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Title: Augmented and virtual realities in special education contexts
Abstract: The augmented and virtual reality applications literature base spans more than 30 years with one of the first studies conducted by Meredith Bricken in 1991. With the advances in technology, researchers are increasingly examining the use of augmented reality (AR) and ...
Show moreThe augmented and virtual reality applications literature base spans more than 30 years with one of the first studies conducted by Meredith Bricken in 1991. With the advances in technology, researchers are increasingly examining the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) within educational contexts, more specifically special education contexts. VR is one of the fastest growing technologies (Nuguri, Calyam, Oruche, Gulhane, Valluripally, Stichter, & He, 2021) and AR is growing rapidly showing advances in interaction, navigation, and tracking within education, entertainment, business, medicine, and other settings (Ablyaev, Abliakimova, & Seidametova, 2020). Despite AR and VR demonstrating documented success with enriching learning opportunities and task performances (Billingsley, Smith, Smith, & Meritt, 2019; Bricken, 1991; Nuguri et al., 2021), there is limited research on applying these programs directly within a school setting for students with disabilities. To understand the effectiveness of AR and VR, a meta-analysis of six studies was conducted using hierarchical linear modeling focusing on functional, transitional, and social skills. Participants included 18 students ages 6-15-years-old all with a special education diagnosis (i.e., Intellectual Disability or Autism). Results suggest that these interventions are effective in developing functional, transitional, and social skills with students with disabilities. Most notably, participants aged 14-15 years old showed the greatest effect estimates. There were no differences for sex. Limitations and potential future directions in supporting students with disabilities are discussed.
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Year Issued: 2021

Author: Herman, Toriel
Sub-title: a meta-analysis

Title: The effects of music therapy on social skills in individuals with autism
Abstract: Over the past decades, the rate of autism has increased around the world (Ghasemtabar et al., 2015). A prolonged impairment in social skills and communication is a key feature of autism. According to Vaiouli and Schertz (2012) joint attention is an important developm...
Show moreOver the past decades, the rate of autism has increased around the world (Ghasemtabar et al., 2015). A prolonged impairment in social skills and communication is a key feature of autism. According to Vaiouli and Schertz (2012) joint attention is an important developmental milestone for developing higher levels of social engagement. The delay or absence of joint attention is typically seen in individuals with autism (Vaiouli & Schertz, 2012). Given that there is no known treatment or cure for autism, the focus in supporting individuals with autism is aimed toward implementing an intervention strategy that targets the symptoms of autism (Yum et al., 2020). The current investigation conducted a meta-analysis on the effects of music therapy on social skills in individuals with autism. The analysis for this study was based on data from four research studies providing 20 effect size estimates. The sample within the four studies included data from 117 participants. The sample size for the effect size analysis was based on a sample size of n = 596. The four articles included in this meta-analysis produced an overall large positive significant effect size of d = 0.572 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.37 to 0.78. The mean effect size suggests a large significant effect from music therapy across all studies. All studies included in this current investigation published and reported overall positive results. The Q-statistic tests revealed significant heterogeneity across all studies, with variability across the mean effect size estimates, ranging from d = - 0.14 to d = 1.28. Since the effect size estimates were all positive for the published studies, it is likely that publication bias existed in the studies used in this meta-analysis. According to Walker et al. (2008) high levels of heterogeneity can compromise the conclusion of a meta-analysis, therefore future research is also needed to help decrease the level of heterogeneity across studies.
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Year Issued: 2023

Author: Rux, Hannah
Sub-title: a meta-analysis

Title: Examining student assistance program data in a rural public school to determine which factors predict access to student assistance program team recommended services
Year Issued: 2025

Abstract: Mental health and substance use are major concerns for youth across the nation, particularly with poor mental health on the rise. Student Assistance Programs (SAPs) have been put in place so that students in need of services can be referred to these programs and get ...
Show moreMental health and substance use are major concerns for youth across the nation, particularly with poor mental health on the rise. Student Assistance Programs (SAPs) have been put in place so that students in need of services can be referred to these programs and get appropriate services recommended to them. However, there has been a lack of specific data analysis on SAPs. The purpose of this study was to find predictive factors that impact which students access services that are recommended through the SAP program. Spearman’s correlations, binary logistic regressions, and a binomial test were utilized to see if there were predictive factors for receiving written permission, accessing school services, and accessing community services. One predictive factor that was found in this study was that as grade level increased, the likelihood of receiving parent permission to proceed with the SAP process (and thus getting recommended services) decreased. The study also found that students who are recommended for school services are highly likely to access those services. However, the data showed that academic supports had the lowest rate of being accessed. Another major finding that was uncovered was that receiving parent permission to proceed with the SAP process was a major barrier to accessing services. Analyses from this study indicate a need to further investigate the obstacles that prevent parents from giving permission to proceed with the SAP process.
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Author: Oliver, Jill

Title: Examining the effects of class size on student achievement in the Mohawk area school district
Abstract: The issue of class size is a contentious issue in American education. While there is substantial empirical support for the existence of a negative correlation between class size and student achievement, numerous practical difficulties prevent schools from being able ...
Show moreThe issue of class size is a contentious issue in American education. While there is substantial empirical support for the existence of a negative correlation between class size and student achievement, numerous practical difficulties prevent schools from being able to further shrink class sizes. Policy-makers and educators need to achieve a more precise understanding of the degree to which class sizes make contributions to student achievement, as only such an understanding can allow decision-makers to set an effective class size policy. Educators have indicated that with smaller class sizes they are able to produce better student achievement results in reading and mathematics. With the increase in teacher accountability, class size is a topic discussed at the school district level. This independent meta-analytic investigation occurred within the Mohawk Area School District. The study sample included 93 reading classrooms and 97 mathematics classrooms ranging from grade levels kindergarten through eighth grade. The purpose of this quantitative case study based on statistical meta-analysis as to calculate the effect size of class size on student achievement in the Mohawk Area School District, Grades K-8. This purpose was achieved through calculating the effect size using Cohen's d. The i-Ready assessment was used as the standardized measure to calculate the effect of class size on achievement in reading and math. The analysis of this investigation indicates that there is no meaningful effect of class size on reading and math performance. These results are important considerations for the Mohawk Area School District as it faces budget constraints that impact the ability of the district to make class size decisions in the best interest of the staff and students.
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Year Issued: 2017

Author: Lorree Houk
Sub-title: an individual participant meta-analytic investigation