Learning Media AssessmentsDepartment of Education

Fall Procedures 2015

Jodi Floyd, M.S.Ed., NBCT

Definition• Learning media assessment is an objective process of systematically

selecting learning and literacy media for students with visual impairments. This assessment process guides the educational team in making deliberate and informed decisions on the total range of instructional media needed to facilitate learning for students with visual impairments. Learning media assessment, when used in a meaningful and holistic manner, will develop appropriate educational programs for all students, regardless of level of vision or severity of additional disabilities.

-Alan Koenig and M. Cay Holbrook, Learning Media Assessment of Students with Visual Impairments: A Resource Guide for Teachers, 2nd Edition

Learning Media Assessment• Part of a 3 prong assessment (Functional Vision Assessment, Learning Media

Assessment, Expanded Core Curriculum) used to determine if a student qualifies for service as a student with a visual impairment

• Determines the most efficient media for literacy (reading and writing)

• Designed to answer the most important question for a student with a visual impairment: Does the student need regular print, large print, or braille? Will the child need a functional print literacy program?

• 4 parts

• Use of Sensory Channels

• Reading rate

• Handwriting

• Use of Literacy Tools

Functional Literacy for Students with Additional Disabilities

• Keep all options open

• Consider each student’s individual needs

• What skills does this student need to be as independent as possible

• Consider the goals of the reading program

• Functional literacy is different from a conventional reading program.

• Specific to situations• ie: Identifying the sign for the men’s restroom rather than learning how to read the word “men’s"

• Ask

• Will this student benefit from a literacy program at all, given his or her additional disabilities?

• Are there additional disabilities which would impede the student’s ability to learn to read through conventional techniques?

• If the student is determined to be a likely candidate for a literacy program, to what extent will literacy skills be emphasized?

Use of Sensory Channels

• A sensory channel is the sense used to complete learning and literacy tasks, especially vision, touch and hearing.

• This section allows the educational team to determine the child’s primary and secondary sensory channels.

• Used to determine if the child is using his or her visual, auditory, or tactile sense to complete the majority of tasks

• Gather this information through observation of the student in various classes or completing various tasks

• Use of sensory channels allows the evaluator to observe how the student approaches various tasks, gathers information and interacts with his or her environment

Assessing Sensory Channels

• Observe the student in at least 3 different settings for 15 to 20 minutes a piece (one must be an academic setting)

• Write down everything the student does as it is occurring.

• Tag each item with V (for vision), A (for Auditory), or T (for tactile). If the child is using more than 1 tag it with both indicating which is primary.

• Count up the tasks in each area.

• Determine which one the child is relying on most to gather information about his or her environment

• Write a statement that lists the specific sensory channel the child is using the most.

Assessing Pre-readers or Students with Additional Disabilities

• Allow more time for responses

• Consider best time to observe to get the best picture of the student’s ability• Effects of medication

• During meals

• Check child’s position for best responses• In wheelchair or out

• Seated with support

• Adjust lighting and complexity of symbols• Provide task lighting

• Simplify pictures or provide real objects

• Observe positioning of objects and tasks• On a tray top

• On a desk top

• Observe student’s ability to physically manipulate an object or complete a task

Sample Form

Writing It Up

• Write up each observation as a narrative

• At the end of the narrative section, write a statement as to what sensory channel the student used the most to gather information from his or her environment

• Include a statement that backs up your findings

Sample Write upsUse of Sensory Channels: Johnny was observed in 2 different settings. He was observed in the classroom and traveling in the hallways

and outside the building.

Classroom: Johnny was using a slant board. He moved approximately 3 inches from the paper. The teacher was going over homework

from the night before. Johnny was looking at the board. He asked the teacher to help him find where the class was on the worksheet. The

teacher turned the SMART Board to high contrast to better assist Johnny in following along. Johnny looked at the board for several

seconds before looking back down at his paper. He visually scanned the paper to find where the class was at. The teacher called for the

class to answer some of the problems. He did not volunteer to answer any questions although he did look up from his paper and visually

locate the student who was answering the question. He looked back at the board then back down to his paper. He wrote down something

on his paper before looking back up at the board. At this point, he got lost and wasn’t able to visually keep up with where the teacher and

other students were at on the worksheet. He continued to participate in the class by listening to what questions the teacher was asking and

then responding. When the teacher finished the assignment with the class, Johnny put his paper into his desk.

Traveling in and Around School: Johnny was observed leaving gym class. He stopped at the top of the stairs before going down the

steps. He proceeded down the steps foot over foot without holding on to the railing. He walked up to the back of the line and didn’t run into

the student in front of him but the student was wearing a bright red shirt. Johnny did appear to walk extremely close to the student. When

the class left gym, they traveled the sidewalk to enter the building. Johnny stayed on the sidewalk but chose to go down the middle of the

road rather than the right side. In the building, Johnny experienced no difficulty dealing with the change in lighting from outside to inside.

He was able to locate the water fountain to get a drink of water. He leaned down and sipped some water before going to stand in line with

the other children. He walked down the hallway in the line. Johnny was able to keep up with the person in front of him. There was not a

noticeable gap between Johnny and the other students in the line. He did all of these tasks using his vision.

Based on these observations, it is the evaluator’s opinion that Johnny’s primary sensory channel is vision. At this time he uses

his auditory channel as a back up or when he can’t perform a task visually. He did not at any time during the observation or during the

evaluation use his tactile

Reading Rate

• Need to find out the speed at which a student reads regular print, regular print with magnification, and large print.

• Compare the speeds to determine which Learning Media the student can read the most efficiently at.

• Efficiency equals High Speed + Reading Comprehension at 90% or higher

• Use a graded reading passage such as those found in Jerry Johns Basic Reading Inventory or Brigance

Assessing Reading Rate

• Use the Basic Reading Inventory word list to find the child’s independent reading level

• Provide the child with 3 different passages at that level

• 2 Regular print

• 1 large print in 18 pt font

• Have the student read the regular print first. Get a reading and comprehension rate.

• Next have the student read the other regular print with magnification. Get a reading and comprehension rate.

• Next have the student read the large print version. Get a reading and comprehension rate.

• Determine which way the child reads the fastest and has the best comprehension.

Assessing Pre-readers

• Look at pre-literacy skills

• Awareness of sound

• Development of vocabulary

• Displays interest in books

• Recognize own name

• Sequence a story with pictures

• Symbol recognition from environment• McDonalds, Burger King, Cereal boxes, favorite food boxes

• Holds book correctly• Holds book upright, turns pages one at a time, looking from left to right, recognizing details in pictures

• Recognizes shapes and colors

• Recognizes some letters of the alphabet

Assessing Students with Additional Disabilities

• Look for indicators of readiness skills

• Attending to others read

• Anticipating activities

• Awareness of sounds

• Identify objects wither visually or tactually

• Follows simple directions

• Recognizes name in print or braille

• Name items in environment• Look for eye gaze in students with additional disabilities

• Use the Indicators of Readiness for a Functional Literacy Program found in Learning Media Assessment of Students with Visual Impairments, 2nd Edition by Alan Koeing and M. Cay Holbrook

Sample Write up of Reading Efficiency• Reading Efficiency: Using a second grade passage, Jennifer read 73 words in a 12-

point font with a viewing distance of two inches in three minutes and fifty seconds. Her reading was very choppy. She skipped words but not lines and substituted heard for hard. Using another passage written on second grade level, Jennifer read 65 words in 18 point font with a viewing distance of six inches in two minutes and thirty seconds. With the 18 point font her reading was much smoother and she did not skip whole words. A few minutes later, she was presented with the same passage in 12 point font and asked to use a magnifier. With the magnifier, Jennifer was able to read the passage in one minute and fifty seconds. She had the best reading fluency with a magnifier and 12 point font. She was very adept at using the magnifier. She had good left to right tracking. She did not lose her place; skip any words or any lines. When asked her preference in font size, she reported that she preferred the 18 point font. Even though she can read the 12-point font with the use of a magnifier, it is the evaluator's opinion that the use of a magnifier for close viewing all day long is very fatiguing. It is also the evaluator’s opinion that while large print is necessary for everyday usage, her textbooks should be on CD as the amount of reading necessary and Jennifer’s reading ability make it difficult for her to access her textbooks through print.

Improving Reading Rate• Unless the student is a braille reader, it is the job of the classroom teacher to

teach reading and literacy skills. However, the TVI can support this by helping to establish some fundamental skills that are effected by a vision impairment.

• Fluency

• Increase word recognition (BSAP Word list)

• Teach word analysis skills (phonemic awareness)

• Model fluent reading

• Have the student reread a passage

• Have the student follow along while the instructor reads. Ask student to help catch your mistakes.

• Choral Reading (both the teacher and student read the same passage aloud at the same time)

• Have the student read a story to younger children

Improving Reading Rates for Pre-readers and Students with Additional Disabilities

• Left to Right Progression

• Make a left hand, right hand book

• Teach top, bottom, left and right of a book.

• Sticky dots at the beginning of a sentence

• Find the treat at the beginning of the line

• Place a large paper clip on the left side of a page

• Sensory strips (different textures on paper with a beginning dot)

• Have the students line items up from left to right

• Pre-reading skills

• Identifying colors• Make a book of the colors or make an individual book of a single color.

• Identifying shapes• Do a book of a single shape and go around school taking pictures of items that have that shape

• Recognizing own name• Place a picture of the student with his or her name then fade the picture

• Identifying items as small, medium or big• Make a book of items that are small, medium or big

Handwriting

How To Assess Handwriting• Gather different samples of the student’s handwriting.

• Notes from class, homework, or written assignment

• Have the student write a couple of sentences or copy sentences from the board.

• Use pencil for one sentence, pen for another and sharpie marker for another.

• Have the student write on regular notebook paper and on bold line paper.

• What to look for

• Looking for writing that is legible to the student and others

• Correct spacing of letters• Letters and words aren’t written over one another

• Letters and words aren’t written to far apart

• Correct letter formation• Letters that go above the line, those that go below the line and that some letters are taller than others

• Determine if the student needs bold line paper, special pens, or writing guide.

• Is handwriting an effective method for written communication or should other options be considered?

• Use of a scribe

• Use of a word processor

• Use of Dragon Naturally Speaking or other dictation program

Assessing the Handwriting Skills of Pre-readers and Students with Additional Disabilities

• Look for prewriting behaviors

• Does the child scribble?

• Can the child imitate strokes, circles, or lines?

• Does the child have adequate finger dexterity or strength?• Can he or she string beads?

• Can he or she cut with scissors?

• Can the child hold a pencil or crayon?• Does it need to be oversized or triangle shaped?

• Will an adaptive device, such as a pencil grip, help?

Sample Write-up of Handwriting

• A sample of Johnny’s handwriting was taken. He was asked to copy from the board as well as a book. His letter spacing and formation is off. For instance, his capital B is the same size as the lower case r it sits beside. In copying from the textbook, he put too much space between some letters in the same word and not enough space between the letters to signify a different word. Johnny was given both dark and bold lined paper as well as a pen and sharpie marker. Neither the paper nor the different writing utensils made any difference in the way Johnny wrote. After looking at some of his other work and comparing it to the handwriting of his fellow classmates, it is the evaluator’s opinion that Johnny’s handwriting is nearly illegible.

Ways to Improve Handwriting• Strengthen Finger Dexterity

• Paint with whole arm movements

• Put rings on a peg

• Turn knobs

• Finger painting• Using other media such as pudding or shaving cream

• Ball play• Use both small and big balls

• Roll back and forth, then toss back and forth

• Scribble with all types of media• Crayons, pens, pencils, colored pencils, magic markers

• Tear paper to make a collage

• Early Writing Activities

• Copy circles, lines or X’s

• Copy more complex shapes such as squares, rectangles or triangles

• Use letter or sticker stamps

• Rainbow writing• Retrace over preexisting writing with other colors

• Use coloring books to learn to color within the lines• Make sure the pictures are simple

Use of Literacy Tools

How to Assess Use of Literacy Tools

• List any tool that the student is currently using and the level of proficiency the student has achieved with that particular tool

• Examples:• Magnifiers

• Monoculars

• Large Print

• Computer with JAWS

• Braille writer

• Bold line paper

• Writing guide

• Audio books

• Include information on assistive technology devices the student is currently using

• Examples• Regular or large computer monitor

• Use of Accessibility functions embedded in Windows or Mac operating systems

• Keyboarding skills

• Digital devices such as Book Port Plus, Victor Stream

Sample Write-up of Use of Literacy Tools

• Use of Literacy Tools: Jennifer was able to use a magnifier very well. She demonstrated good left to right tracking. She was able to stay on the line and didn’t lose her place when reading. She was not able to use a monocular. She stated that everything was fuzzy and she couldn’t see the board. She did not know that a computer could have a magnifier put on it. She really liked the magnifier and wanted to know how the evaluator had done it. Her method of typing was the hunt and peck style.

Questions?