Desiree W. Murray, Duke University David Rabiner, Duke
University Abstract: Although attention problems adversely
impact the academic performance of millions of students each
year, effective interventions to enhance academic achievement
for inattentive students have not been clearly documented.
Recently, attention training interventions based on cognitive
models of attention (i.e., Computerized Attention Training, CAT)
have been developed with promising evidence of efficacy.
Computer assisted instruction (CAI) is also considered to have
great potential for improving academic performance in
inattentive students. Although these programs are widely used in
public schools, they have not been rigorously evaluated, and
demonstrating the efficacy of either approach could have
significant educational implications in that computer-based
interventions can be readily disseminated. The present study is
a rigorous school-based evaluation of whether CAT, CAI, or their
combination improves academic achievement in 1st grader