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A Research Review: How Technology Helps to Improve the Learning Process of Learners with Dyslexia

November 2017
Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development 2(2)

DOI:10.33736/jcshd.510.2017

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Dyslexia is a language disorder that leads to difficulty with words and it is the most common type of learning disability. This article presents a systematic review on the current state of assistive technologies used in improving the learning process of learners with dyslexia. A total of 25 journals articles and international conference papers published between 2000 and 2014 were included in the review. The research articles were collected from 12 databases and analyzed based on the qualitative cyclical process. A majority of the studies focused on children and adolescents. Four main themes on the types of technologies used in aiding the learning process of learners with dyslexia are derived and discussed. These include text-to-speech, eye-tracking, virtual learning environments, and games. The text-to-speech technology is the most common type of technology used by learners with dyslexia. In terms of the roles played by the assistive technologies, another four emerging themes are identified, which cover the roles of aiding reading, writing, memory, and mathematics. The review also discovers that a majority of these studies focus on the use of technologies for improving the reading ability of learners with dyslexia. Keywords: Assistive technology; Dyslexia; Research review; Learning

The list of papers and the respective databases

…

Matrix of 25 papers

…

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INTRODUCTION

Learning disabilities are commonly ac-

cepted as “neurological disorders that can

cause difficulty in acquiring certain aca-

demic and social skills” (National Center

for Learning Disabilities, 2014). It is re-

ported that over one billion people in the

world have some forms of learning disa-

bilities and about 150 million of them are

school-aged students (Laabidi et al.,

2014). According to National Center for

Learning Disabilities (2014), there are

four main types of learning disabilities,

which are Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dys-

graphia and Dyspraxia. Among these

four, Dyslexia is one of the most common

ABSTRACT

Dyslexia is a language disorder that leads to difficulty with words and it is the most

common type of learning disability. This article presents a systematic review on the

current state of assistive technologies used in improving the learning process of learn-

ers with dyslexia. A total of 25 journals articles and international conference papers

published between 2000 and 2014 were included in the review. The research articles

were collected from 12 databases and analyzed based on the qualitative cyclical pro-

cess. A majority of the studies focused on children and adolescents. Four main themes

on the types of technologies used in aiding the learning process of learners with dys-

lexia are derived and discussed. These include text-to-speech, eye-tracking, virtual

learning environments, and games. The text-to-speech technology is the most common

type of technology used by learners with dyslexia. In terms of the roles played by the

assistive technologies, another four emerging themes are identified, which cover the

roles of aiding reading, writing, memory, and mathematics. The review also discovers

that a majority of these studies focus on the use of technologies for improving the

reading ability of learners with dyslexia.

Keywords: Assistive technology; Dyslexia; Research review; Learning

COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

A Research Review: How Technology Helps to Improve the Learning Pro-

cess of Learners with Dyslexia

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen*

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia

ARTICLE INFO

E-mail address:

cjchen@unimas.my

(Chwen Jen CHEN)

*Corresponding author

e-ISSN: 2550-1623

Development, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

learning disabilities (Saviour et al., 2009).

Learners with dyslexia often face difficul-

ties to perform accurate word recognition,

decoding, reading, spelling, speaking and

writing (Lapkin, 2014).

Dyslexia is a language learning disorder

that leads to difficulties in reading,

spelling and phonological (Oakland et al.,

1998). It is a neurological disorder and of-

ten linked to genetic condition (Chan,

Foss, & Poisner, 2009). As reported by

Rahmani (2011), it is estimated that four

percent of the world population is af-

fected by severe dyslexia and another six

percent have mild to moderate dyslexia.

The use of information and communica-

tion technologies (ICTs) assisted learning

has increased significantly, and those

with learning disabilities form a portion

of this population. More than a decade

ago, it is estimated that in developing

countries, less than ten percent of children

with learning disabilities do not receive

any education (Florian, 2003). Florian

(2003) further asserts that even in devel-

oped countries, policies that call for

greater involvement of special needs stu-

dents in education seem to conflict with

other educational policies that emphasis

on high achievement. However, in a re-

port by Nolan et al. (2004), the number of

students with disabilities accessing

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), in-

cluding professional courses has in-

creased significantly from year to year.

The rapid advancement of technologies

most probably explains this change as

more and more assistive technologies are

introduced to widen the opportunities for

students with learning disabilities to over-

come the obstacles that they encounter in

the traditional education systems.

Assistive technology is the technology

used by people with disability that builds

on individuals’ strengths, compensates

for their disabilities and improves their

performance (Lewis, 1998). The use of

assistive technology enables learners with

dyslexia to complete their tasks inde-

pendently and efficiently, and may subse-

quently, improve their academic achieve-

ment. There are specific adjustment soft-

ware or devices for manipulating the

computer in order to enable users to ac-

cess the content on screen, command the

computer and process the data (Laabidi et

al., 2014). As mentioned by Laabidi et al.

(2014), the specific adjustment software

or devices are screen reading software,

screen magnification software, braille

display, alternate input devices, special

keyboard, keyboard enhancements and

accelerators, and alternative pointing de-

vices.

Many articles have been published on the

development of technologies to assist

people with learning disabilities and there

are also several recent existing reviews of

the literature on this development (Desid-

eri et al., 2013; Laabidi et al., 2014;

Starcic & Bagon, 2014). However, the ex-

isting reviews emphasize on assistive

technologies for various types of disabili-

ties or special needs. Indeed, there is still

a lack of major reviews that focus specif-

ically on those with dyslexia despite the

fact that dyslexia is the most common

type of learning disability (Saviour et al.,

2009). This review focuses on the current

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

state of research and development on how

technologies aid the learning process of

learners with dyslexia.

METHODOLOGY

The databases used for data collection in-

clude ACM Digital Library, Google

Scholar, IEEE Xplore Digital Library,

Springer, Elsevier, Emerald Insight,

Wiley Online Library, National Academy

of Sciences (NAS), Taylor & Francis

Group, informa healthcare, EdITLib, and

The Higher Education Academy Journals.

A list of search terms was used in the

search process. These include “assistive

tools”, “assistive technology”, “types of

assistive technology”, “learning process

of dyslexic students”, “dyslexia”, “learn-

ers with dyslexia”, “people with dyslexia”

and “person with dyslexia”. The search

terms were combined by mean of Boolean

logical operator ‘AND’ in order to de-

crease the scope and reduce the number of

non-pertinent results. Three steps were in-

volved in the search process. First, the ti-

tles of the retrieved papers were reviewed.

The articles with unrelated focuses such

as those emphasizing on physical disabil-

ities were excluded. Then, the abstracts of

all selected papers were read. The crite-

rion for inclusion before moving on to

next step is that the articles must include

specific emphasis on assistive technology

and dyslexia. Finally, the selected articles

were read in full and analyzed.

A total of 25 journal articles and interna-

tional conference papers published be-

tween 2000 and 2014 were included in the

review. Table 1 shows the databases and

the selected articles from the respective

databases.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

This section presents the review findings

of the 25 selected papers. It provides an

overview of the review via a matrix. This

is followed by highlighting the themes

that were derived from the review. Two

main themes, technologies involved and

the roles of these technologies, were iden-

tified.

Matrix of current research

Eleven out of the 25 reviewed papers

mention the age range of the participants

of their studies and it was found that the

majority of them focused on children and

adolescents. The review also reveals that

existing assistive technologies function to

improve the learning process of learners

with dyslexia, particularly their reading

and writing as well as improving their

memory and mathematical skills.

Crystallized intelligence or the ability to

use learned knowledge and experience is

important in language development.

Crystallized intelligence grows through

during adulthood and remains relatively

stable until old age (Schroeders, Schipo-

lowski, & Wilhelm, 2014). Hence, chil-

dren and adolescents with dyslexia re-

quire additional tools (assistive technolo-

gies) to improve their crystallized intelli-

gence for language development purposes

and this may possibly explain the focus of

most papers on children and adolescents.

Table 2 shows the matrix of findings.

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

Types of technologies

The review reveals that a wide variety of

assistive technologies are available to

support learners with dyslexia based on

their needs. Four main types of technolo-

gies that help to improve the learning pro-

cess of learners with dyslexia were

dervied, namely, text-to-speech technolo-

gies, eye tracking technologies, virtual

learning environments and games.

Text-to-speech technologies

Text-to-speech technology is the most

common assistive technology used by

learners with dyslexia. Schiavo & Buson

(2014) discussed the opportunities of us-

ing interactive e-Books for improving the

reading skills of learners with dyslexia.

Interactive e-Books allow the readers to

record their voice while reading. In addi-

tion, the interactive e-Books permit the

reader to listen and practise the recogni-

tion of basic units of speech within differ-

ent words that aims to improve the

reader’s phonemic awareness as well as

his or her ability to memorize and practise

word recognition.

Rekha et al. (2013) developed Read-Aid,

an assistive reading tool to improve read-

ing pattern among children with dyslexia.

The Read-Aid Tool consists of two sim-

ple tabs: a start tab for setting the view

(font settings and number of words to dis-

play), and a read tab to read the targeted

text. The intervention of Read-Aid Tool

Table 1: The list of papers and the respective databases

No.

Database

Paper

Total

paper

ACM Digital Library

Abdullah, Hisham, & Parumo (2009); Rello & Baeza-

Yates (2014);

Rello, et al. (2014)

EdITLib

Dziorny (2007)

Elsevier

Kalyvioti & Mikropoulos (2012); Malekian & Askari

(2013); Rello, Kanvinde, & Baeza-Yates

(2012)

Emerald Insight

Mpia Ndombo, Ojo, & Osunmakinde

(2013)

Google Scholar

Arendal & Brandt (2005); Nelson & Parker (2004);

Schiavo & Buson (2014)

IEEE Xplore Digital

Library

Ahmad, Jinon, & Rosmani (2013); Khakhar & Madh-

vanath (2010); Tzouveli et al. (2008)

informa healthcare

Draffan, Evans, & Blenkhorn

(2007)

National Academy of

Sciences (NAS)

Hornickel et al. (2012)

Springer

Al-Edaily, Al-Wabil, & Al-Ohali (2013); Diraa et al.

(2009); Freda et al. (2008); Moe & Wright (2013);

Rekha et al. (2013);

10.

Taylor & Francis

Group

Chiang & Liu (2011)

11.

The Higher Education

Academy Journals

Draffan (2001)

12.

Wiley Online Library

Ecalle et al. (2008); Habib et al. (2012)

Table 2. Matrix of 25 papers

Study / Target

Population

Methodology

Participants /

Age

Technology in-

volved

Purposes

Abdullah,

Hisham, & Pa-

rumo (2009)

Children with

dyslexia in Ma-

laysia

Developmental

work

MyLexics

-Dual coding the-

ory (visual and

verbal)

-Scaffolding

teaching strategy

Reading and writ-

ing

-helps children

with dyslexia read

and write in Malay

language (alpha-

bets, syllables and

words)

Ahmad, Jinon,

& Rosmani

(2013)

Children with

dyslexia

Developmental

research

Special educa-

tion primary

school teachers

(for the evalua-

tion of Math-

Lexic)

MathLexic (inter-

active multimedia

application)

-number recogni-

tion

-number sequence

- mathematical

symbols

-mathematical op-

erations

Mathematical

learning

-improve under-

standing

-improve mathe-

matical skills

Al-Edaily, Al-

Wabil, & Al-

Ohali (2013)

Experimental re-

14 female chil-

dren (7 with dys-

lexia and 7 with-

out dyslexia)

10 to 12 years

old

Dyslexia Explorer

-screening system

that uses eye

tracking technolo-

gies

Analyze visual

patterns of reading

Aggregate

measures of eye

gaze intensity and

patterns

Arendal &

Brandt (2005)

Pilot study

18 adults with

dyslexia

@lphatec

-computer as-

sisted reading and

writing

Reading and

spelling

-improve reading

skills and spelling

of coherent words

significantly

Chiang & Liu

(2011)

Qualitative re-

15 volunteer

male students

from 10 high

Assistive reading

software

-Kurzweil 3000

Reading and

spelling

-pronunciation

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

Students with

learning disabil-

ities (dyslexia)

-semi structured

individual inter-

views

schools located

in Taipei

-comprehension

Diraa, Engelen,

Ghesquiere, &

Neyens (2009)

Students with

dyslexia

Experimental re-

32 participants

(17 students for

Kurzweil 3000

and 15 students

for Sprint)

19 to 38 years

old

Special purpose

software

-Kurzweil 3000

-Sprint

Reading

-improve reading

speed

-detect mistakes

Draffan (2001)

Learners with

dyslexia

Exploratory re-

Large, talking cal-

culators

Mathematical

learning

Draffan, Evans,

& Blenkhorn

(2007)

1000 candidate

participants se-

lected from the

customer rec-

ords of Micro-

link PC(UK)

Ltd.

Quantitative and

qualitative study

475 accepted tel-

ephone inter-

views and 455

were identified

to have dyslexia

General purpose

hardware

Special purpose

hardware

General purpose

software

Special purpose

software

Improve the learn-

ing process in gen-

eral

Dziorny (2007)

Students with

dyslexia

Qualitative study

Digital Game-

based Learning

(DGL)

-help students to

develop a frame-

work for concep-

tual understanding

-assist problem

solving

-improve students’

motivation and in-

terest

Ecalle, Magnan,

Bouchafa, &

Gombert (2008)

Experimental re-

30 children with

dyslexia (26 for

experiment 1 and

4 for experiment

Computer game

incorporating an

audio-visual pho-

neme discrimina-

tion task with or-

tho-phono-logical

units

Improve literacy

skill

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

Freda, Pagliara,

Ferraro, Zan-

fardino, & Pep-

ino (2008)

Students with

dyslexia

Developmental

work

LaTex

-parser (enables

LaTex to associ-

ate each mathe-

matical object

with its matching

spoken mathemat-

ical language

Mathematical

Learning

-read technical and

scientific docu-

ments

-understand the

spatial structure of

formulas and ma-

trices

-write paper with

technical and sci-

entific content in

electronic form

Habib, Berget,

Sandnes, Sand-

erson, Kahn,

Fagernes, &

Olcay (2012)

Exploratory re-

Qualitative data

-semi structured

interviews

Quantitative data

-questionnaire

12 adults with

dyslexia in-

volved in semi-

structured inter-

views and 24

adults (12 with

dyslexia and 12

without dyslexia)

involved in ques-

tionnairesurvey

19 to 36 years

old

Virtual learning

environments

(VLEs)

-VLE Fronter

-eye-tracking de-

vice

-talking word pro-

cesser

Writing

-save time (spell-

checker and gram-

mar checker high-

light mistakes)

-identify and cor-

rect errors

Hornickel,

Zecker, Brad-

low, & Kraus

(2012)

Experimental re-

38 normal hear-

ing children with

dyslexia (16 fe-

male and 22

male) – divided

into an experi-

mental group

(using FM sys-

tems) and a con-

trol group

8 to 14 years old

Assistive listening

devices (class-

room FM sys-

tems)

Reading

-improve auditory

attention (auditory

brainstem re-

sponses to speech

became more con-

sistent) and phono-

logical awareness

Kalyvioti &

Mikropoulos

(2012)

Undergraduate

students of Uni-

versity of Ioan-

nina, Greece

Developmental

research

Control group: 7

students without

dyslexia (3 male

and 4 female)

Experimental

group: 7 students

with dyslexia (4

male and 3 fe-

male)

VIRDA-MS (Vir-

tual Reality Dys-

lexia Assessment-

Memory Screen-

ing)

Help to cope with

daily memory

challenges

-tackling short-

term memory and

long-term memory

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Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

Khakhar &

Madhvanath

(2010)

Children with

dyslexia

Developmental

work

Jollymate (emu-

late the Jolly

Phonics system)

-Lipi Toolkit

-Lipi IDE

-improve reading

and writing skill of

children with dys-

lexia

Malekian & As-

kari (2013)

Elementary

school second

grade male stu-

dents with dys-

lexia in

Aligudarz city

Quasi-experiment

research

40 randomly se-

lected male stu-

dents with dys-

lexia

Experimental

group: 20 stu-

dents

Control group:

20 students

Multi-sensory

game

Reading

-improve word

reading

-reduce the diffi-

culty of word

chain

-improve text un-

derstanding

-reduce the prob-

lem of phonemes

omission

Moe & Wright

(2013)

497 of Nota’s

members (the

user group)

Qualitative re-

-telephone survey

200 randomly

chosen children

and adolescences

(the comparison

group)

12 to 16 years

old

Hybrid audio

books

Reading

-improve reading

skill

Ndombo, Ojo,

& Osunmakinde

(2013)

People with

dyslexia at all

age groups

(children and

adults)

Peer-reviewed pa-

per

Intelligent inte-

grative assistive

system

-RL Machine

Learning (game

middleware) Al-

gorithm

-HMM Machine

Learning Algo-

rithm (phonologi-

cal and reading

barriers)

-PPM Machine

Learning Algo-

rithm (writing

barriers)

Phonological

-improve the skill

of syllable aware-

ness, onset-rime

awareness and

phoneme aware-

ness

Reading skill

-improve the skill

of word recogni-

tion

Writing skill

-reduce the num-

ber of mistakes

Nelson & Par-

ker (2004)

Replication of

O’Hare study

Web based sur-

vey: 220 re-

spondents (68%

with dyslexia)

Voice Recogni-

tion (VR) soft-

ware

Writing

-improve spelling

and writing

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Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

Chronological

age ranging from

12 to 14 years

old

Reading age

ranging from 9

to 10 years old

-save time from

typing and hand-

writing

Rekha, Gol-

lapudi, Sam-

path, & In-

durkhya (2013)

Experimental re-

15 children – 8

boys and 7 girls

(12 with dyslexia

and 3 without

dyslexia – for

comparison and

evaluation pur-

poses)

8.5 to 11.5 years

old

Manual-masked

technique

Read-Aid Tool

Reading

-improve reading

speed

-improve reading

comprehension

scores

-decrease reading

errors

Rello & Baeza-

Yates (2014)

Experimental re-

-online question-

naire

-semi-structured

interview

Experimental

group: 32 partic-

ipants with dys-

lexia (18 female

and 14 male)

Control group:

38 participants

without dyslexia

(24 female and

14 male)

Usability evalua-

tion: 12 partici-

pants with dys-

lexia (3 female

and 9 male)

6 to 52 years old

(mean = 23.15

years)

DysWebxia

-CASSA (Context

Aware Synonym

Simplification Al-

gorithms)

Reading

-improve reading

performance

-provide suitable

and simpler syno-

nyms for complex

words

Rello, Bayarri,

Otal, & Pielot

(2014)

54 potential par-

ticipants with

literacy difficul-

ties

Quantitative re-

-questionnaire

-one pre-tests and

two post-tests

48 children with

dyslexia (29 girls

and 19 boys)

6 to 11 years old

(mean = 8.79

years)

DysEggxia (game

designed to sup-

port spelling ac-

quisition)

Writing

-improve spelling

skills

-reduce spelling

errors

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

Rello,

Kanvinde, &

Baeza-Yates

(2012)

Quantitative and

quantitative re-

-semi-structured

interviews, ques-

tionnaire, and

think aloud tech-

nique

Target group: 22

native Spanish

speakers with

dyslexia

Control group:

22 participants

without dyslexia

13 to 37 years

old (mean = 21.1

years)

Control group

mean age =

21.27 years

IDEAL eBook

Reader

-text-to-speech

technology

-eye-tracking de-

vices

Reading

Schiavo & Bu-

son (2014)

Learners (read-

ers) with dys-

lexia

Empirical re-

Interactive e-

books

Reading

-improve in mem-

orizing

-practise word pro-

nunciation

-improve phone-

mic awareness

Tzouveli,

Schmidt,

Schneider,

Symvonis, &

Kollias (2008)

People with

dyslexia

Developmental

work

AGENT-DYSL

system

-recording and

analysis compo-

nent

-knowledge infra-

structure

-profiling and

content presenta-

tion component

Reading

-supports the use

of any teaching

material used in

classroom educa-

tion

-provides the re-

quired additional

reading assistance

shows children’s improvement in terms

of reading speed, comprehension scores,

and reduction in reading errors.

Rello et al. (2012) presented IDEAL

eBook Reader, an ebook reader that dis-

plays ebooks in a more accessible method

based on the reader’s needs. IDEAL

eBook Reader enables reader to custom-

ize the parameters (font styles, color, font

size, brightness contrast, and spacing) for

greater comfort while reading. It also pro-

vides DysWebxia default setting which

sets all the parameters specifically for

learners with dyslexia. Besides that,

IDEAL eBook Reader supports text-to-

speech technology that allows readers to

listen to the eBook content in the form of

audio. This tool is compatible with a wide

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

range of text-to-speech engines that sup-

port multiple languages. In addition, the

text being read out loud is highlighted so

that readers can always follow the read-

ing.

An assistive reading software, Kurzweil

3000 was used as an intervention tool to

improve reading speed, spelling, pronun-

ciation and comprehension (Chiang &

Liu, 2011; Diraa et al., 2009). This Kur-

zweil 3000 software can access both

printed and electronic documents. Be-

sides Kurzweil 3000, Diraa et al. (2009)

also employed Sprint, another assistive

reading software in their study. Sprint

adds speech and language technology to a

computer and reads the available text on

the computer out loud. Sprint is very use-

ful in detecting mistakes because it is able

to read aloud when text is entered to the

computer.

Khakhar & Madhvanath (2010) elabo-

rated on Jollymate, a self-learning device

for children with dyslexia. Jollymate em-

ulates the Jolly Phonics system in teach-

ing letter sounds and letter formation. In

this case, Lipi IDE tool from the Lipi

Toolkit project is used to recognize hand-

written characters and detect mistakes

when a character is written incorrectly.

Additionally, Ecalle et al. (2009) used a

computerized ‘talking book’ program that

reads aloud words and these words appear

on a window of the screen.

Eye-tracking Technologies

Eye-tracking technology is an indirect

way to improve the learning process of

learners with dyslexia. Al-Edaily et al.

(2013) designed a screening system for

dyslexia using an eye tracking technology

called “Dyslexia Explorer”. Dyslexia Ex-

plorer aims to help specialists in analyz-

ing the visual patterns of reading and ag-

gregating the measures of eye gaze inten-

sity and patterns. Firstly, Dyslexia Ex-

plorer captures the eye movement when

the learner is reading some scripts. Then,

a Fixation Filtering Algorithm is used by

the system to filter the gaze readings to

fixations and saccades. Finally, the sys-

tem analyzes the duration of fixations and

spatial distribution. Hence, eye tracking

technology enables specialists to identify

reading problems and phonological diffi-

culties, particularly for the purpose of de-

signing effective remedial programs for

learners with dyslexia.

In the study by Habib et al. (2012), an eye

tracking device is used to record the par-

ticipants’ eye movement during their in-

teraction with a virtual learning system

and the interview session. It facilitates the

researchers’ observation process. In an-

other experimental study by Rello et al.

(2012), an eye tracker (Tobii T50) was

used for recordings when the participant

read in silence the passages. The eye

tracking data was then analyzed using To-

bii Studio and the R 2.14.1 statistical soft-

ware. Lastly, the mean of the duration of

fixations and number of fixations were

determined. All in all, eye tracking tech-

nology has indirectly contributed to the

learning process of learners with dyslexia.

Virtual Learning Environments

Habib et al. (2012) defined a virtual learn-

ing environment as a software system de-

signed to support teaching and learning.

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

In their study on the effect of the in-

creased use of virtual learning environ-

ments on the learning experience of learn-

ers with dyslexia, it was found that such

virtual learning environments improved

their writing skills and writing activities.

In addition, the word processor used in

the virtual learning environment increases

writing efficiency because it provides

spellchecker and grammar checker that

highlight mistakes that users would have

not otherwise noticed.

Kalyvioti & Mikropoulos (2012) de-

signed and developed VIRDA-MS (Vir-

tual Reality Dyslexia Assessment-

Memory Screening) virtual environments

to improve the memory performance of

adults with dyslexia by using the Su-

perscape 5.10 software package. In this

study, three memory systems were exam-

ined, namely short-term memory, work-

ing memory and long-term memory. The

“Direct Visual Sequence Recall” task was

employed in the short-term memory test;

“Direct and Reversed Visual Sequences

Recall” task in the working memory test

and “Visual Stimuli Synthesis” task in the

long-term memory test. The results of the

study indicates that learners with dyslexia

and learners without dyslexia performed

similarly well in the test and subtests for

short-term memory, working memory,

and long-term memory.

Games

Rello et al. (2014) presented DysEggxia,

a game designed to improve the spelling

skills of children with dyslexia. The writ-

ing errors found in the texts written by

children with dyslexia were used to create

training exercises prior to integrating

these exercises in DysEggxia. DysEggxia

contains 5000 exercises with different

levels of difficulty for children with dys-

lexia. These exercises can be categorized

into six types of errors that frequently ap-

pear in the analyzed text. Malekian & As-

kari (2013) have done a survey on the ef-

fect of multi-sensory games among male

students with dyslexia. The purpose of us-

ing multi-sensory games is to assist read-

ing and spelling among children with dys-

lexia because they are unable to learn let-

ters and words from common instructions

at schools and require special instruction

to attract their attention. The results of the

survey indicate that multi-sensory games

are effective in reducing the problem of

reading as well as understanding words

and text.

Besides, the study by Ecalle et al. (2009)

shows that literacy skills of children with

dyslexia can be improved by undergoing

training using a computer game that in-

corporates an audio-visual phoneme dis-

crimination task with phonological units

presented simultaneously with ortho-

graphic units. The computerized ‘talking

book’ program (animated multimedia

talking book) used in the study allows

children to read texts on the computer

screen with speech feedback. Game-

based assistive technology is also being

used in higher education to assist learners

with dyslexia. Dziorny (2007) discusses

the effect of Digital Game-based Learn-

ing (DGL) for learners with dyslexia in

higher education. In DGL, learners with

dyslexia can create their own framework

to enhance their understanding. In addi-

tion, DGL allows learners with dyslexia

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

to solve problems and explore new mate-

rials by using their own creativity instead

of relying on written or verbal communi-

cations. Furthermore, DGL presents inter-

esting and motivational learning plat-

forms for learners with dyslexia, hence

inspiring them to work through the diffi-

culties in their learning process.

Roles of assistive technologies

This section discusses the four main

themes that revolve around the roles of

the assistive technologies, which include

providing aid for reading, writing,

memory, and mathematical learning.

Reading

Fifteen out of twenty-five studies (Abdul-

lah et al., 2009; Al-Edaily et al., 2013; Ar-

endal & Brandt, 2005; Chiang & Liu,

2011; Diraa et al., 2009; Hornickel, 2012;

Khakhar & Madhvanath, 2010; Malekian

& Askari, 2013; Moe & Wright, 2013;

Ndombo et al., 2013; Rekha et al., 2013;

Rello & Baeza-Yates, 2014; Rello et al.,

2012; Schiavo & Buson, 2014; Tzouveli

et al., 2008) indicate that the use of assis-

tive technologies to improve reading

among learners with dyslexia. It is notice-

able that reading can be improved either

directly or indirectly.

The most commonly used assistive tech-

nologies to improve reading directly are

the text-to-speech technologies. Text-to-

speech technologies enable learners with

dyslexia to listen and practise repetitively

on the targeted words or texts. Hence, it

can improve their word pronunciation,

reading speed and decrease reading er-

rors. Apart from that, text-to-speech tech-

nologies can improve the phonological

awareness, phonemic awareness and re-

duce the problem of phonemes omission.

The assistive technologies employed in

improving reading skills indirectly are the

eye tracking technologies. Eye tracker is

used to capture the eye movement during

the reading session of learners with dys-

lexia. The collected data are analyzed and

the duration of fixations is determined.

Conclusively, it is prevalent that eye

tracking technologies allow specialists to

figure out the different patterns of reading

problems among learners with dyslexia

and find a suitable solution for each cate-

gory of patterns.

Writing

As discovered in this review, writing is

another important purpose for the use of

assistive technologies. The technologies

employed in improving the writing skills

of learners with dyslexia include voice

recognition software (Nelson & Parker

2004), computer games (Rello et al.,

2014) and virtual learning environments

(Habib et al., 2012). While text-to-speech

technologies translate written text to spo-

ken speech, the voice recognition soft-

ware translates spoken speech or words

into written text on screen for learners

with dyslexia (Nelson & Parker, 2004).

With such assistance, it improves their

spelling and writing as well as efficiency

because typing is not required with such

voice recognition software. Furthermore,

spellchecker helps to identify and correct

errors, hence reduces the number of mis-

takes made by learners with dyslexia.

Memory

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

Information and Communications Tech-

nologies (ICT) and Virtual Reality (VR)

technology offer safe and controlled envi-

ronments that provides high level of inter-

activity, immediate feedback, and con-

tribute to the improvement of visual pro-

cessing skills and short-term memory

(Phipps et al., 2002). Kalyvioti & Mikro-

poulos (2012) developed virtual reality

environments to improve the memory

performance of adults with dyslexia.

Three memory systems (short-term

memory, working memory and long-term

memory) were examined in the study.

The study reveals that both learners with

dyslexia and learners without dyslexia

showed similar memory performance

with the aid of the virtual reality learning

environments.

Mathematical learning

Children with dyslexia face problems in

seeing words, writing numbers in inverted

form, and solving arithmetic calculations.

There are four studies that discussed the

assistive technologies used in improving

the mathematical skills of learners with

dyslexia. Ahmad et al. (2013), for exam-

ple, designed MathLexic, an interactive

multimedia application to improve the

mathematical learning among learners

with dyslexia. MathLexic provides exer-

cises to improve the performance of chil-

dren with dyslexia in various aspects such

as number recognition, number sequence,

mathematical symbols and mathematical

operations.

Freda et al. (2008) and Draffan (2001)

conducted studies on the reading and

writing of mathematical representations

with the support of speech synthesizers.

Nowadays, word processors with inte-

grated speech synthesizer are widely used

by those with reading and writing disabil-

ities. However, word processors are not

utilized in the mathematical field because

the screen reader that supports the speech

synthesizer is not able to interpret non-

text elements such as images, symbols

and graphics. With the aim of overcoming

such limitation, Freda et al. (2008) devel-

oped a software that enables learners with

dyslexia to read technical and scientific

documents and understand the spatial

structure of formulas and matrixes. LaTex

is a textual markup language that is being

used as a transitional language. In the

software developed by Freda et at. (2008),

LaTex is integrated with a parser to asso-

ciate each mathematical object with its

matching spoken mathematical language

to produce speech in natural language.

CONCLUSION

In general, this study provides a synthe-

sized view on the current state of assistive

technology used in improving learning

process of learners with dyslexia and keep

readers up to date on the suitable types of

technologies used for learners with dys-

lexia. Specifically, the study reveals four

main themes on the types of assistive

technologies used in aiding the learning

process of learners with dyslexia, namely,

text-to-speech technologies, eye-tracking

technologies, virtual learning environ-

ments, and games. In addition, another

four main themes were derived based on

the roles of these assistive technologies

which include aiding reading, writing,

memory, and mathematical learning. The

review also discovers that a majority of

Jing Ting Chai and Chwen Jen Chen

Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. Vol. 2 (2), 26-43, March 2017

the papers reviewed set their focus on

younger learners with dyslexia. Hence,

future studies may place emphasis on

older learners with dyslexia as dyslexia

does not go away over time (Foundations

Tutoring, 2013). Future development may

also focus on building assistive technol-

ogy devices with open hardware. Hunley

(2015) mentions that the basic tenets of

open hardware are openness and usability

that enable the creation of more custom-

ized and personalized assistive technol-

ogy devices. Open hardware allows the

features of assistive technology devices to

be added or removed as the learners’

needs change with age and ability, thus

extending the life of their devices (Hun-

ley, 2015). All in all, this review has pro-

vided valuable insight on the current

trends pertaining to the use of assistive

technology in helping the dyslexics to

gain better learning experiences.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors acknowledge the financial

support rendered by Universiti Malaysia

Sarawak through Fundamental Research

Grant Scheme, Ministry of Education,

Malaysia, grant no. FRGS/06(20)/

847/2012(87).

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Dec 2024

Disleksia adalah gangguan dalam proses belajar yang ditandai dengan kesulitan membaca, menulis dan mengeja. Perkembangan teknologi saat ini dapat dimanfaatkan dalam semua bidang, termasuk pada pembelajaran anak berkebutuhan khusus seperti disleksia. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan membaca menggunakan teknologi Text-To-Speech (TTS) dengan Machine Learning Amazon Polly yang ada pada AWS cloud. Penelitian menggunakan dua metode: review literatur dan eksperimen dengan pre-test dan post-test untuk menilai pengaruh teknologi terhadap kemampuan membaca. Review literatur dengan mengkaji kumpulan literatur dari penelitian terdahulu sebagai sumber data dan data yang diperoleh akan dianalisis secara deskriptif kualitatif untuk mengetahui pengaruh teknologi terhadap kemampuan membaca. Metode kedua adalah pengujian dengan alat ukur berupa pre-test & post-test yang terdiri dari 10 kata. Pengujian dilakukan sebanyak empat pertemuan dengan subjek penelitian 30 responden. Kemudian data dianalisis menggunakan analisis statistik deskriptif, yaitu merupakan analisis statistik yang memberikan gambaran secara umum mengenai karakteristik dari masing – masing variable penelitian yang dilihat dari nilai rata – rata (mean), maximum, minimum. Hasil pre-test menunjukkan nilai rata-rata 2,91, kelompok TTS menunjukkan peningkatan signifikan dengan nilai rata-rata post-test 4,30 dibandingkan dengan kelompok visual 3,72. Data kuesioner menunjukkan aplikasi TTS mudah dimengerti dan diterima baik, dengan 90,9% responden melaporkan peningkatan kemampuan membaca. Analisis statistik deskriptif membuktikan teknologi TTS secara signifikan meningkatkan kemampuan membaca pada anak disleksia. Abstract Dyslexia is a learning disorder characterized by difficulties in reading, writing and spelling. Current technological developments can be utilized in all fields, including in the learning of children with special needs such as dyslexia. This research aims to improve reading skills using Text-To-Speech (TTS) technology with Amazon Polly Machine Learning on the AWS cloud. The research used two methods: literature review, and experiments with pre-test and post-test to assess the effect of technology on reading ability. The literature review involves examining a collection of literature from previous research as a data source. The data obtained will be analyzed descriptively and qualitatively to determine the effect of technology on reading ability. The second method involves testing with measuring instruments in the form of a pre-test and post-test consisting of 10 words. Testing was carried out over four meetings with a research sample of 30 respondents. Then, the data are analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis, which provides a general description of the characteristics of each research variable as seen from the average (mean), maximum, and minimum values. The pre-test results showed an average score of 2.91. The TTS group showed significant improvement with a post-test average score of 4.30 compared to the visual group’s score of 3.72. Questionnaire data show that the TTS application is easy to understand and well received, with 90.9% of respondents reporting improved reading ability. Descriptive statistical analysis proves that TTS technology significantly improves reading abilities in dyslexic children.

Technology-based Interventions for Dyslexic Children: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR)

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2024

Strategi Mengatasi Kesulitan Membaca Permulaan pada Anak Disleksia di Sekolah Dasar

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2025

Dyslexia is not a disorder that occurs due to a person's physical disability but rather refers to the brain that functions as a processor, dyslexia is a nerve disorder that is useful in language processing that makes sufferers have difficulty in identifying words. The purpose of this study is to identify and also describe the appropriate handling and strategies applied by educators in helping dyslexic students who have difficulty reading at the beginning with symptoms that usually occur, namely sufferers will be slow and hesitant in speaking, and difficulty in choosing the right words to express the meaning they want to convey, so the spelling method is used as a strategy to overcome it, which is a way of learning to read that starts from spelling letter by letter. The strategy of using this spelling method is indeed the most suitable to use, proven by the experience of several people who have handled dyslexic and also previous studies that present a comparison between before and after applying this method, and the results obtained show that there is a significant increase in student learning outcomes after applying this spelling method.

The use of eye tracking in supporting individuals with dyslexia: a review

Article

Dec 2024

Dyslexia is defined as a specific learning disorder that impairs a person's ability to read fluently and accurately. A growing number of assistive technologies have been used to support individuals with dyslexia. Eye-tracking technology is one such technology, and it is gaining increasing attention from the research community due to its potential to be a valuable support tool for identifying underlying neural differences in language processing among this population. While the technology has seen significant advancements in recent years, researchers, particularly in psychology and special education, might face difficulties utilizing eye-tracking technology in their dyslexia research. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how eye tracking is employed in this field. By analysing 71 papers, we investigated the range of dyslexia-related aspects that were addressed by eye-tracking technology, how the technology was used, and the connections between eye-tracking measurements and reading in studies including individuals with dyslexia. This review article reveals that researchers have long recognized the potential of eye tracking in dyslexia research, as evidenced by the consistent focus on this technology in relevant studies throughout the years. Our paper also indicates the value of eye-tracking technology in exploring a wide range of dyslexia-related aspects. These include reading behaviours and information searching, the impact of materials on reading performance, detection, intervention, and the evaluation of intervention outcomes. Furthermore, by exploring both the achievements and shortcomings, the paper offers a valuable roadmap for future research specifically focused on supporting individuals with dyslexia.

ICCHP 2024 Open Access Compendium - Future Perspectives of AT, eAccessibility and eInclusion (not optimised for accessibility)

Book

Jul 2024

Bibliography: Petz, Andrea; Miesenberger, Klaus: Association ICCHP, Joh.-Wilh.-Klein-Strasse 3, 4040 Linz, Austria office@icchp-aaate.org / +43 664 60 2468 864 Aim and scope: To communicate and complete knowledge on ICT, AT and Accessibility for/with people with disabilities and older adults and connect research in these domains with the necessary practical background and user related aspects. Editorial Welcome to the 3rd edition of our Open Access Compendium! After an intense cooperation with AAATE in 2022, we represent again ICCHP and "Future Perspectives on AT, Accessibility and (e)Inclusion", published on the occasion of ICCHP 2024 at Linz University, Linz, Austria. After the Open Access Journal´s first two editions, the "Future Perspectives of AT, eAccessibility and eInclusion", ICCHP continues this publication covering a more practical view on AT, Accessibility, ICT with and for people with disabilities and older adults. These last 2 years were subject to significant changes in ICT and all connected areas-AI and Large Language Models revolutionize education and term paper writing. E.g. Chat GPT writes Program Code-and Graphical AI-like e.g. Midjourney draws the pictures to it. Data Scientists already talk about "intelligence" and the threat of Super-Villain AIs manipulating political systems and elections. AI also shows a merciless picture on how "society" or at least "the internet" sees and discusses "disability", "inclusion" and "Assistive Technology". In case you did not do so already, try it and ask e.g. Midjourney to draw a picture by just giving the terms Disability or Assistive Technology and see firsthand some main issues in the societal discourse that keeps us all from reaching our goals, accessibility and participation for "All". You will not see edge of tomorrow tech, nor laptops or tablets used by a person with a disability to take part in education or society-in most cases you see people in old, not fitting wheelchairs-and they are in most cases alone, standing in due distance from "where life is". Asking ChatGPT to "Write 200 words in editorial style elaborating the potential of artificial intelligence, large language models and pervasive computing in making IT, internet and life more accessible to people with disabilities in the future also mentioning privacy and data security issues" delivers the following: "Artificial intelligence (AI), large language models (LLMs), and pervasive computing hold tremendous promise in revolutionizing accessibility for individuals with disabilities. These technologies can transform how people interact with IT and the internet, fostering a more inclusive society. AI, with its capacity to learn and adapt, can be integrated into assistive devices to enhance their functionality. For instance, voice recognition and natural language processing (NLP) can empower those with mobility impairments to control computers and smart home devices through voice commands. Similarly, computer vision can aid visually impaired individuals by describing their surroundings or reading text aloud. LLMs like GPT-4 can significantly advance communication aids for individuals with speech or language disorders. By understanding context and generating human-like text, these models can assist in generating coherent, contextually appropriate responses, facilitating smoother communication for those who struggle with conventional methods. Pervasive computing, embedding computing power in everyday objects, ensures constant support and accessibility. Smart environments can adapt to users' needs in real-time, offering tailored assistance and reducing barriers to accessing information and services. However, these advancements also raise significant privacy and data security concerns. The reliance on vast amounts of personal data necessitates robust data protection frameworks to prevent misuse. Ensuring that AI systems are transparent, secure, and respect user privacy is crucial. As these technologies evolve, balancing innovation with ethical considerations will be vital to create a truly inclusive digital future." So then-let's create, use and work together and make the best of this potential to foster and promote our mission in the right direction! We hope that this third edition of our Open Access Compendium delivers memories, knowledge and also new aspects to you-and to come back in 2026; again renewed, bigger and even more relevant and exciting.

A REVIEW OF STUDIES CONCERNING VIRTUAL REALITY AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL IN THE TREATMENT OF SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDERS LA REALTÀ VIRTUALE COME STRUMENTO EDUCATIVO NEL TRATTAMENTO DEI DISTURBI SPECIFICI DELL'APPRENDIMENTO. UNA REVISIONE DEGLI STUDI

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2023

For several years, digital evolution has been assuming an increasingly central role within educational settings as a support in teaching methodologies for Special Needs Students, specifically with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD). The present work aims to provide, through a narrative review of studies, an overview of the effectiveness of using technology as a working tool for SLD students, paving the way for a more innovative development for personalized teaching, including the possibility of using, specifically, virtual reality. Da diversi anni, l'evoluzione digitale sta assumendo un ruolo sempre più centrale all'interno dei contesti educativi, come supporto nelle metodologie didattiche per alunni BES, ovvero con Bisogni Educativi Speciali, nello specifico con Disturbi Specifici dell'Apprendimento (DSA). Il presente lavoro, dunque, vuole fornire attraverso una revisione narrativa, una visione d'insieme sull'efficacia dell'utilizzo della tecnologia come strumento di lavoro per studenti DSA, che apre la strada ad uno sviluppo più innovativo per la didattica personalizzata, includendo la possibilità di utilizzare, nello specifico, la realtà virtuale.

Investigating The Effect of Multi-Sensory Games on Decrease of Male Students' Dyslexia (Based on Goodman Theory) Specified for Elementary School Second Grade in Aligudarz City

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2013

This survey aims to investigate effect of multi-sensory games on decrease of male students’ dyslexia (based on Goodman theory) specified for elementary school second grade. The survey method is semi-experimental and the population includes all elementary school male students with dyslexia in Aligudarz city in academic year of 1390-91 that this population consists of 65 persons and they were selected via available groups sampling method that they were 40. The data collecting tool is a reading and dyslexia test that its validity was accepted by experts in this field, also the reliability was gained using 87% Chronbakh alpha. After synchronizing the objects based on intelligence, gender and academic grade, 20 persons were located in treating group and 20 persons were located in control group after using pretest- posttest design. Then, independent variable, i.e. multi-sensory game, was assigned to treating group for 8 sessions and control group were taught as before. The achieved data from pretest and posttest were analyzed using variance analysis as well as SPSS. Based on the results, the first hypothesis with a significance level of 0/013, the second hypothesis with a significance level of 0/037, the third hypothesis with a significance level of 0/000, the fourth hypothesis with a significance level of 0/000, and the hypothesis the fifth with a significance level of 0/028 in 05/0> P were approved.

The efficacy of narrative therapy and storytelling in reducing reading errors of dyslexic children

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2011

Parisa Rahmani

Narrative and stories in education have been the focus of increasing attention in recent years. The idea of narrative is fertile ground for adult educators who know intuitively the value of stories in teaching and learning. Narrative is deeply appealing and richly satisfying to the human soul, with an allure that transcends cultures, centuries, ideologies, and academic disciplines. The present study examined the efficacy of narrative therapy and storytelling in reducing reading errors of dyslexic children. Sample of 30 dyslexic 1st to 3rd graders were identified as dyslexia using the Dyslexia Checklist (Michaeli, 2006). The sample was administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R, 1974) and Diagnostic Reading Test (Bahari Gharahgoz, 2006) and randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group. During a five month period, the experimental group received twenty five, one hour sessions of individual training with the narrative therapy by counselor and storytelling by children. The control group received none. The two group pre-post tests of reading errors were compared using ANCOVA. The results revealed that, controlling for the intelligence variable, the application of narrative therapy accounted for a 60% reduction in reading errors. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Dr Zafer Bekirogullari.

Higher education students registered with disability services and practice educators: Issues and concerns for professional placements

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2014

Introduction: The number of students with disabilities accessing Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), including professional courses, has increased substantially within the Republic of Ireland over the past 10 years [AHEAD (Association of Higher Education, Access, and Disability) 2012. “Survey on the Participation Rates of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education for the Academic Year 2011/2012.” http://www.ahead.ie/userfiles/file/PR_2012.pdf]. In one HEI in the Republic of Ireland, it was noticed that there was a large increase in students with disabilities, from 67 in 2006 to 259 in 2013 on professional courses. The aim of this study was to identify the issues and concerns of practice educators (PEs) in both supporting students with disabilities and exploring the concerns for students with disabilities on professional courses. Methods: A survey design was employed to meet the aims of this study and ethical permission was granted from the Faculty of Health Science Ethics Committee. Results: Respondents included 68 PEs and 63 students with disabilities. PEs were found to be concerned with students reaching the required standard of proficiency on placement, and how to support students in this. Students on the other hand identified stigma and disclosure of a disability as a concern. Conclusion: This study highlighted a difference in perceptive between PEs and students with disabilities in relation to disclosure and support needs for their disabilities.

Interactive e-Books to Support Reading Skills in Dyslexia

Conference Paper

Full-text available

Jun 2014

Developmental dyslexia is the specific learning disability in reading that affects the ability to read written text. In the current paper we explore the potential offered by interactive e-book technologies for supporting reading in people with developmental dyslexia. An important aspect of interactive e-books, which cannot be easily achieved with traditional printed media, is the ease of customizing the text layout in a way that can potentially help those with reading difficulties. We discuss findings from empirical studies in psychology and accessibility that identify best practices for presenting electronic text for readers with dyslexia. Moreover, given the spreading availability of e-readers and the flexibility provided by e-books to present content in different ways, we discuss the opportunities of using interactive e-books for improving reading skills. We believe that interactive e-books can be used not only as a support for facilitating reading but also as a way to develop and enhance the learning abilities of dyslexic readers.

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2015
INTELLIGENCE

Evidence on age-related differentiation in the structure of cognitive abilities in childhood and adolescence is still inconclusive. Previous studies often focused on the interrelations or the g-saturation of broad ability constructs, neglecting abilities on lower strata. In contrast, we investigated differentiation in the internal structure of fluid intelligence/gf (with verbal, numeric, and figural reasoning) and crystallized intelligence/gc (with knowledge in the natural sciences, humanities, and social studies). To better understand the development of reasoning and knowledge during secondary education, we analyzed data from 11,756 students attending Grades 5 to 12. Changes in both the mean structure and the covariance structure were estimated with locally-weighted structural equation models that allow handling age as a continuous context variable. To substantiate a potential influence of school tracking (i.e., different learning environments), analyses were additionally conducted separated by school track (academic vs. nonacademic). Mean changes in gf and gc were approximately linear in the total sample, with a steeper slope for the latter. There was little indication of age-related differentiation for the different reasoning facets and knowledge domains. The results suggest that the relatively homogeneous scholastic learning environment in secondary education prevents the development of more pronounced ability or knowledge profiles.

Accessing Maths and Stats By Other Means

Article

Aug 2001

E.A. Draffan

Read-Aid - An Assistive Reading Tool for Children with Dyslexia

Conference Paper

Jul 2013
Lect Notes Comput Sci

We developed a software application, Read-Aid to help improve reading pattern in children with Dyslexia with visual processing problems. We hypothesized that after a dyslexic child’s interaction with our application, there will be an improvement in their reading speed and comprehension. We compared our results with existing masked-reading intervention approach. A between-group study was conducted with 15 children. Results were significant (p = 0.026) suggesting that our Read-Aid tool has potential as an assistive technology application.

A Computer-Based Method to Improve the Spelling of Children with Dyslexia

Article

Aug 2015

In this paper we present a method which aims to improve the spelling of children with dyslexia through playful and targeted exercises. In contrast to previous approaches, our method does not use correct words or positive examples to follow, but presents the child a misspelled word as an exercise to solve. We created these training exercises on the basis of the linguistic knowledge extracted from the errors found in texts written by children with dyslexia. To test the effectiveness of this method in Spanish, we integrated the exercises in a game for iPad, DysEggxia (Piruletras in Spanish), and carried out a within-subject experiment. During eight weeks, 48 children played either DysEggxia or Word Search, which is another word game. We conducted tests and questionnaires at the beginning of the study, after four weeks when the games were switched, and at the end of the study. The children who played DysEggxia for four weeks in a row had significantly less writing errors in the tests that after playing Word Search for the same time. This provides evidence that error-based exercises presented in a tablet help children with dyslexia improve their spelling skills.

Evaluation of DysWebxia: A reading app designed for people with DySlexia

Article

Apr 2014

In this paper we present the evaluation of DysWebxia, a reading app for iOS devices, specially designed for people with dyslexia. DysWebxia integrates previous results about the best way to present text for people with dyslexia together with a unique feature, the ability to show synonyms on demand for complex words. Although the new algorithm used for this unique feature is language independent, our first prototype is for Spanish. To evaluate DysWebxia we carried out two different user studies. One to evaluate the quality of the synonyms on demand that included 32 participants with dyslexia and 38 strong readers without dyslexia, and another one to evaluate the usability of the app based on 12 participants. Our results show that the quality of the synonyms generated by the new algorithm outperforms a frequency based baseline, and that the participants found DysWebxia very usable. Therefore, we show that this app may have in the future a large impact for people with dyslexia.

An intelligent integrative assistive system for dyslexic learners

Article

Sep 2013

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive literature survey on dyslexic learners and to propose a model for integrated assistive technology of dyslexic learners. Design/methodology/approach – The use of the proposed model through real-life scenarios categorized as “phonological, reading and writing scenarios”. We have also surveyed some systems for use with dyslexic learners currently in use and have compared them on the basis of number of barriers, technological innovation, age group and fostering. Findings – Dyslexic learners are characterized by slow learning, poor handwriting, poor spelling skills and difficulties in planning, organizing, revising and editing texts; technology plays a major role in the educational environment; it has become crucial in impacting knowledge across the globe; and open research issues and challenges that have to be addressed in the design of the current dyslexic system have been presented in detail. Research limitations/implications – Full implementation of the proposed model and its application in developing countries. Practical implications – The system improves the phonological awareness, reading and writing skills of dyslexic learners and it provides a solution for children as well as adults with dyslexia. Social implications – This survey can be used as a reference guide to understand learning barriers and intelligent systems for dyslexic learners and to promote the use of these in schools for those with learning disabilities who need assistive technologies. Originality/value – Development of a newly proposed integrated intelligent assistive system for dyslexic learners; knowledge generation as a reference guide to understand dyslexic learning ability in general and an intelligent assistive dyslexic system in particular; and survey of open research issues and challenges to further research in intelligent dyslexic systems.

A Research Review: How Technology Helps to Improve the Learning Process of Learners with Dyslexia

Abstract and Figures

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