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Using CPS to Improve Attitude and Achievement : 

Using CPS to Improve Attitude and Achievement Matt Alman almanmm@gmail.com http://www.svsu.edu/~shsincla/tech/home.htm Bay City Public Schools MACUL 2007

Outline of Presentation: 

Outline of Presentation My school, my teaching What is CPS…an introduction. Why and How I use CPS Results of an Action Research Project showing the validity of using CPS as an intervention My recommendations for implementation and use. Q & A

How do you assess students at your school?: 

How do you assess students at your school? How do you know that students have mastered a given area of the content area and that you can move ahead in the curriculum? With so many different learning styles and speeds, how do you know when everyone has achieved mastery level and can move ahead?

What I hope you get from this…: 

What I hope you get from this… Knowledge of CPS and its instructional capabilities How this technology may be used as an intervention in your class or school How this instructional tool has proven to be a positive instrument for increasing attitude and achievement

Who am I and why am I here?: 

Who am I and why am I here? Bay City Public Schools Teacher, Central High School Areas of Teaching: 9th grade English and 11th Grade American Literature Beginning Spanish 1 Seven years experience public school teacher Masters Instructional Technology, Saginaw Valley State University

2006 MACUL Grant recipient: 

2006 MACUL Grant recipient Awarded $1995 to purchase additional CPS system for Bay City Central High School. The goal of the grant project is to: Increase accessibility for using CPS by other teachers and departments at Central High School Provide staff support and instruction on how to use CPS Show the validity of this technology as an instructional tool through past action research study.

What is CPS?: 

What is CPS? CPS stands for Classroom Performance Systems CPS is a real-time assessment tool. Students use an assigned remote control to respond to questions via an infrared receiver.

Why is CPS a good thing?: 

Why is CPS a good thing? Involve everyone CPS facilitates feedback from every student. Embarrass no one CPS allows you to elicit a response from every student without embarrassing anyone with a wrong answer. Capture attention CPS promotes an environment of steady provocation and interactive learning.

How can CPS be used?: 

How can CPS be used? Immediate feedback Review for tests and quizzes Games and competitions Student lead tests and quizzes Verbal assessments Presentations

Why I started using CPS…: 

Why I started using CPS… I was looking for a topic for my Graduate School Capstone Project I was looking for ways to increase class participation in my instruction. Saw a general need at my school As a teacher of lower level 9th Grade English, I found that there were students performing at various academic levels. Some perform at a very low level, some a high level. With traditional teaching strategies, it can be difficult assessing all students in terms of concept mastery

Why CPS as an intervention?: 

Why CPS as an intervention? With traditional teaching strategies, it can be difficult assessing all students in terms of concept mastery because… Traditional Q & A usually involves a very small percentage of the classroom Students may be too shy to contribute to class discussion, etc. Students get bored with traditional instruction. If they aren’t engaged in learning, they “tune out.”

I’ll show you what I mean…: 

I’ll show you what I mean… Engage CPS Practice Presentation…

Well, CPS looks cool, but…: 

Well, CPS looks cool, but… Hard to justify a $2000 price tag just because it’s cool. What is the merit of this technology? What do students actually think? What does research show? Is the technology worth the investment of time and money?

Action Research Project : 

Action Research Project Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study is to determine if Classroom Performance Systems (CPS) will increase achievement and attitude in a ninth grade English class.

Problem Statement: 

Problem Statement Will the use of Classroom Performance Systems (CPS) improve attitude and achievement in a ninth grade English Class? Will use of the technology create better classroom management? Will CPS create greater achievement and test scores? How will the aid of CPS technology affect the students learning outcomes?

The Class: 

The Class The group used for this study is characterized by the following: 9B Freshman English Students There were a total of 16 students (At the beginning of the study, there were more than 24) Nine males and seven females All are students at Central High School, part of Bay City Public Schools.

Procedures: 

Procedures The study took place over a five month period. First, permission to conduct the study was granted by the principal of Central High School. Permission was granted by parent/guardians Students met for 9B English four times a week. Students used CPS units on an average of two classes per week, or at least half the weekly meeting time. These procedures were concluded at the end of a seventh week of the second school semester.

Procedures: 

Procedures Students were given ample time to practice the new technology prior to data collection Each student in the study group was given a pretest and posttest covering each area of the curriculum CPS was used for assessment, review, and review games.

Data Collection: 

Data Collection The following instruments were used for this study: Teacher Journal Interviews Photographs Attitudinal Survey (pretest & posttest) Content Pretest and Posttests

Teacher Journal: 

Teacher Journal These observations were in the areas of ease of use with the technology, attitude, situations, and class conditions. Observations were recorded the same day they occurred. The underlying themes for these observations seem to be technology user-ability, enthusiasm and motivation, and classroom management.

Interviews: 

Interviews Five students were chosen at random, four males and one female, to be interviewed at the end of the study. Do you like using the CPS units in class? Do you think CPS helps you prepare for quizzes and tests? If so, how? What do you like best about using the CPS? Do you think using CPS helps you understand the material in class? Explain. Are there any Cons to using CPS?

Photographs: 

Photographs Throughout the research process, the researcher took pictures to record student’s actions and reactions to using CPS technology.

Attitudinal Survey Pretest and Posttest: 

Attitudinal Survey Pretest and Posttest The researcher used a six question attitudinal pretest and posttest. For each question/statement, students responded as to whether they Strongly Agree, Agree, Undecided, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree 1. Because of CPS technology, I enjoy English class more. 2. CPS is an effective way for me to learn. 3. Technology has helped me learn more in my English class. 4. Circle the appropriate response to this question: I am comfortable using a computer. 5. Circle the appropriate response to this statement: I am comfortable using handheld technology (i.e. handheld computer, PSP, etc.). 6. Circle the appropriate response to this statement: I often use technology at school.

Content Pretests & Posttests: 

Content Pretests & Posttests The researcher recorded the results of seven pretests and posttests during the research period CPS technology was incorporated into the lesson for review and as a means of formative assessment. Students were later given the same test as a posttest to measure gains and losses. These tests were given as part of the ninth grade English curriculum covering poetry and persuasive writing.

Content Pretests & Posttests: 

Content Pretests & Posttests The following tests were given: Imagery in Poetry The Poem Daily, by Naomi Shihab Nye, and When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer by Walt (not Walter) Whitman Figures of Speech in Poetry I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, by William Wordsworth The Seven Ages of Man, by William Shakespeare Sound in Poetry & Persuasive Writing

Results…Teacher Journal: 

Results…Teacher Journal Observations from early on showing that students were interested in doing something “hands-on” and how one student cried out “Noooooo” (quite melodramatically, it is safe to add!) when another teacher came to claim the CPS units for his own class lead the researcher to believe that students were excited and engaged when using the technology. Opportunities for the researcher to get “real-time feedback” provided a means for “addressing why a particular answer is correct over the others.” Statements from students such as “it makes me happy” also suggested that using CPS improved their attitudes.

Results…Interviews: 

Results…Interviews One-hundred percent of the students interviewed thought that using the CPS technology helped them prepare for their tests and quizzes. The researcher also found that 100% of the students that were interviewed agreed that CPS was helpful for them to understand the material being taught in class. The evidence suggests that students think CPS improves their classroom performance and attitude. Some of the students commented on how it was helpful to see the results immediately and use this as a means of assessing themselves. Also, seeing the results of their peers compiled into a histogram and working collaboratively took some of the edge off of being assessed

Other comments from student interviews…: 

Other comments from student interviews… “it [CPS] helps you remember things” “It [CPS] IS not as boring as writing things down [which] helps your remember better.” “Games make you want to win so you pay more attention than just writing stuff down.” “It [the assessment software] would be better with more questions and more game types.”

Results…Photographs: 

Results…Photographs The photographs reflect the positive aspects of the technology. Each student or student group is depicted as fully engaged and enjoying the use of the technology. This proved true for both collaborative review games and individual assessments. Thus, it reflects the positive environment created by using CPS.

Results…Attitudinal Pretest/Posttest: 

Results…Attitudinal Pretest/Posttest Overall, the results of the attitudinal survey suggest that using CPS improved the student’s attitudes towards English class. Enjoyment of English class because of CPS increased by 15% from pretest to posttest. Overall comfort with a computer/technology increased by 23% from pretest to posttest. These results suggest that students feel that using CPS helps them learn better. This survey also suggests that by using CPS, students increased their comfort level with the use of technology in general.

Content Pretests and Posttests: 

Content Pretests and Posttests Overall, the class averages increased from pretest to posttest for each of the separate assessments given. The greatest gains were seen in Test 2 (40%), Test 4 (35%), and Test 7 (37%). The average pretest score for all seven assessments was 42.89%. The average posttest score for all assessments was 69.51%. This shows that by using CPS, the study group made an average overall gain of 27%. Thus the researcher concludes that using CPS increases achievement.

Content Pretests and Posttests: 

Content Pretests and Posttests

Triangulation: 

Triangulation Experiencing: Through observations (teacher journal), the researcher was able to observe achievement by the students. Examining: Photographs: The researcher was able to capture the great extent to which each student was engaged and active in their learning when using CPS. Pretest/Posttest: Attitudinal pretests and posttests, and Content Area Pretest and Posttests illustrate that CPS increases attitude and achievement. Enquiring The interviews showed a high satisfaction with using CPS. That each student interviewed felt it helped them learn and engaged them in class instruction shows it increased attitude and achievement.

Using CPS this year…: 

Using CPS this year… Currently, CPS is being used in my 11th Grade American Literature Classes and Beginning Spanish Classes. Students average in grade from 9th through 11th in Spanish, and 11th grade for American Literature. Overall, attitude towards CPS is consistent with original Action Research results. Students are engaged and excited to use this technology Students continually ask, “When can we use the remotes?” Students from all academic levels seem to like CPS as an intervention.

Who else is using CPS?: 

Who else is using CPS? Special Education Teachers for science and language arts Alternate form for assessing students who have special needs Helpful for students too self-conscious to speak up in class. Social studies and History classes Remedial Global studies through AP Comparative Government.

Recommendations for using CPS: 

Recommendations for using CPS In my experience, CPS is best used as a practice assessment tool. It provides feedback not only to the students, but also to the teacher. If 80% of the students get a question wrong, I know I need to re-teach a concept. This will help the student be more successful on actual course assessments. Shows the teacher where students are weakest. Instruction can be modified to accommodate this. Data from Excel sheets can be a powerful tool to show parents.

Questions?: 

Questions? If you think of anything later, please feel free to email me: almanmm@gmail.com This presentation, sample instructional design for professional development, and original grant proposal may be viewed at my technology website: www.svsu.edu/~shsincla/tech/home.htm EInstruction, makers of CPS, are found at the following address: www.einstruction.com/