Seward Incorporated Team Presents at IES Third Annual Research Conference

Minneapolis, MN, May 23, 2008 --(PR.com)-- On June 10-12, 2008, Greg Sales (President and CEO, Seward Inc.) and Jayson Richardson (Project Manager, Seward Inc.) will present a poster session about The First 4,000 Words Project at the IES Third Annual Research Conference (http://ies.ed.gov/director/conferences/08ies_conference/), a conference presenting the broadest assemblage of grant and contract recipients conducting education research funded by IES.

Seward Incorporated has developed and tested The First 4,000 Words Project aimed at students in grades 1-4. The web-based multimedia system employs automated speech recognition features for teaching the meanings and practicing the pronunciation of the 4,000 most frequently used English words seen and heard by these students. The target populations are English Language Learners, struggling readers, and children of poverty who have small vocabularies relative to their peers.

Seward created two 40-item, group administered vocabulary placement tests - one for listening, the other reading – which tested a stratified random sample of words from the target pool. The tests were piloted, refined, and administered to 548 students in three Minneapolis/St. Paul area schools. A mix of ELL and native speakers (N=16) who scored in the mid ranges on the tests were recruited to use the prototype software.

Greg Sales has been designing and developing technology-based training for nearly 30 years. He has applied his e-Learning expertise for a variety of clients including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and universities. In addition to recommending customized training solutions, Greg provides consultation on the development of comprehensive e-Learning strategies to organizations seeking to improve training productivity while reducing costs. Prior to founding Seward Inc., Greg was a professor of instructional design and technology and program chair at the University of Minnesota.

Jayson Richardson is a rising expert in the field of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D). He has over 10 years of experience developing international / intercultural programs. Jayson has worked as a manager in various capacities on projects including: an international student teaching project; an international teacher exchange program; an ICT in education project in Cambodia; and an educational software development project.

###