| The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of self-monitoring math productivity and accuracy using a handheld computer on the performance and on-task behavior of students. Six students age 11-13 with emotional and behavioral disorders participated in the study. A single subject withdrawal design was employed with students, beginning intervention in pairs. Students were taught to self-correct their math work at the end of each session, then use a handheld computer to record and graph their performance. Two conditions were presented to the students: self-monitoring alone, and self-monitoring with reinforcement through an existing token economy system. Only one student made initial gains in performance when self-monitoring was used in isolation. However, when combined with reinforcement, all students demonstrated academic and behavioral improvements. The results indicated that students could successfully use a handheld computer to self-monitor their performance and this led to concurrent improvements in behavior. Implications for classroom teachers are discussed and future research with handheld computers is recommended. |
