November 18, 2008

Purdue Research Park affiliate company launches educational software program to improve students' vocabulary, spelling skills

CAL Tutor Vocabulary and Spelling™ allows teachers to individually design spelling and vocabulary lessons by adding, modifying or deleting words and lists from the program's 65 word themes.

The new program is available from Computer-Aided Learning LLC, which is an affiliate company of the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana. The company also produces the educational software programs CAL Tutor Spell Bowl™ and CAL Tutor Special Classes Scheduler™.

"CAL Tutor Vocabulary and Spelling aims to change vocabulary and spelling education's 100-year-old paradigm by using software to create an interactive individualized learning experience that is self-paced," said Robert Chomko, vice president of Computer-Aided Learning. "Because students are more fully engaged, we believe they will learn to spell more words correctly and expand their vocabulary, which leads to greater reading fluency and comprehension."

CAL Tutor Vocabulary and Spelling is being used by teachers in Chilton Middle School in Chilton, Wis.

"We were searching for a computer-based spelling program to provide students an opportunity for self-pacing," said Amy Hanson, sixth-grade language arts teacher at Chilton Middle School. "The hope is that students will progress through more units faster than with a standard workbook and increase their vocabulary and spelling skills at a faster pace."

Rebecca J. Blink, director of curriculum and instruction and K-12 district reading specialist for the Chilton School District, said the program reduces the number of consumable workbooks the district had to purchase.

"So the program helped us save on the workbook expenses," Blink said. "When we began our search for this type of product, CAL Tutor Vocabulary and Spelling was the right fit for our needs."

The program also benefits students who have strong spelling and vocabulary skills.

"We have found that the individualized instruction provided by the program allows us to challenge even our highest-achieving students, something we could not do with a spelling book," Blink said.

On the program's opening screen, students choose to take either a vocabulary or spelling test.

"CAL Tutor Vocabulary and Spelling is two programs in one: an independent spelling program and a vocabulary program," Chomko said. "Each program uses the same underlying test methods and lists."

Teachers receive progress reports, including those that rank students, show results by student or word list, and rank test words by the number of times students made an incorrect response.

"In a district that is very data-driven, CAL Tutor provides us the opportunity to utilize data related to spelling and vocabulary to customize instruction for each individual student," Blink said. "Teachers will be using a contract format with the students. Students will be responsible for their education by completing units. This will give them another opportunity to internalize their educational goals and help to use their critical-thinking skills."

About Computer-Aided Learning

Computer-Aided Learning is an educational software company and an affiliate company of the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana. Founded in 2003, Computer-Aided Learning provides innovative, interactive educational applications that aid and reinforce classroom instruction and facilitate home study. Products are sold under the CAL Tutor brand. "CAL" comes from Computer-Aided Learning. "Tutor" represents the company's educational goal to aid and reinforce classroom instruction and to facilitate home study.

About Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana

Modeled after the West Lafayette, Ind., Purdue Research Park flagship incubator that is owned and operated by Purdue Research Foundation, the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana is located on 386 acres west of I-65 in Merrillville. This laboratory and office facility serves as the anchor for the state-certified technology park - AmeriPlex at the Crossroads - under development by Purdue Research Foundation and Holladay Properties. The 48,000-square-foot center is slated in 2009 to expand to 60,000 square feet. It opened as Purdue's first satellite technology center in January 2005 and currently serves 14 technology-based tenants, five additional tenants and nine technology-based affiliate companies. Employment within the center currently numbers approximately 100, including researchers with advanced degrees, recent college graduates and interns.

To the Purdue Research Park, https://www.purdueresearchpark.com

Purdue Research Park contact: Cynthia Sequin, (765) 494-4192, casequin@prf.org

Source: Robert Chomko, (219) 477-3679, bob@caltutor.com