The relationship between time in computer-assisted instruction and the increase in reading skills

Educational leadership appropriates significant amounts of money for technology in school budgets. Teachers must decide how to use technology to maximize student learning and make the most efficient use of instructional minutes. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if a relationship existed between the amount of time students spent in a computer-assisted reading instruction program and the increase in reading skills as measured by an assessment of oral reading fluency. A Pearson Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between the amount of time 87 first-grade students spent in a computer-assisted reading instruction program and the increase in oral reading fluency test scores measured by the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills test (DIBELS). Numerical information for this study consisted of archived data from the 2010--2011 school year generated from the computer data bases of DIBELS and the Ticket to Read program. The Pearson Correlation analysis indicated a weak positive relationship between the variables. However, the weak coefficient of determination indicated that the correlation did not have any practical significance. This indication may imply that teachers should not allocate instructional minutes to computer-assisted instruction for the purpose of increasing oral reading fluency. Educational leaders may want to consider other technological interventions that may produce learning opportunities for young students to develop technological awareness and increase oral reading fluency at a reduced cost. Ninety-seven percent of the variance was unaccounted for indicating a need for further research with additional variables.