessment

Scores out of 20 Words Score out of 8 Grade 6 Passages

20/20 20% 8/8 0%%
18/20 0% 7/8 0%
15/20 10% 6/8 0%
14/20 5% 5/8 0%
12/20 0% 4/8 5%

26
 10/20 30% 3/8 0%
8/20 0% 2/8 5%
6/20 20% 1/8 50%
5/20 10% 0/8 40%

Post-test

After completion of the prototypes, students completed a questionnaire and test on

activities that was done throughout the project in regards to reading comprehension. This test

was done face to face as schools were on a blended approach to learning. The test was a pencil

and paper test (see appendix) and yield the following results as shown below. The students

apply different strategies, differentiating among the word meanings (WM) strategy, the sentence

structure (SS) strategy, and the world knowledge (WK) strategy The test comprise of four

comprehension passages with five questions each. Notably, each respondent received prior

notification of the possibility of selecting only one option among the approaches that this

question presented.

The primary observation was that the SS strategy synchronised with using grammatical rules for

sentence analysis. The perspectives include assessing the sentences using subject-verb

agreements, evaluating the objects, and conforming to tenses' expectations regarding the present,

past, and future. Through the games and worksheet presented in Google Classroom all rules were

taught. On the other hand, the WK strategy exhibited inclinations towards exploiting the

respondents' general understanding as it interacted with the story's content. This approach also

emphasised micro and macro-skill exploitation during reading. Bloom's Taxonomy was the

foundation for designing and categorising these alternatives. Consequently, the understanding of

these approaches covers two main options: general awareness and local linguistic strategies.

Notably, the analysis also involved student journal entries regarding gameplay as part of the

27
project. The students also create INSPIRE DICTIONALRY based on the game they played as

part of the project intervention (see appendix).

In the post testing illustrating in the chart below, there is still room for improvement in the area

of Reading Comprehension. Based on the results, between 20% to 35% of the students achieved

a pass rate of or 2/5 on the passages. On the other hand, between 30% to 40% of the students for

3/5 correct which is a significantly high number. It must be noted that there is slight

improvement, however the overall objectives were not achieved there an intervention and

modification of the design needed to be done. Through observation, it is revealed that more

interactive and engaging resources were needed.

Score out of 5 Passage 1 Passage 2 Passage 3 Passage. 4

5/5 0% 0% 0% 0%

4/5 10% 10% 10% 40%

3/5 40% 40% 30% 20%

2/5 20% 20% 35% 20%

1/5 30% 20% 25% 20%

Modifications for the design based on the evaluation of proposed designs 

28
After a thorough evaluation, research showed that modification of the design was needed. The

first modification was creating a support to tool to help students navigate the pages of the

classroom and websites easily. Placing the webpage education.com directly on the Google

Classroom page was more accessible therefore making it easier to maneuver. In addition, the

students created their dictionary and upload it in the assignments area. Sample of student

dictionary below). This dictionary comprised of words learnt during the games and worksheet

completed. Building vocabulary has proven to be one of the best ways to improve in the micro

29
and macro skills of Reading Comprehension.

30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPRAzhIwpo8

Discussion

        This project did not finalize without its restrictions. During this project, the students were

faced with numerous challenges that affected their social, physical and mental well-being. First

there was covid-19 pandemic, schools were closed for an extended period. Teaching learning

took place online, thereby placing students out of their comfort zones. They were handed a way

of learning that they had to adapt to in a short space of time. Therefore, it had become essential

for students to engage in offline activities and self-exploratory learning. This was seen as a

daunting task. They had internal assessments to complete as a requirement for their external

exams. Internal assessments are very important as they indicate students’ learning needs and then

support learning (Black & Wiliam 2018). Not being able to meet the students due to the presence

of Covid 19, other alternatives were sought to rectify the problem. Subsequently, the use of

group chat on WhatsApp was the only choice. The students view videos and do worksheets

through screenshots of text/grade books. During this period of online learning, the La Soufriere

31
Volcano violently erupted causing chaos to a fragile education system in the community. These

students hoped of smooth transition into secondary education was disrupted once again. Having

lived in the Red Zone and to evacuated at a short notice was devastating. their livelihood as they

knew it was gone and an uncertain immediate academic future awaited them. However, after two

months without any formal teaching, they resort to online classes most had to shared devices or

used cell phones owned by parents.

During these challenges their urge for learning never faded as they constantly tired their best

attend online class. Upon arriving home after the all clear was given by the UWI seismic center

with regards to the La Soufriere volcano, we were faced with another setback as covid-19 cases

had risen drastically and the school which was extensively damage was under reconstructions.

The dream of returning to face-to-face learning was once again placed online. Still recovering

from the impact of the La Soufriere and hurricane Elsa, internet connection plagued the

community for an extended period. The lack of fast reliable internet access prevented the

students from researching and completing their task on time.

      In addition, lack of parental guidance was another challenge, as some parents had limited

knowledge of the project and the real purpose of its implementation. Meetings were organized

through WhatsApp group chat but only a minority of parents participated. They deemed

themselves as being academically competent learners because of their economically

disadvantaged background and their interest was not seen. Subsequently, the culture of parents

proposed a problem.

       Finally, technological knowledge by the cooperating teacher in grade six had a negative

effect on the development of the project. His lack of change and encouragement made it difficult

32
to get the students to be meaningfully engaged during implementation, He wasn’t open to change

having been teaching for over 30 years. In this technological savy world, so many things can be

accomplished if people are willing to change their way of thinking and doing things. As a future

instructional designer, I hope to inspire others and work alongside an IT specialist in creating

instructional material for the 21st century. Some examples of this is the creation of games,

quizzes, virtual reality etc. Whilst the course MSc Instructional Design and Technology provided

an excellent introduction to education technology, practice, experience and further training in the

creation of material using technology is required. 

Discussion and Conclusion of the proposed solution.

This design project was completed at the Owia Government School over an extended

period of time with a target group of sixth graders and a teacher. Although there have been

overwhelming challenges for teachers, students, and the parents regarding online education and

my project prototype,  it can be noted that several opportunities were  created through the

development of technological based programs .The use of other online platforms such as  as

Google Classroom, Zoom, virtual learning environment and social media and various group

forums like Telegram, Messenger, WhatsApp and WeChat may be explored and tried for

teaching and learning over a period of time so that the academic learning can continue, even in

times of natural and man-made disasters. This can be explored further even after face- to-face

teaching resumes, and these platforms can provide additional resources and coaching to the

learners 
33
       Teachers are obliged to develop creative initiatives that assist to overcome the limitations of

virtual teaching. They can actively collaborate with each other at varying levels to improve

online teaching methods. There are incomparable opportunities for cooperation, creative

solutions and willingness to learn from others and try new tools as educators, parents and

students share similar experiences (Doucet et al., 2020). Many educational organizations are

offering their tools and solutions for free to help and support teaching and learning in a more

interactive and engaging environment. Instructional Design and Technology has provided the

opportunity to teach and learn in innovative ways unlike the teaching and learning experiences in

the normal classroom setting. 

References

Adam, P. (1990). Saltmarsh Ecology. Cambridge University Press, New York

Alyousef, H. S. (2005). Teaching reading comprehension to ESL/EFL learners. The Reading Matrix,5 (2).

Bartlett, F. C. (1932). Remembering. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Babashamsi, P., Bolandifar, S., & Shakib, N. (2013). Various models for the reading comprehension process.

International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 2(6), 150-154.

Brown, H. D. (2004). Language Assessment: Principle and Classroom Practice. New York: Pearson Education.

Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment. (2016). Handbook for Pupils. Kingston: Caribbean Examination Council. 

Clay, M. M. (1993). An observation survey of early literacy achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Dole, J. A., Duffy, G. G., Roehler, L. R., and Pearson, P. D. (1991). Moving from the old to the new: Research

on reading comprehension. Review of Educational Research, 61, 239-264.

Goodman, K. S. (1967). Reading: A psycholinguistic guessing game. Journal of the Reading Specialist, 6, 126-

135
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Gunning, T. G. (1996). IMF Papers on Policy Analysis and Assessment, Staff papers. Washington: International

Monetary Fund Publication Services.

Irwin, J. (1991). Teaching reading comprehension processes (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 

Irwin, J. (2007). Teaching reading comprehension processes (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Pearson, Allyn &

Bacon.

Katims, D. S., & Harris, S. (1997). Improving the reading comprehension of middle school students in inclusive

classrooms. Journal of Adolescent & adult literacy, 41(2), 116-123.

K12Reader. (n.d.). What is Reading Comprehension? Retrieved from https://www.k12reader.com/what-is-

reading-comprehension/

Klingner, J. K., Vaughn, S., Boardman, A. (2007). Teaching Reading Comprehension to Students with Learning

Difficulties. New York: The Guildford Press.

Laufer, B. (1989). What percentage of text-lexis is essential for comprehension? In C. Lauren and M.

Nordmann (Eds.), Special Language: From Humans Thinking to Thinking Machines (pp. 316-323).

Clevdon, Avon: Multilingual Matters.

Lee, A. M. I., (n.d.). 6 Essential Skills for Reading Comprehension. Understood. Retrieved from

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/reading-

issues/6-essential-skills-needed-for-reading-comprehension

Mantra, I. B. N., Widiastuti I. A. M. S., Pramawati, A. A. I. Y. (2020). Micro and Macro Skills of Reading

Comprehension Acquired by EFL Students. International Journal of Linguistics and Discourse

Analytics. (1)2.

Pardo, L. S. (2004). What every teacher needs to know about comprehension. The Reading Teacher. 58(3) 272-

281.

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Parrish, N. (2020). 5 Ways to Support Students Who Struggle with Reading Comprehension. Edutopia.

Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-ways-support-students-who-struggles-reading-

comprehension

Perfetti, C. (1985). Reading ability. New York: Oxford University Press.

Sahin, A. (2013). The Effect of Text Types on Reading Comprehension. Mevlana International Journal of

Education. (3)2, 57-67.

Sari, L. (2017). Improving reading comprehension through directed reading thinking activity (DRTA) strategy

for the eighth-grade students of SMP Negeri 17 Medan in the Academic year of 2016-2017. Department

of English Education Faculty of Tarbiyah Science and Teachers Training State Islamic University of

North Sumatera Medan. 2017.

Siegel, L. S. (1993). Phonological processing deficits as the basis of a reading disability. Developmental

Review, 13(3), 246–257.

36
 APPENDICES 

APPENDIX A

NEEDS ASSESSMENT FORMS

37
38
Students sample work

39
40
41
Appendix B

42
Appendix C

Questionnaire for teacher

Dear Mr.Child,

This PROJECT is being conducted as a requirement for the completion of a Design Project for

the course which I am currently conducting therefore, I am kindly asking your assistance in

answering these questions. The paper is aimed at investigating a potential challenge in an area of

interest( Reading Comprehension), to identify a specific problem and create an instructional

design solution for the identified problem. The paper will be submitted to the University of the

West Indies Open Campus in fulfillment of the course requirements.

Teacher Questionnaire

Please indicate as it applies to you.

Please type your responses in the space provided.

1. How many years of experience do you have in teaching?

19 years 

2. How many years have you taught at the grade 6 level?

For 5 years

3. What do you believe are non- classroom factors contributing to students’ low achievement in

Reading Comprehension?
43
  

A.  Lack of parental supervision

B.    Of the 18 students; 65% are below average, 35 % are average

C.   Lack of self confidence and motivation during class time

4. What do you believe are classroom factors contributing to students’ low achievement during

the CPEA exam?

a. Not enough reading materials for students at their level

b. Some teacher lacks the necessary skills needed to teach reading comprehension.

c. concepts were not taught thoroughly  and has been done in isolation

5. What role do you believe parental involvement play in the Reading Comprehension

achievement of their children?

Parental involvement plays a vital role in the lives of students because they are failed

to guide the students towards reading/ reading comprehension. They do not provide

the necessary materials that students need at home to enhance their learning.

6. What psychological factors(motivation to learn, learning difficulties) that you perceive can

contribute to students’ Low achievement in Reading Comprehension?

Some students who do not master reading at the previous grade level, in addition to

being a slow learner will be struggling with interpreting text when they do arrive at

44
 grade 6. This leads to frustration and lack of motivation when presented with new

materials.

7. What new methods can be use in your classroom to facilitate Reading Comprehension

success of your students?

At this level, students always respond to concrete ways of teaching and learning. A

student-centered classroom where they feel safe to explore and respond. In addition, the

use of technology motivates them to put the extra in their learning,

8. What professional development opportunities have you had for training in the teaching of

Reading Comprehension to Grade 6 students?

I have attended training workshops where the use of technology in teaching and learning

were the main focus especially in this digital ear. We were taught the skills needed to aid

in the development of those students who are struggling.

9. How would you describe the relevance of the professional development training you

received to your needs as a Grade 6 Reading Comprehension teacher?

I believe the professional development of teachers to be very relevant due to the fact that

new ways of teaching and learning is evolving therefore doing the old way may be the

best way to help those students who so desperately need it.

10.Have you ever implemented a Reading Comprehension intervention in your class? From your

experience, to what extent do you think it was successful?

45
 Yes., I did and it was very successful. With the aid of technological devices students

improvement were seen during testing and evaluation over a period of time.

11.What elements do you take into account when planning your class?

Pre-knowledge, socio-economic context, interest.

12.What other support materials other than the guide text do you use?

Billboards, posters and recordings.

13.What teaching strategies do you use to achieve the stated objectives?

Individual and group work. Socialization, participation, self-evaluation.

Appendix D

 Interview for Students

Please check the correct option

1. Do you think playing online games helps you improve your performance at school?

Yes No

2. Do you think playing online games really helps you honed your logical thinking in

reading and reading comprehension?

Yes No

3. Does online games engage you to think critical?

Yes No

4. Does online gaming affects your behavior towards the other subject areas ?

46
 Yes No

5. Do the things you learn in online games help you in Reading Comprehension?

Yes

47
Appendix E 

1. Where will the event take place?

(A) At Mali’s home (B) At Hero’s Park (C) At the school

2.The expression “comes alive” suggests that there will be

(A) performances and prizes
(B) a lot of bands
C) a lot of fun and excitement

3.This event is a celebration of

(A) Mali’s birthday only
(B) Mali’s birthday and a Grade 6 get together
(C) the end of the term and a Grade 6 get-together

4.When will the event take place?

(A) 20th June (B) 30th June (C) 2 nd July

5.At the time of the event, Mali will be

(A) the same age as his friends in Grade 6
(B) older than his friends in Grade 6
(C) younger than his friends in Grade 6

1
Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions that follow.

1.This poem is about a donkey that is

(A) newly born
(B) treated badly
(C) feeling unwell

2.The word “staggered” in line 7 means

(A) trembled
(B) tripped
(C) wobbled

3.The speaker’s feelings towards the donkey are of

(A) fear and scorn (B) sympathy and scorn (C) sympathy and admiration

4.To what sense does the poem MOST appeal?

(A) Sight (B) Touch (C) Hearing

5.Which TWO lines in the poem make the donkey seem like a person?
(A) Lines 5 and 6
B) Lines 13 and 14
(C) Lines 19 and 20

2
1.The mothers of the town disliked Huckleberry because they thought he was
(A) daring and noisy (B) idle and wicked (C) admirable and lawless

2.The boys envied Huckleberry because

(A) he was respectable to others
(B) he was allowed to roam freely
(C) he had to go to school everyday

3.When Tom played with Huckleberry it showed that he

(A) liked respectable boys
(B) loved to wear cut-off clothes
(C) did not agree with the mothers

4.The expression “the seat of the trouser bagged low and contained nothing” (lines 12– 13)
suggests that his pants were
(A) empty (B) oversized and not well supported
(C) baggy at the bottom and loose

5.The “respectable” boys (line 24) thought that their lives were
(A) happy (B) enjoyable (C) miserable

3
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

1.Butterflies feed mostly on

(A) nectar (B) leaves (C) flowers

2.Which of the following BEST shows the stages of butterfly’s life cycle?
(A) Eggs → pupa → chrysalis → butterfly
(B) Eggs → caterpillar → pupa → butterfly
(C) Eggs → pupa → caterpillar → butterfly

3. Butterflies are different from moths because they

(A) lay eggs but moths do not
(B) settle and change into pupa
(C) are more active during daylight

4.Why is the pupa stage not really a “resting stage”?

(A) This is when several changes take place.
(B) This is when the chrysalis emerges.
(C) This is when eggs are being hatched.

5.Which of the following is the BEST title for this passage?

(A) The life cycle of the butterfly
(B) The growth of moths
(C) The similarity of the life cycle of moths and butterflies

4
Appendix G

Students Journal

5
6