Prompted by a previous study investigating the effects of pacing on the academic testing performance of college students with AD/HD, we further explored our preliminary findings, which suggested that a computerized testing environment enhanced the testing performance of college students with AD/HD. We compared the effects of a computerized vs. paper-pencil testing format as well as the effects of regular time vs. extended time on the students' testing performance. Students taking the computerized version of the test performed significantly higher than those who took the paper and pencil version of the same test. The amount of time the participants had to take the test did not significantly affect their performance. Insights gleaned from the qualitative data furthered our understanding of testing accommodation concerns shared by many college students with AD/HD.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AllsoppD.MinskoffE., & BoltL. (2005). Individualized course-specific strategy instruction for college students with learning disabilities and AD/HD: Lessons learned from a model demonstration project. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 20(2), 103.
2.
AlsterE. H. (1997). The effects of extended time on algebra test scores for college students with and without learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 30(2), 222–227.
3.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
4.
BoltS. E.RoachA. T., & QuenenmoanR. F. (2009). Inclusive assessment and accountability: A guide to accommodations for students with diverse needs.New York: Guilford Press.
5.
BrinckerhoffL. C.McGuireJ. M., & ShawS. F. (2002). Postsecondary education and transition for college students with learning disabilities.Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
6.
BrownP. J., & AugustineA. (2001). Screen reading software as an assessment accommodation: Implications for instruction and student performance. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED458273) Retrieved February 2, 2008, from ERIC database.
7.
BurkM. (1998). Computerized test accommodations: A new approach for inclusion and success for students with disabilities. Paper presented at Office of Special Education Program Cross Project Meeting “Technology and the Education of Children with Disabilities: Steppingstones to the 21st Century.
8.
CalhoonM. B.FuchsL. S., & HamlettC. L. (2000). Effects of computer-based test accommodations on mathematics performance assessments for secondary students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 23(4), 271–282.
9.
CohenJ. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 155–159.
10.
CreswellJ. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
11.
CreswellJ. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
12.
DowrickP. W.AndersonJ.HeyerK., & AcostaJ. (2005). Postsecondary education across the USA: Experiences of adults with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 22, 41–47.
13.
DuPaulG. J., & EckertT. L. (1998). Academic interventions for students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A review of the literature. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 14(1), 59. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
14.
DuPaulG. J.GuevermontD. C., & BarkleyR. A. (1991). Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder in adolescence: Critical assessment parameters. Clinical Psychological Review, 11, 233–245.
15.
DuPaulG. J., & WeyandtL. L. (2006). School based interventions for children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Enhancing academic and behavioral outcomes. Education and Treatment of Children29(2), 341–358.
16.
ElliottS. N.McKevittB. C., & KettlerR. J. (2002). Testing accommodations research and decision making: The case of ‘good’ scores being highly valued but difficult to achieve for all students. Measurement & Evaluation in Counseling & Development, 35(3), 153–167.
17.
FarrellE. F. (2003). Paying attention to students who can't. Chronicle of Higher Education, 50(5), 50–52.
18.
FayyadJ.De GraafR.KesslerR.AlonsoJ.AngermeyerM.DemyttenaereK. (2007). Cross-national prevalence and correlates of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 402–409.
19.
FuchsL. S.FuchsD., & CapizziA. M. (2005). Identifying appropriate test accommodations for students with learning disabilities. Focus on Exceptional Children, 37(6), 1–8.
20.
GeeJ. P. (1999). An introduction to discourse analysis: Theory and method.New York: Routledge.
21.
GetzelE. E.McManusS., & BrielL. W. (2004). An effective model for college students with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. LD Online. Retrieved from the Web at http://www.txstate.edu/education/sped/ on 1/20/07.
22.
GreenbaumB.GrahamS., & ScalesW. (1995). Adults with learning disabilities: Educational and social experiences during college. Exceptional Children, 61(5), 460–472.
23.
HealyM. T. (2006). Coping strategies of successful college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 66(11–B), 6273.
24.
HeiligensteinE.GuentherG.LevyA.SavinoF., & FulwilerJ. (1999). Psychological and academic functioning in college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of American College Health, 47(4), 181–185.
25.
HollenbeckK.TindalG.HarnissM., & AlmondP. (1999). The effect of using computers as an accommodation in a statewide writing test.Eugene, OR: University of Oregon, BRT.
26.
IsaacS., & MichaelW. B., (1997). Handbook in research and evaluation: A collection of principles, methods, and strategies useful in the planning, design, and evaluation of studies in education and the behavioral sciences.San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Services.
27.
KesslerR. C.AdlerL.BarkleyJ.BiedermanJ.ConnersC. K.DemlerO. (2006). The prevalence and correlates of adult AD/HD in the United States: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey replication. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(4), 716–723.
28.
LancasterS.MellardD., & HoffmanL. (2001). Experiences of students with disabilities in selected community and technical colleges. The individual accommodations model: Accommodating students with disabilities in post-secondary settings.Lawrence, KS: Kansas University, Center for Research on Learning (ED452617).
29.
LeeK. S.OsborneR. E.HayesK. A., & SimoesR. A. (2008). The effects of pacing on the academic testing performance of college students with ADHD: A mixed methods study. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 39(2), 123–142.
30.
LincolnY. S., & GubaE. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry.Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
31.
MeauxJ. B.GreenA., & BroussardL. (2009). AD/HD in the college student: A block in the road. Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing, 16(3), 248–256.
32.
MedinaJ. G. (2000). Classroom testing accommodations for postsecondary students with learning disabilities: The empirical gap. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 60(7–A), 23–72.
33.
NieblingB. C., & ElliottS. N. (2005). Testing accommodations and inclusive assessment practices. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 31(1), 1–6.
34.
QuinnP. O.RateyN. A., & MaitlandT. L. (2000). Coaching college students with AD/HD.Silver Spring, MD: Advantage Books.
35.
ResnickR. J. (2005). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in teens and adults: They don't all outgrow it. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61(5), 529–533.
36.
RussellM., & PlatiT. (2000). Mode of administration effects on MCAS composition performance for grades four, eight and ten. A report prepared for the Massachusetts Department of Education.
37.
SalviaJ.YsseldykeJ. E., & BoltS. (2010). Assessment in special and inclusive education (11th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
38.
SarkisS. M. (2008). Success for the AD/HD college student. AD/HD Report, 16(5), 1–5.
39.
SchultzT. (2008). Fiscal Year 2008: Overview of Active Students Served by Disability Background.
40.
SwartzS.PrevattF., & ProctorB. (2005). A coaching intervention for college students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychology in the Schools, 42(6), 647–656.
41.
TagayunaA.StoddenR. A.ChangC.ZeleznikM. E., & WhelleyT. A. (2005). A two-year comparison of support provision for persons with disabilities in post-secondary education. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 22, 13–21.
42.
ThompsonS.BlountA., & ThurlowM. (2002). A summary of research on the effects of test accommodations: 1999 through 2001 (Technical Report 34). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes.
43.
TindalG., & FuchsL. (2000). A summary of research on test changes: An empirical basis for defining accommodations.125 pp. (ED442245) Full Text from ERIC by Ebsco Host.
44.
TrammellJ. K. (2003). The impact of academic accommodations on final grades in a postsecondary setting. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 34(1), 76–91.
45.
WallaceB. A.WinslerA., & NeSmithP. (1999). Factors associated with success for college students with AD/HD: Are standard accommodations helping? Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
46.
WeaverS. M. (2000). The efficacy of extended time on tests for postsecondary students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 10(2), 47–56.
47.
WeyandtL. L., & DuPaulG. (2006) AD/HD in college students. Journal of Attention Disorders, 10(1), 9–19.
48.
WiseS. L., & PlakeB. S. (1989). Research on the effects of administering tests via computers. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practices, 8(3), 5–10.
49.
ZuriffG. E. (2000). Extra examination time for students with learning disabilities: An examination of the maximum. Applied Measurement in Education, 13(1), 99–118 (AN 3341986).
50.
ZwartL. M., & KallemeynL. M. (2001). Peer-based coaching for college students with AD/HD and learning disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 15(1), 1–15.
