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The use of digital tools to support pupils with reading difficulties

Pol Ghesquière, Jurgen Tijms, Lenka Krejčová,

Monica Ward & Eamonn McCauley

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Problem statement

  • Reading difficulties lead to …
      • reduced reading motivation and interest
      • less persistence with challenging reading tasks
      • avoid reading
      • less reading experience

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    • a vicious circle threatens

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Problem statement

  • Educational technology can counteract this
      • by increasing reading motivation
      • especially when gamification is involved

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    • challenge: implementing serious games in regular reading education

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And why apps / games?

trusted medium for children

motivating through a reward system / direct feedback

aligns with their world of experience through visual images

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adaptive:

    • minimal failure experience
    • problems can be repeated in a playful manner

intensive exposure possible

safe environment

autonomy / less teacher time necessary

continuous progress monitoring

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Selected app

  • Advantages for the children
    • autonomy
    • fun
    • not too schoolish
    • motivation to play

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  • Teachers / researchers
    • in line with adequate theory
    • tested in a clinical setting
    • monitoring: Karaton Academy

karaton.be

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Structure of the app

  • Learning part: 8 minigames
    • ‘lianas’ & ‘binding lianas’
        • flash word reading
    • ‘cleaving rocks’ & ‘ore oven’
        • word recognition
    • ‘chopping wood’ & ‘sawing wood’
        • splitting words in syllables
    • ‘dodo-race’ & ‘balancing duel’
        • copying
        • accelerated reading - writing
        • auditory dictation

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Structure of the app

  • Playing part: role-playing game

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Randomized control trial

  • Participants
    • 76 pupils / 4°grade (37 F/ 39 M) – 8 schools
    • score below pc 10 on reading fluency
    • 39 experimental condition – 37 control condition (at random per class)

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  • Interventions
    • Karaton versus extra book reading
    • 20 minutes / 3 times per week
    • 3 months

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  • Measures
    • word-, pseudoword-, text reading (accuracy and speed) (pre- and post-intervention)
    • Raven Progressive Matrices (cognitive skills)
    • Fun experienced during the extra reading activity

Master thesis of Aimée Gheeraert & Sofie Hendrix

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Word-, pseudoword- and text reading speed

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Results

  • No correlation between reading progress and pupil characteristics (in general and in both groups separately)
      • gender
      • language at home
      • SES

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  • Minigames and reading progress
      • significant, weak positive correlation between progress in word reading and the amount of trained words in the minigames ‘word recognition’ (r = .35) and in the minigames ‘splitting words in syllables’ (r = .30)

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Fun during the extra reading activity

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Conclusion

  • Karaton is not more, but also not less effective than ‘extra book reading’
      • BUT with more fun during this extra activity

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  • Elements to take into consideration
      • 20’ Karaton intervention = reading time plus playing time / control = 20’ reading time
        • what if reading time would have been equal?
      • Adaptivity was not yet individualized but groupwise organized
        • Karaton is developed as a supplement to individual remedial teaching

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  • Current developments
      • Inclusion of AI to automatise the adaptivity
      • Exploring the conditions for implementation in a regular classroom practice
        • AdAPPtive : Communities of Practice

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The Literacy IT Framework: School level

Implementation of IT in regular classroom practice

      • Technological infrastructure
      • Monitoring system for student outcomes
      • Professional support for teachers
      • Motivation of pupils
      • Monitoring of fidelity, evaluation of outcomes

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Sustaining the use of IT

      • Innovative school culture
      • Reading policy and practical implications
      • Teacher professional development plans

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