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Retrieval-based Word Learning in Developmental Language Disorder: Adaptive Retrieval Schedule
Sponsor: Purdue University
Summary
Children with developmental language disorder (DLD; also referred to as specific language impairment) experience a significant deficit in language ability that is longstanding and harmful to the children's academic, social, and eventual economic wellbeing. Word learning is one of the principal weaknesses in these children. This project focuses on the word learning abilities of four- and five-year-old children with DLD. The goal of the project is to determine whether special benefits accrue when these children must frequently recall newly introduced words during the course of learning. In the current study, the investigators compare a "standard" repeated spaced retrieval schedule, with fixed spacing between hearing a word and attempting to retrieve it, to an "adaptive" repeated spaced retrieval schedule in which opportunities to retrieve a given word are tailored to the individual child's current knowledge state. The goal of the study is to determine whether the adaptive schedule can increase children's absolute levels of learning while maintaining the advantages of repeated spaced retrieval.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
48 Months - 71 Months
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
32
Start Date
2024-08-15
Completion Date
2025-12-31
Last Updated
2025-06-03
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Interventions
Retrieval-based word learning: Standard retrieval practice schedule
Novel nouns and their meanings are practiced on 2 consecutive days. At the beginning of each learning session, a retrieval trial will immediately follow hearing the word and what it likes (a study trial). In the standard condition, the remaining retrieval trials for each word will be spaced - occurring only after 3 other words have intervened. This practice schedule is repeated the next day (Day 2).
Retrieval-based word learning: Adaptive retrieval practice schedule
Novel nouns and their meanings are practiced on 2 consecutive days. At the beginning of each learning session, a retrieval trial will immediately follow hearing the word and what it likes (a study trial). For the remainder of the session, there will be spaced retrieval trials for each word - occurring after 3 words have intervened. In the Adaptive condition, children will have additional retrieval opportunities throughout. These will be provided whenever the child does not remember the word form, whether it is an immediate (initial) or space retrieval trial. This practice schedule is repeated the next day (Day 2).
Locations (1)
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana, United States