Leslie Hodges | Georgia State University (original) (raw)

Papers by Leslie Hodges

Research paper thumbnail of Contextual Cues To Word Learning: Mapping Meaning To Form At Two Developmental Milestones

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Research paper thumbnail of Longitudinal Structure of Expressive and Receptive Language Among Young African American Children: An Examination of the Preschool Language Scale-5

Existing language assessments and theories of language development assume a clear division into r... more Existing language assessments and theories of language development assume a clear division into receptive and expressive processes. However, measurement studies provide only mixed support for this structure of language–some studies support the division of language into dual processes of expressive and receptive language while other studies conclude that language is a single process. The Preschool Language Scale – 5 (PLS-5, Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2011) is a commonly administered assessment used for diagnostic and research purposes and thus, the psychometric properties should be well-established. The PLS-5 is one of only a few assessments to cover the age range of birth to seven years old, meaning it is useful for research on longitudinal language development in addition to the recommended clinical use. This study uses PLS-5 data collected from 2014 to 2017 at urban childcare centers serving primarily low SES African American children to address two research questions: 1) to what...

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Research paper thumbnail of DYNAMIC SUPPORT OF CONTEXTUAL VOCABULARY ACQUISITION FOR READING (DSCoVAR) An Intelligent Tutor for Contextual Word Learning

Handbook on Educational Technologies for Literacy, 2016

Knowledge of difficult words (e.g., censure, lithe, epiphany) is important for success in school,... more Knowledge of difficult words (e.g., censure, lithe, epiphany) is important for success in school, because it has been linked to the development of intermediate and advanced reading (Baumann et al., 2002) and writing (Yonek, 2008). It is also a strong predictor of long-term outcomes, including the likelihood of attaining a college or post-baccalaureate degree (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2013). In current practice, however, vocabulary is given little time in the classroom (Baumann et al., 2002), and it is not usually tailored for individual learners.
In this chapter, we describe an intelligent tutoring system, called DSCoVAR (Dynamic Support of Contextual Vocabulary Acquisition for Reading). DSCoVAR is designed for intermediate-level readers—that is, older children, adolescents, and adults who are proficient spellers and decoders (Beck et al., 2013). DSCoVAR teaches words by presenting them in a series of brief written contexts that are selected to promote individualized, robust learning. This approach should prove an efficient and effective supplement to classroom instruction.
The chapter is organized as follows. First, we explain the need for a computer- based system to teach academic (“Tier 2”) words in context. Next, we highlight key features of DSCoVAR and compare alternative computer-based methods for contextual word learning. Finally, we describe how to access the DSCoVAR system.

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Research paper thumbnail of Contextual Cues To Word Learning: Mapping Meaning To Form At Two Developmental Milestones

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Research paper thumbnail of How Early Do Children Understand Different Types of Iconicity in Gesture?

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Research paper thumbnail of Dynamic Support of Contextual Vocabulary Acquisition for Reading (DSCoVAR)

Adaptive Educational Technologies for Literacy Instruction, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of Education Abroad and College Completion

Research in Higher Education, 2022

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Research paper thumbnail of Accuracy feedback improves word learning from context: evidence from a meaning-generation task

Reading and Writing, 2016

The present study asked whether accuracy feedback on a meaning generation task would lead to impr... more The present study asked whether accuracy feedback on a meaning generation task would lead to improved contextual word learning (CWL). Active generation can facilitate learning by increasing task engagement and memory retrieval, which strengthens new word representations. However, forced generation results in increased errors, which can be detrimental for learning if they are not corrected. The goal of this study was to determine whether immediate feedback on response accuracy would ameliorate this risk. The study was conducted using an intelligent tutoring system, which presents target words in multiple contexts and prompts users to generate a target word meaning after each context. One group of participants (feedback group) received immediate feedback based on Markov Estimation of Semantic Association (MESA), which estimates the distance between the learner response and the target word meaning. The control group did not receive feedback. Results from conventional (pre/post-test) measures showed greater gains in accuracy and confidence for the feedback group. Moreover, when contextual support was decreased mid-way through the training (from trial 3 to trial 4), MESA measures showed a corresponding drop in accuracy, but only for the No-Feedback group. These findings suggest that accuracy feedback can improve outcomes in CWL, particularly when there is an increased risk of errors. This strengthens the case for meaning generation as a tool to build high-quality lexical representations.

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Research paper thumbnail of Need-Based Aid, Participation in Education Abroad, and Program Type Choice

Journal of Student Financial Aid

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Research paper thumbnail of Contextual Cues To Word Learning: Mapping Meaning To Form At Two Developmental Milestones

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Research paper thumbnail of Longitudinal Structure of Expressive and Receptive Language Among Young African American Children: An Examination of the Preschool Language Scale-5

Existing language assessments and theories of language development assume a clear division into r... more Existing language assessments and theories of language development assume a clear division into receptive and expressive processes. However, measurement studies provide only mixed support for this structure of language–some studies support the division of language into dual processes of expressive and receptive language while other studies conclude that language is a single process. The Preschool Language Scale – 5 (PLS-5, Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2011) is a commonly administered assessment used for diagnostic and research purposes and thus, the psychometric properties should be well-established. The PLS-5 is one of only a few assessments to cover the age range of birth to seven years old, meaning it is useful for research on longitudinal language development in addition to the recommended clinical use. This study uses PLS-5 data collected from 2014 to 2017 at urban childcare centers serving primarily low SES African American children to address two research questions: 1) to what...

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Research paper thumbnail of DYNAMIC SUPPORT OF CONTEXTUAL VOCABULARY ACQUISITION FOR READING (DSCoVAR) An Intelligent Tutor for Contextual Word Learning

Handbook on Educational Technologies for Literacy, 2016

Knowledge of difficult words (e.g., censure, lithe, epiphany) is important for success in school,... more Knowledge of difficult words (e.g., censure, lithe, epiphany) is important for success in school, because it has been linked to the development of intermediate and advanced reading (Baumann et al., 2002) and writing (Yonek, 2008). It is also a strong predictor of long-term outcomes, including the likelihood of attaining a college or post-baccalaureate degree (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2013). In current practice, however, vocabulary is given little time in the classroom (Baumann et al., 2002), and it is not usually tailored for individual learners.
In this chapter, we describe an intelligent tutoring system, called DSCoVAR (Dynamic Support of Contextual Vocabulary Acquisition for Reading). DSCoVAR is designed for intermediate-level readers—that is, older children, adolescents, and adults who are proficient spellers and decoders (Beck et al., 2013). DSCoVAR teaches words by presenting them in a series of brief written contexts that are selected to promote individualized, robust learning. This approach should prove an efficient and effective supplement to classroom instruction.
The chapter is organized as follows. First, we explain the need for a computer- based system to teach academic (“Tier 2”) words in context. Next, we highlight key features of DSCoVAR and compare alternative computer-based methods for contextual word learning. Finally, we describe how to access the DSCoVAR system.

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Research paper thumbnail of Contextual Cues To Word Learning: Mapping Meaning To Form At Two Developmental Milestones

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of How Early Do Children Understand Different Types of Iconicity in Gesture?

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Dynamic Support of Contextual Vocabulary Acquisition for Reading (DSCoVAR)

Adaptive Educational Technologies for Literacy Instruction, 2016

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Research paper thumbnail of Education Abroad and College Completion

Research in Higher Education, 2022

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Research paper thumbnail of Accuracy feedback improves word learning from context: evidence from a meaning-generation task

Reading and Writing, 2016

The present study asked whether accuracy feedback on a meaning generation task would lead to impr... more The present study asked whether accuracy feedback on a meaning generation task would lead to improved contextual word learning (CWL). Active generation can facilitate learning by increasing task engagement and memory retrieval, which strengthens new word representations. However, forced generation results in increased errors, which can be detrimental for learning if they are not corrected. The goal of this study was to determine whether immediate feedback on response accuracy would ameliorate this risk. The study was conducted using an intelligent tutoring system, which presents target words in multiple contexts and prompts users to generate a target word meaning after each context. One group of participants (feedback group) received immediate feedback based on Markov Estimation of Semantic Association (MESA), which estimates the distance between the learner response and the target word meaning. The control group did not receive feedback. Results from conventional (pre/post-test) measures showed greater gains in accuracy and confidence for the feedback group. Moreover, when contextual support was decreased mid-way through the training (from trial 3 to trial 4), MESA measures showed a corresponding drop in accuracy, but only for the No-Feedback group. These findings suggest that accuracy feedback can improve outcomes in CWL, particularly when there is an increased risk of errors. This strengthens the case for meaning generation as a tool to build high-quality lexical representations.

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Research paper thumbnail of Need-Based Aid, Participation in Education Abroad, and Program Type Choice

Journal of Student Financial Aid

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