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This study is a cross-sectional investigation into the relationship among Japanese EFL learners’ vocabulary size, two aspects of depth of vocabulary knowledge, polysemy and collocational knowledge, and automaticity of word recognition specified as orthographic decoding speed and lexical meaning access speed, and the roles these aspects of lexical knowledge play in general academic reading comprehension as well as in each of five Reading Comprehension item types—Main Idea, Stated Details, Paraphrased Details, Guessing Vocabulary from Context, and Making Inferences. The participants (N = 166) were first- and second-year, non-English majors at a four-year, co-educational university in western Japan. The participants were gathered from seven intact classes, where they focused on developing reading skills for TOEIC. Data were obtained from six major instruments: the Reading Comprehension Test, the Vocabulary Size Measure, the Revised Word Associates Polysemy Test, the Revised Word Associates Collocation Test, the Lexical Decision Task, and the Antonym Semantic Decision Task. The first four tests were administered with pencil and paper over two months, and the latter two tests were administered during the summer vacation with individual participants using computer software that produced reaction time data. Before conducting the quantitative analyses, the paper and pencil based tests were analyzed using the Rasch dichotomous model to examine the validity and reliability of the instruments and to transform the raw scores into equal interval Rasch measures. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to investigate how these aspects of lexical knowledge were related, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine to what extent these aspects of lexical knowledge contributed to the prediction of general reading comprehension as well as each of the five reading comprehension item types. In addition, using the percentage of correct answers, 12 anchor words across three lexical knowledge tests, the Vocabulary Size Measure, the Revised Word Associates Polysemy Test, and the Revised Word Associates Collocation, were analyzed to examine the possible presence of a hierarchical acquisitional pattern for the three aspects of lexical knowledge. The results showed strong correlations among the Vocabulary Size Measure, the Revised Word Associates Polysemy Test, and the Revised Word Associates Collocation Test, which suggested that vocabulary size and depth of vocabulary knowledge are closely related. This indicated that the more learners expand their written receptive vocabulary, the more likely they are to learn about various aspects of those words, such as their common collocation. On the contrary, none of the three lexical knowledge tests correlated significantly with the Lexical Decision Task and the Antonym Semantic Decision Task, which suggested that increases in vocabulary size and depth of lexical knowledge were not accompanied by the development of faster recognition of orthographic form or faster access to word meaning. Hence, this result implied that developing greater speed of lexical access lags behind increases in overall vocabulary size. Furthermore, the micro-analysis of 12 anchor words indicated that item dependency and considerable individual variation for each anchor word was present for the three aspects of lexical knowledge. The results also indicated that both vocabulary size and depth of lexical knowledge play significant roles in academic reading comprehension. Moreover, the two aspects of depth of vocabulary, polysemy and collocational knowledge, made unique contributions to the prediction of academic reading comprehension, which suggested that as learners’ vocabulary size approaches 3,000 words families, depth of lexical knowledge becomes increasingly important for academic reading comprehension. In a similar vein, the strong correlations among Guessing Vocabulary from Context item type, vocabulary size, and the two aspects of depth of vocabulary knowledge suggested that successful lexical guessing requires both a reasonably large vocabulary size and depth of lexical knowledge. That is, learners need to know the primary meaning of words, secondary meanings, and how the words relate to other words if they are to successfully guess the meaning of unknown words. The results also indicated that word recognition, specified as orthographic processing speed and lexical meaning access, did not uniquely contribute to the prediction of academic reading comprehension nor to the prediction of most of the five Reading Comprehension item types for the relatively low English proficiency participants in this study. Only orthographic processing speed predicted 5% of the variance in the Reading Comprehension Paraphrased Details item type; however, a plausible explanation for this finding is that it was caused by the difficulty of this item type. This finding is reasonable, as verbal efficiency theory (Perfetti, 1985) states that as lower-level processes are automatized, cognitive capacity is freed up. A possible explanation for the other insignificant results between the two reaction times tests and the other four Reading Comprehension item types is that the participants were under no pressure to complete the reading comprehension measure quickly, as it was an unspeeded test. Another plausible reason is that the participants’ L2 lexical proficiency was relatively low; therefore, they have not yet developed word recognition fluency. Finally, the results showed that the Reading Comprehension Main Idea item type and Paraphrased Details item type are more closely related to depth of vocabulary knowledge than to vocabulary size. / Teaching & Learning

Reklam anses vara lika gammal som mänskligheten och lika universell som kultur. Ur den synvinkeln är reklam en del av det sociala livet, där människor gör utbyten som gynnar båda parterna. Under de senaste decennierna har samma mänsklighet upplevt den digitala världens intensiva tillväxt, där idag nästan allt går att finna. Det har aldrig varit lättare för företag att inte enbart marknadsföra sig globalt men även ha omedelbara interaktioner med deras konsumenter. På andra sidan spektrumet spåras alla internetanvändare genom sin digitala resa med företag och organisationer som tittar på deras varje steg för att sedan presentera personligt anpassade annonser. Denna utveckling i teknik och annonser på internet har lett till att påträngande annonser har blivit ett frekvent klagomål kring internetmarknadsföring. Adblock är ett filtreringsverktyg (tillägg) som kan appliceras för att blockera reklam på webben. Verktyget kom till vid sekelskiftet och har snabbt blivit ett populärt tillägg till webbläsare. Många har kommit att ta del av dess fördelar med att blockera banderoller, pop-ups och videoannonser. Samtidigt som reklamundvikande inte enbart orsakar företagen enorma förluster kan det ytterligare skada webbplatserna samt alla andra parter inblandade. Dessutom kan en fortsatt ökning av annonsblockerare i slutändan leda till slutet av gratis digitalt innehåll. Vidare kan ett reklamundvikande ske kognitivt, beteendemässigt eller mekaniskt utan att nyttja annonsblockerare. Detta kan också resultera i kostnader för företag som producerar reklam på internet. Därav ansågs en studie utförd på icke-annonsblockerarnas synpunkt vara nödvändig för att förstå vilka faktorer det är som gör att man inte installerar och använder en annonsblockerare.   Syftet med denna studie är att kartlägga och belysa individers bakomliggande faktorer till varför de inte installerar annonsblockerare. Teorigenomgången av denna studie omfattar ämnen om varför människor installerar eller avböjer från att installera applikationer, automaticity, approach-avoidance theory, inattentional blindness, och banner blindness theory. Den analyserade data i studien samlades in genom en kvalitativ metod med 18 semistrukturerade intervjuer med individer som har en kännedom om annonsblockerare och som även har medvetet valt att inte tillämpa tillägget på webben. Studien avgränsade sig till att undersöka människors uppfattning och upplevelse mot banderoller, pop-ups och videoannonser på endast datorer. Studien har upptäckt att respondenterna bland annat inte upplever reklam som störande, att de är tekniskt okunniga eller att reklam upplevs som intressanta. Vidare undviker dock respondenterna redan reklam genom en vana och erfarenhet. Dessutom att de fokuserar på sina behov som huvudändamålet när de besöker webbsidor. Vidare hade webbsidors design och miljö en påverkan i närmande och undvikande av reklam. Denna data tolkades och sedan analyserades vara faktorer till varför man inte blockerar reklam. Slutligen har studien även upptäckt att banderoller beroende på dess design eller budskap är den mest positivt mottagna annonstypen. / Advertisement is considered as old as mankind and as universal as culture. In that sense it is a part of social life itself, where mutually beneficial exchanges are made. During the last couple of decades that same mankind has experienced the intense growth of the digital world, where today almost anything and everything can be found. It has never been easier for companies to not only market themselves globally but have instant interactions with their consumers. On the other side of the spectrum, all internet users are tracked throughout their digital journey with companies and organizations watching their every move to then present personalized advertisement. Thus, intrusion have become a frequent complaint associated with online marketing. Adblock is a filtering tool (extension) that can be applied to block out advertisement on the web. This tool came to be at the turn of the century and have rapidly become a popular addition to browsers. Many have come to take part of its benefits of blocking out banners, pop-ups and video ads alike. While ad avoidance is not only causing companies tremendous amounts of loss, it could further harm the websites that carry them, and all other parties involved. Furthermore, a continued increase of ad blockers could ultimately lead to the end of free digital contents altogether. Moreover, ad avoidance can still take place cognitively, behaviourally or mechanically without the use of an adblocker. This can also cause losses for the companies producing ads on the internet. Thereof, a study executed upon the non-ad blockers’ point of view is deemed necessary in order to understand what factors prevent the installation or use of an adblocker.    The purpose of this study is to map out and highlight individuals’ underlying factors to why they do not install ad blockers. The literature review of this study covers the subjects of why people install or reject applications, automaticity, approach-avoidance theory, inattentional blindness, and banner blindness theory. The analysed data in the study was collected through a qualitative method with 18 semi-structured interviews with individuals who are not only aware of the existence of ad blockers but who have deliberately chosen not to make use of the extension. The study delimited itself to studying people’s perception and experience of banners, pop-ups and video ads through computers only. The study found that the respondents for instance do not experience ads as disruptive, that they are technologically inexpert or that ads are perceived as interesting. However, the respondents already do avoid ads through their habit and experience. Moreover, that they focus on their needs as their main purpose of visiting websites. Furthermore, websites’ design and environment did influence approaching or avoiding ads. This data was interpreted and analysed to be factors as to why people do not block ads. Finally, the study finds that banners depending on their design or message were the most positively received ad form.

L’infarctus de myocarde (IDM) est la première cause de mortalité cardiovasculaire dans le monde. La reperfusion la plus précoce possible est le seul traitement recommandé pour limiter la taille de l’infarctus, déterminant majeur de morbi-mortalité. Cependant, la reperfusion s’accompagne de lésions de reperfusion qui se sur-ajoutent aux lésions d’ischémie et qui sont caractérisées par la mort des cardiomyocytes. Actuellement, il n’existe aucune thérapie ciblant les lésions d’ischémie-reperfusion (IR) afin de limiter l’extension de la zone infarcie. La fréquence cardiaque (FC) est un facteur déterminant de la pathologie cardiaque. La plupart des épisodes ischémiques sont déclenchés par une accélération de la FC provoquant sur le myocarde un déséquilibre entre l’apport et la consommation d’oxygène. Une réduction de la FC se traduit par un allongement de la diastole ventriculaire, permettant une meilleure perfusion coronaire et l’oxygénation optimale du myocarde au repos et durant l’exercice. Ainsi, il semble évident qu’une réduction contrôlée de la FC pourrait limiter l’effort et la vulnérabilité du myocarde pendant l’épisode d’IR, ce qui représenterait un challenge dans le traitement de l’IDM mais aussi un intérêt majeur de santé publique.Les β-bloquants ont été largement étudiés dans ce contexte et ont montré des effets bénéfiques en termes de réduction de la mortalité post-IDM. Cependant, ils exercent en même temps des effets délétères sur le flux sanguin coronarien et la fonction contractile myocardique. Cette constatation met en évidence l’importance de la réduction sélective de la FC par l’inhibition des courants ioniques responsables de l’automatisme cardiaque. Le courant If et les courants calciques ICa,L et ICa,T (portés respectivement par les canaux Cav1.3 et Cav3.1) sont les principaux accélérateurs du rythme cardiaque. Des études cliniques ont montré les effets bénéfiques de la réduction sélective de la FC par l’ivabradine, inhibiteur du courant If, dans le cadre des maladies coronariennes et de l’insuffisance cardiaque. Néanmoins, des études récentes ont montré que le traitement par ivabradine peut induire un risque accru de mortalité cardiovasculaire et d’IDM. Ces résultats soulignent l’intérêt de développer de nouvelles thérapies visant à contrôler sélectivement la FC sans effets indésirables sur le myocarde et sur le pronostic des patients.L’objectif de ce travail de thèse est d’étudier le rôle de la FC au cours de l’IR myocardique et de valider sur des modèles murins de bradycardie l’hypothèse que la réduction de la FC est capable de limiter les lésions d’IR. Notre stratégie de travail est basée sur une approche génétique avec l’utilisation de souris knock-out pour les canaux calciques Cav1.3 et Cav3.1. Dans un premier temps, la réduction pharmacologique de la FC par l’ivabradine induit une diminution de la zone infarcie chez des souris contrôles, validant le concept dans notre modèle murin d’IR in vivo. Ensuite, les souris mutantes, dont la FC est plus lente, présentent aussi une réduction de la taille de l’infarctus suite au protocole d’IR, ce qui confirme l’implication de la FC dans la cardioprotection. Il existe une relation proportionnelle directe entre la taille de l’infarctus et la FC pendant chaque étape de l’IR et indépendamment de la souris modèle. De façon intéressante, cette relation est supprimée lorsque le système nerveux parasympathique est rendu inactif. A l’inverse, l’accélération de la FC dans un modèle ex vivo d’IR cardiaque engendre des effets délétères sur le myocarde, se traduisant par une augmentation de la taille de l’infarctus et une réduction du flux coronarien lors de la reperfusion.L’ensemble de ces résultats confirme l’effet cardioprotecteur de la réduction de la FC dans les lésions d’IR et nous permet d’envisager une application clinique pour la prise en charge des maladies ischémiques. / Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the major cause of cardiovascular mortality worlwide. Early reperfusion is the only treatment recommended to reduce infarct size, a major determinant of morbidity and mortality. However, reperfusion leads to reperfusion injury that precipitates in death the cells that survived the ischemic insult. To date, there is no therapy targeting ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury to limit the extent of the infarcted area. Heart rate (HR) is a main determinant of cardiac pathology. Most ischemic episodes are triggered by an increase in HR inducing an imbalance between myocardial oxygen delivery and consumption. HR reduction results in a lengthening of the ventricular diastole, allowing better coronary perfusion and optimal oxygenation of the myocardium at rest and during exercise. Thus, it seems clear that a controlled reduction of HR may limit the effort and the vulnerability of the myocardium during the whole IR episode, which would represent a challenge in the treatment of AMI but also a major interest to public health.β-blockers have been extensively studied in this context and have shown beneficial effects in terms of reduction of post-AMI mortality. However, they also exert deleterious effects on myocardial coronary blood flow and contractile function. This finding highlights the importance of selective HR reduction through inhibition of ion currents responsible for cardiac automatism. The If current and the ICa,L and ICa,T calcium currents (mediated by Cav1.3 and Cav3.1 channels, respectively) are important accelerators of cardiac rhythm. Clinical trials have shown the beneficial effects of selective HR reduction by ivabradine, an inhibitor of the If current, in the context of coronary artery disease and heart failure. However, recent studies have shown that treatment with ivabradine may involve an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and infarct. These results underscore the need to develop new therapies aimed to selectively control HR without adverse effects on the myocardium and prognosis of patients.The goal of this thesis is to study the role of HR during myocardial IR and to validate in murine models of bradycardia the hypothesis that HR reduction is able to limit IR injury. Our work strategy is based on a genetic approach with the use of knockout mice for Cav1.3 and Cav3.1 calcium channels. In a first time, pharmacological HR reduction by ivabradine induces infarct size decrease in control mice, validating the concept in our in vivo mouse model of IR. Genetically-modified mice in which these channels have been ablated have reduced heart rate and show a reduction in infarct size after the IR protocol, confirming the involvement of HR in cardioprotection. There is a direct relationship between infarct size and HR during each phase of IR and independently of the animal model. Surprisingly, this relation is suppressed when the parasympathetic nervous system is inactivated. Secondly, HR acceleration in an ex vivo model of cardiac IR generates deleterious effects on the myocardium, including infarct size increase and coronary flow reduction during reperfusion.These results confirm the cardioprotective effect of HR reduction against IR injury and allow us to consider a clinical application in the treatment of ischemic diseases.

Résumé : Le Conditionnement Évaluatif (CE) réfère au changement évaluatif d'un Stimulus Neutre (SN) à l'issue des co-expériences relationnelles répétées de celui-ci avec un Stimulus Affectivement signifiant (SA). Les nombreuses divergences empiriques observées dans la littérature suggèrent, d'une part, que des distinctions fonctionnelles sont à faire entre les effets mis en évidence, et d'autre part, que des processus de différente nature puissent intervenir ou être impliqués selon les effets considérés. Ce travail de thèse propose de reconsidérer la variabilité fonctionnelle du CE à travers une approche à multiples processus intégrative et continue, se distinguant des approches à multiples processus du CE classiques sur plusieurs points majeurs, dont : (i) la perspective d'un continuum entre les différents effets ; (ii) la définition et la fonction conférées aux processus associatifs et élaboratifs, envisagés sous-tendre le CE ; (iii) la relation entre ces processus ; et (iv) la nature des contenus mémorisés. Afin de développer ces aspects, nous nous appuierons sur trois points du continuum envisagé (i.e., effets de CE directs, indirects « automatisés », et indirects inférentiels), sachant que chacun de ces points illustrent des effets caractérisés par une émergence plus ou moins automatique, coûteuse, consciente, et/ou contrôlée. La validité empirique de cette approche a été examinée par la mise à l'épreuve des hypothèses concernant la variabilité potentielle dans la facilité de manifestation des effets de CE indirects. À ce titre, 4 expériences ont été effectuées en vue de démontrer que l'émergence d'un CE indirect peut être plus ou moins favorisée selon le degré de propriétés partagées entre le SN et le SA d'un couple donné. Conformément à nos attentes, les résultats obtenus suggèrent que la manifestation d'un CE peut être privilégiée par le partage élevé de propriétés SN-SA. Nous discuterons de la contribution de ces résultats pour l'approche proposée, et plus largement à l'étude du CE. Par ailleurs, les limites méthodologiques et empiriques qui touchent l'ensemble des expériences réalisées, et les perspectives futures quant à l'approche « intégrative et continue » seront considérées. / Abstract: Evaluative Conditioning (EC) can be defined as an evaluative change of a neutral stimulus (i.e., the CS), resulting from the repeated relational experiences between this stimulus and a stimulus affectively significant (i.e., the US). Numerous studies conducted on EC revealed several inconsistent results. These inconsistencies underline that two important distinctions have to be considered. The first one deals with the type of EC effects obtained, either direct or indirect. The other one concerns the type of processes underlying EC effects, associative and elaborative ones. In this thesis, we propose an integrative and continuous approach of EC that takes into account these two distinctions, and offers new insight by considering a possible continuum between direct low-level associative effects and indirect high-level elaborative effects. This perspective differs notably from the multiples processes approach classically adopted in EC. The experimental validity of this “integrative and continuous” view was examined in 4 experiments, by testing the role of the specificity of the CS-US relationship on the facility for indirect EC to emerge. Precisely, we predict that CS-US relationship presenting a high level of common properties (e.g., semantic, perceptive, or lexical properties) leads to the emergence of indirect EC effect in a privileged way. As expected, we observed that CS-US relations that shared a high-level of common properties can generate stronger or exclusive EC effects compared to stimuli that showed low-level common properties. The contribution of these results for the “integrative and continuous” approach and for EC studies is discussed, along with their methodological and empirical limits. Finally, perspectives for the future of our approach are drawn.

Le syndrome d’Ehlers-Danlos (SED) est un groupe mixte de maladies héréditaires dont la caractéristique commune est une altération d’origine génétique du tissu conjonctif. Sa forme hypermobile (SEDh) se caractérise par une hypermobilité articulaire généralisée, associée à une hyperélasticité cutanée, générant toutes deux un déficit somesthésique. Or, le système somesthésique est, avec les systèmes visuel et vestibulaire, crucialement impliqué dans le fonctionnement du système sensorimoteur. Ce travail de thèse visait donc à comprendre comment le déficit somesthésique propre au SEDh modifie les mécanismes perceptifs et sensorimoteurs sous-tendant le contrôle postural. L’appréhension de ces mécanismes s’est articulée autour de deux types d’approches : l’une indirecte, au travers de l’étude des mécanismes sensoriels sous-tendant la perception de la verticale, et l’autre directe, au travers d’analyses posturographiques approfondies.Le premier objectif de travail visait à déterminer comment le déficit somesthésique affecte l’utilisation des cadres de référence spatiale (allocentré, égocentré et géocentré) pour la perception de la verticale visuelle. Pour ce faire, nous avons conduit deux études évaluant respectivement la perception de la verticale avec ou sans indices visuels (test de la baguette et du cadre, RFT ; test de verticale visuelle subjective, VVS). Ces deux études ont montré que le déficit somesthésique diminuait la contribution du référentiel égocentré (axe corporel) à la perception de la verticale. En réponse, les patients présentent une plus grande dépendance au champ visuel et s’appuient donc préférentiellement sur le référentiel allocentré. Le second axe de travail visait à identifier les stratégies sensorielles adoptées par ces patients, et à évaluer les répercussions de celles-ci sur les mécanismes de régulation posturale. Ces questions ont été investiguées au moyen d’évaluations posturographiques approfondies, utilisant à la fois des paradigmes de perturbation sensorielle et de double tâche, ainsi que des analyses linéaires et non-linéaires. Nous avons ainsi observé que le déficit somesthésique des patients altérait la contribution de la proprioception musculaire aux mécanismes en charge de la régulation automatique de l’équilibre postural. Ces modifications dans la régulation posturale se répercutent par une augmentation du monitoring actif des oscillations posturales par le système nerveux central. En retour, les patients SEDh développent une visuodépendance, et mettent en place des stratégies adaptatives basées sur une rigidification des mécanismes correctifs à long terme. Enfin, deux études pilotes ont été conduites afin de tester l’effet de stratégies de remédiation proprioceptive, à savoir les orthèses somesthésiques et la reprogrammation sensorimotrice, sur le contrôle postural de ces patients. Chacune de ces prises en charge semble exercer un effet bénéfique sur leur contrôle postural, qui se traduit par une augmentation de la stabilité posturale lors du port des orthèses somesthésiques, et une amélioration de l’efficacité du contrôle postural suite à la reprogrammation sensorimotrice. Néanmoins, les résultats indiquent également que l’effet immédiat opéré par les dispositifs orthétiques de suppléance somesthésique est limité puisqu’il ne permet pas de diminuer la visuodépendance des patients. Cet effet est, en revanche, induit par l’action de la reprogrammation sensorimotrice, qui, par le renforcement du système proprioceptif, libère les patients SEDh de leur visuodépendance. Ainsi, ces observations nous ont permis de caractériser les spécificités de la régulation posturale chez les patients SEDh, et, de façon préliminaire, d’observer la façon dont celles-ci évoluent en réponse à des prises en charge spécifiquement orientées sur la remédiation sensorielle. / Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is the clinical manifestation of hereditary connective tissue disorders, comprising several clinical forms. The EDS hypermobility type (EDSh) is characterized by generalized joint hypermobility and variable skin hyperextensibility, which both generate somatosensory impairment. Somatosensory system is, together with visual and vestibular systems, crucially involved in sensorimotor system functioning. The aim of this work was to understand the impact of impaired proprioception on perceptive and sensorimotor mechanisms underlying postural control in EDSh patients. Evaluation of postural control was structured around two approaches. The first one was indirect, and evaluated the sensory mechanism underlying vertical perception. The second one was direct, and used detailed stabilometric analyses to investigate postural control.The first objective of this work was to evaluate how somatosensory impairment affects the contribution of spatial frame of reference (allocentric, egocentric, and geocentric) to visual vertical perception. Two types of tests were conducted to assess the vertical perception with and without visual information (Rod and Frame Test, RFT; Subjective visual vertical, SVV). These two studies showed that somatosensory impairment reduces the contribution of egocentric frame of reference (body axis) to vertical perception. In response, patients increase their visual field dependence, and thus, use preferentially allocentric frame of reference. The second axis aimed to identify sensory strategies adopted by these patients and their repercussion on postural regulation mechanisms. To investigate this question, a thorough postural assessment was conducted, using sensory perturbation and dual-task paradigm, and linear and non-linear analyses. We observed that somatosensory impairment impacts muscular proprioceptive contribution to automatic regulation mechanism involved in postural control. These modifications in postural regulation induce an increase of active monitoring of postural sway. In response, EDSh patients develop a visual dependence, and produce adaptive strategies based on stiffening of corrective mechanisms acting in long term. Finally, two pilot studies were conducted to test the impact of proprioceptive remediation, somatosensory orthoses and sensorimotor rehabilitation program, on postural control of these patients. Both of these two therapeutic solutions seem to induce a beneficial effect on postural control. This effect is reflected by an improvement of postural stability when patients wore somatosensory orthoses, and an enhancement of postural efficiency in response to sensorimotor rehabilitation. However, results also indicate that the immediate effect induced by orthotic device of somatosensory substitution is limited, because it did not help to decrease visual dependency. Hence, these observations allowed us to identify the postural regulation specificities in EDSh patients, and, in a preliminary way, to observe how they change in response to therapeutic solutions based on sensory remediation.

Sixth grade students at a Mid-Atlantic, urban, PreK-8 public school have shown weak mathematical performance. In accordance with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the local district has implemented numerous policy changes to improve performance, but no substantial improvements in test scores have been seen so far. This project study focused on the development of automaticity and fluency of math facts to address this problem. The theoretical framework of the study was based on Haring and Eaton's instructional competency hierarchy framework, which claims that students who master basic mathematics skills are better able to progress to more general and abstract skills. A modified, quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control-group design was used with 2 groups of 20 sixth grade students who were neither randomly selected nor assigned to either group. Data analysis using one-way analysis of variance revealed that computer aided instruction--specifically, Fluency and Automaticity through Systematic Teaching and Technology (FASTT) Math--was more effective than the other classroom's mathematics instruction in developing multiplication fluency. In response, a curriculum policy recommendation was drafted as a project and will be presented to the board of education to conduct additional evaluations of FASTT Math as a supplemental tool in third through eighth grades in the district. This project is expected to contribute to social change by improving mathematics achievement which will create a mathematically literate cadre of students to meet the needs of 21st century employers, thus improving the quality of life in the broader community.