Program Objectives and Outcome Benefits
Through BTA Evidence-Based Practice
The Bridge To Achievement, ® a catalyst for students' high academic achievement potential. The BTA ® is designed to supplement and boost existing reading and mathematics curriculums by developing visual and listening flexible, working memory to form conceptualization for achieving Executive Function critical thinking capability.
Rationale for Implementing BTA Training:
Information processing skills may be prescriptively assessed by a qualified measurement professional using standardized test pre- and post-test assessments such as subtests of the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude, Test of Cognitive Skills, and the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery.
- Cognitive skills may be enhanced through specific tested training processes applying inter-sensory integration.
- School instructional content is not designed to develop information processing skills.
- Traditional remedial instruction is not designed to develop information processing skills.
- Most people have some weaknesses in their cognitive information processing skills, and may not be aware of these weaknesses.
- The Bridge To Achievement (BTA)® training is designed to develop information processing skills and memory.
- Less able students learn to process information more accurately, and obtain further academic benefits by repeating the BTA ® training.
The BTA ® Program Benefits:
- Improve reading skills without additional, time-consuming, remedial reading and math instruction
- Improve numerical precision and mental calculating ability
- Improve listening skills
- Improve accuracy of short-term visual memory
- Improve ability to follow oral instructions with multi-variables
- Improve ability for accuracy for detail in written work
- Improve visual pattern recognition and visual closure
- Improve visualization skills
- Improve short-term verbal memory for details
- Improve identification of spoken word endings
- Improve sense of directionality (and handwriting often improves)
- Improve ability to translate from verbal to visual memory representation
- Increase ability to remember information through interruptions
- Increase student's overall ability
- Feels more successful, has higher self-esteem, and likes going to school
- Able to learn more in less time, with more independence
- Able to complete assignments quickly
- Able to learn more in a traditional classroom
- Develops improved confidence and self esteem
- Able to become more successful in college
- Performs better on tests of subject matter knowledge
- Able to focus and work through interruptions and distractions
- Remembers and applies strategies for processing and organizing information
- Homework is completed with less urging and assistance
- Student's grades improve; Visible results using nationally standardized achievement tests
- The classroom teacher receives more respect and credit
- Student attitudes toward school improve
- Less worry that student is falling behind college or technical school entrance requirements
- Less concern that student is not in step with technological demands
- Visible results using nationally standardized tests
- Students become more resourceful and independent
- Students become more successful and optimistic about education
- Fewer discipline problems
- Reduction in the student drop-out rate
- Reduce student reading impairments
- Reduce student learning disabilities, ADHD
- Reduce remedial instruction requirements
- Simplify student scheduling
- Increase success with main-lining the special needs students into differential instruction
- Allow more education resources to be directed to the most needy students
- Make the job of classroom teachers more manageable and less stressful
- Improve overall Nationally Standardized Achievement Test results
- Raise overall student ACT and SAT scores
- Raise the school ranking at the district, state and national levels
- Student/Cost Analysis: Increase the educational return (student learning) on investment (dollars spent on students)
- Increase parental satisfaction with school and student performance
- More scholarships, grants and other student aid received by graduates
- Increase completion rate of post-secondary education
- Reduce requirement for college-level remedial courses
- Increase competitiveness of the school
Student Perspective:
The Student:
Parental Perspective:
School Perspective:
Jan Kuyper Erland, Intervention Consultant
Mem-ExSpan, Inc.
The Bridge To Achievement ®
email: jan@memspan.com
Evidenced-Based instruction for high academic achievement
|
Research Driven Product
Mem-ExSpan memspan TM conducted five generations of R&D in classrooms and small group settings to create the Bridge to Achievement (BTA) TM a standardized, evidenced-based, congnitive skills program for varying ability levels and ages. Extensive published research among multiple sample sets (adults and children) led to the conclusion that by applying the BTA TM cognitive skills training, learners improve their visual and listening memory speed as well as their capacity for procedural concept learning and critical thinking.
The BTA TM has effect sizes for each of the five longitudinal studies. Mem-ExSpan's TM research found strong, reliable +3 - +4 year learning transfer, and generalization with strong, lasting gains. The BTA TM has been taught to students age 9 to adult, in small groupings according to pre-tested age and ability levels, and field tested in school classrooms grades 4 - 8, and tracked 1 - 3 years longitudinally. Scores in all academic subjects were obtained that included Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts that maintained longitudinally ages 9 to adult with 24 hours of intensive daily (Mon-Fri) training. Repeat sessions are recommended annually for lower performing students, but gains evidence, nevertheless, without retraining.
High Performance Thinking, (HTP) is achieved through engaging, short six-minute span power chunking/coding games for learning sequential step-wise procedures, basic to reading comprehension, math, science, engineering, and technologies (STEM). The BTA's TM longitudinal research and powerful results creates strong differentiation compared to typical academic skill-set and practice training.
Published Juried Research
Mem-ExSpan's TM research is published through the Journal of Accelerated Learning and Teaching (JALT), founded by Schuster, D.H. and Gritton, C.E., Department of Psychology, Iowa State University and concluded in 2008. The first two articles are available for downloading through the hyperlinks; the others are available by ordering through the US Department of Education Institute for Education Science's ERIC Clearinghouse.
The Journal of Accelerated Learning and Teaching (JALT)
JALT Citations, Full Text Copyright 1980 - 2013 © by Janis L. Erland. The intent of this research report is for educational purposes only and cannot be used for any type of commercial or entertainment activity. Research information may be used for personal individual research, but not in any organizational setting without permission of the author. No part of this text or content may be made available or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retieval system.
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader
Final conclusions discussing five generations of previously published research, including seven experiments; six published for ages 9 - 55. Included are four 1 - 3 year longitudinal studies within four 24 hour daily time frames: 10 - Day, 13 - Day, and 8 - Weeks at thirteen national test sites. Other nationally standardized cognitive skills pre- to post-test data is reviewed on groups of business adults and college graduate students at six national test sites.
Brain-Based Accelerated Learning Longitudinal Study Reveals Subsequent High Academic Achievement Gain For Low Achieving, Low Cognitive Skill Fourth Grade Students. Fall 2000, 25, 3 & 4.
Report of an Intra-Analyses of Two 4th Grade Classrooms with Low Auditory Memory (n=40/44). The classrooms included nine very low "outliers" which skewed the nationally standardized test scores downward as much as 50%. Yet, including these "Outliers," two years longitudinally, performance for these low performing students was now +2 to +3 1/2 years beyond grade level expectations in all sixteen subtests on The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS). Tables reveal at what point in time each of the slow learners accelerated at their own pace. 46 pages including bibliography. ERIC Clearinghouse: ED 453-553
Brain-Based Accelerated Learning and Cognitive Skills Training Using Interactive Media Expedites High Academic Achievement. Fall 1999, 24, 3 & 4.
Jan Kuyper Erland 100 - page monograph scientific report on intelligences and accelerated learning applications documenting The Bridge To Achievement TM academic success with eleven classrooms and three randomized control groups in all ITBS Subject Areas. Comparative Literature Review of Intelligences with a Comprehensive Reference List.
Brain-Based Learning Longitudinal Study Reveals Solid Academic Achievement Maintenance With Accelerated Learning Practice. Spring 1999, 24, 1 & 2.
Follow-Up Longitudinal Maintenance Report of Above Field Test on Intelligences Theories and Accelerated Learning Academic Achievement Success.
Cognitive Skills and Accelerated Learning Memory Training Using Interactive Media Improves Academic Performance in Reading and Math. Fall 1998, 23, 3 & 4.
Fourteen-Classrooms, (incl. 3 Control Groups), Grades 4 - 8 Field Test Report on Intelligences Theories and Accelerated Learning Gains in All Subject Areas, on Reading and Math.
Other Reports:
Cognitive Skills Training Improves Listening and Visual Memory for Academic and Career Success. Spring, 1995, 20, 1, 87-101.
A short comparative review of three cognitive skills programs: Meeker's Bridges-Structure of Intellect, Feuerstein's Instructional Enrichment/Mediated Learning, and The Bridge To Achievement TM Classroom instructional methodology is reviewed.
Video-Tape Instruction Creates Listening and Visual Memory Integration for Higher Reading and Math Scores. Fall, 1994, 19, 3, 155-227.
High Reading and Math Academic Achievement Test Results of a Fifth Grade Classroom. This study determined the effects of video-taped instruction in teaching analysis and pattern finding skills. Methodology included guidelines from Cognitive Behavior Modification (CBM), Accelerated Learning, and Guilford's Structure of Intellect Model (SOI) within the Right-Brain - Left-Brain Kaufman and Kaufman's Sequential vs. Simultaneous Dichotomy. An Intra-Analyses was conducted to compare the results of the Experimental Special Needs students with the Control group. The Experimental Special Needs students surpassed the Controls on the posttests. 38 pages including bibliography.
Reading and Learning Disabled Students Improve Reading and Math Through Analytical Skills Training. Fall & Winter, 1992, 17, 3 & 4, 171- 223.
This study explored the use of specialized intensive cognitive skills training for at-risk, Title I remedial reading and learning disabled students, who demonstrated gains in both a regular classroom setting and a special reading class setting using videotaped instruction. The gains made on standardized cognitive skills tests generalized to academic achievement test scores in a majority of subjects. More consistent gains were evident in the regular setting where there was inter-class modeling and higher self-esteem dynamics during the training. With time constraints, and qualified learning and reading disabled specialists in limited supply, technologically-oriented instruction is a valuable vehicle to access and expedite learning for more students.
Retraining Cognitive Abilities: A Report on Thinking and Memory Improvement Combining Accelerated Learning with Cognitive Behavior Modification (CBM) for Ages 10- 55. Spring 1989, 14, 1, 3-41.
1984 - 1986 Report of 40 Experimentals and 40 Controls cognitive ability improvement for individuals ages 10 - 55 with choral speaking, rhythm, pacing, and sequencing factors. Three-Week (fifteen consecutive days, Mon-Fri, 1 1/2 hrs. daily) small group training. Students representing all performance levels, were placed in groupings of three to five, according to age and pre-tested cognitive ability levels. Students included business executives, housewives, general employees (i.e. engineers, architects, clerical, postal) college, high school, junior high, and grade school students down to age 10 (ranging from gifted, high average, average, to Special Needs). A MANCOVA Analyses included a comparison of age, (10 to 15, and 16 to adult) pace, (fast and slow based upon the individualized pretests) and group (Experimentals and Controls). The seven dependent variables were cognitive skills subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (1977), and The Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude-1 (Revised in 1985). There was a significant overall main effect for for the group 1 (Experimentals vs. Controls) F=26.55, p<.01. All ages and pace groups made significant gains 33 pages including bibliography
Research Report, Part II: Retraining Cognitive Abilities, A Longitudinal Study. Summer 1989, 14, 2, 113-141
1986 - 1988 follow-up longitudinal Maintenance Report of above field test. Longitudinal data is difficult to obtain. Not only are individuals hard to locate years following a treatment project, but many are unwilling to go through a third testing procedure for scientific purposes. Unless the individual can see pertinent information relevant to their needs, follow-up post-testing can be difficult, if not impossible to accomplish. The number of participants varied from 31 to 40 for the 1 to 3 year post testing follow-up. The research question was: Can specific cognitive abilities be identified, isolated, and retrained, with the results maintaining over a period of time? Specific longitudinal follow-up case studies are documented which include examples of (as qualified by their respective school districts) gifted, high average, low average performing in high school, Learning Disabled (ADHD) and Developmentally Disabled. 24 pages including bibliography.
|
30 years of intense published juried research
Generalization evidenced with strong, lasting gains
Strong, reliable +3 - 4+ year learning transfer |
Evidence-Based instruction for high academic achievement
Products
The Bridge to Achievement TM
The Bridge to Achievement, BTA,TM is Mem-ExSpan’s flagship product. The BTA TM provides a 5-gen researched and validated, supplemental educational/training program to accelerate flexible learning by teaching rapid sequencing of information basic to all academics and procedures. See You Tube lesson samples, Jan Kuyper Erland1111 channel. The BTA was originally designed as an Executive Function (EF) and Response to Intervention (RTI) tool for students with learning disabilities, but was found to advance all students with a range of learning challenges including the gifted and talented, and working adults.
The BTA TM is presented in an engaging, online format using interactive puppetry, arts, and media. E - courses can be accomplished in a 26 day format and delivered in 30 min daily lessons. The training modules are presented in a Game Playbook format, of Warm-ups (10 - 12 min), Games (13 min), and Cool-Downs (3 min). The lessons utilize the underpinnings of learning: visual and auditory (listening) sequential/coding memory spans. This mental code-span building leads to improved conceptualization, which is the foundation of all learning including technical information.
Students receive pre and post assessments to measure progress. The program is most effective when students take the course in a blended e-learning format where students participate in small group interactive activities that reinforce learning. The BTA TM is ideal for Einstein club practice, and for travel auxiliary programs. Wide demographic groups age 9 ‐ adult participated in the research making this product viable for users of all ages. Mem-ExSpan’s TM customers are learners in grades 4 ‐ adults desiring new work skills learning.
Future products include additional mini-game apps for smart phones, and an accompanying e-book for parents.
Evidence-Based instruction for high academic achievement
