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This investigation explores the impact of computer-based media on the learning outcomes of individuals with dyslexia. The study presents different media combinations and measures their effectiveness in improving attainment. The results indicate that a combination of sound and diagrams is significantly better for dyslexic learners compared to text-only presentations. This study opens up opportunities for further research in this area.
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Media Combinations Dyslexic Learners The MEDIA Project Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Interest Group Meeting Tuesday 2nd December 2003 Coventry University An investigation into the effects computer-based media has on the learning outcomes of individuals who have dyslexia Nigel Beacham IMPACT Research Group Department of Computer Science Loughborough University Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Contents • Introduction • Theoretical Framework • Empirical Study • TechDis Study • Conclusions • Future work Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Introduction Human-Computer Interaction Computer-Based Learning Individual Differences - Dyslexia The coal face Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Relationship Between the User, Task and Media Dyslexic Vs Normal Readers User Task Learning Outcomes Medium Media Combinations Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
What is a Medium • In computing terms the medium transfers the message but is unchanged. It is a carrier. • A medium can support many different ways of communicating but it does impose some restrictions on what can and cannot be communicated. • Only reason to move to multimedia is to improve attainment of user goals. Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Media Characteristics – What information can they carry? • Qualitative Quantitative • Static Dynamic • Abstract Real • Non-interactive Fully-interactive • Historical narrative Instantaneous narrative • Modalities Sub-modalities Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Representations or Schema Dog Face Tree Eyes Nose Mouth Trunk Roots Branches Bark Leaves Imagens have a synchronous or simultaneous organisation LOGOGENS have a sequential organisation Try reciting a poem backwards Think of the room in your house Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Mental Codes Sense Modalities Visual Auditory Haptic Gustatory Olfactory Verbal Visual language (writing) Auditory language (speech) Braille, handwriting - - Nonverbal Visual objects Environmental sounds “Feel” of objects Taste memories Smell memories Relationship between mental codes and sense modalities Source: Paivio, 1971 Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Some basic assumptions Two separate coding systems of mental representation Meaning and knowledge is explained through interconnections between the modality-specific mental representations Mental representations retain some of the original concrete qualities of the external experiences NONVERBAL STIMULI VERBAL STIMULI SENSORY SYSTEMS REPRESENTATIONAL CONNECTIONS Logogens Imagens ASSOCIATIVE STRUCTURE ASSOCIATIVE STRUCTURE NONVERBAL SYSTEM VERBAL SYSTEM REFERENTIAL CONNECTIONS VERBAL RESPONSES NONVERBAL RESPONSES Theoretical Framework: Dual Coding Theory (Source: Paivio, 1981) Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Does Media Matter? • Media matter in terms of media efficiency • Media can minimise cognitive workload allowing resources to be used in learning • But which media and when? • Selecting most appropriate • Pitching at the right level Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Empirical Study • Last year we carried out an empirical study into the effects of different media combinations on learning • We presented three versions of the same material using • Voice-over and Diagrams • Text and Diagrams • Text Only • Four presentations on four succeeding days Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Methodology Pre-Questionnaire Domain – Statistics Learning Style Inventory Dyslexic? Sound and Diagram Presentation Text and Diagram Presentation Text Only Presentation Post-test Post-test Post-test Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Results Overall Sound + Diagrams significantly better at 1% level Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Dyslexic Results The results for the 6 dyslexic students were: (compare non-dyslexics) Dyslexic learners were effected differently to non-dyslexic learners Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
TechDis Study:a proper experiment on dyslexic students • Obtained funding from TechDis. • 300 dyslexic students at Loughborough • Currently we have examined 30 • Need for an objective measure for dyslexia • Repeat previous experiment and compare spread over different departments Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Pre-Questionnaire Key: Learning Style Inventory New instrument Lucid Adult Dyslexia Screening Program Existing instrument Visual Perceptual Problems Inventory Pre-test A Pre-test B Pre-test C Sound and Diagram Presentation Text and Diagram Presentation Text Only Presentation Post-test A Post-test B Post-test C Methodology Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Sample Characteristics Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Objective Measures of Dyslexia LADS test results across media groups Typical Non-Dyslexic Level 9.00 Sound & Diagrams 7.00 5.00 Score Text & Diagrams 3.00 1.00 Text Only -1.00 Word Recognition Word Construction Memory Lucid Adult Dyslexia Screening Test (LADS) Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Learning Style Result Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Media Group Results Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
NONVERBAL STIMULI VERBAL STIMULI SENSORY SYSTEMS REPRESENTATIONAL CONNECTIONS Logogens Imagens ASSOCIATIVE STRUCTURE ASSOCIATIVE STRUCTURE NONVERBAL SYSTEM VERBAL SYSTEM REFERENTIAL CONNECTIONS VERBAL RESPONSES NONVERBAL RESPONSES Applying Theory • PICS • Pacing • Integration of media • Cognitive overload • Switching • Implications • Selecting of media • Arranging of media • Stress and anxiety • Learning assessment P P I I S C C Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Conclusions • Preliminary findings • Different combinations of media, used to present e-learning materials to dyslexic students, lead to significant differences in their understanding. • Dyslexic participants who prefer a particular learning style perform differently for different combinations of media. • Different combinations of media lead to differences in learning performance between dyslexic and non-dyslexic participants. Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Future Work • Recent work • Interaction with non-dyslexics • dDAB study with non-dyslexics • Computer-based training with non-dyslexics • To be conducted • Interaction with dyslexics • dDAB study with dyslexics • Computer-based training with dyslexics “Reasoning ability is not dependent upon fluency. Indeed fluency may well be the enemy of creativity – trying to solve new sorts of problems that require thinking about the problem and its elements in a different way – in that fluency is in essence the ability to repeat previous actions or thoughts more and more quickly without conscious thought”, (Fawcett and Nicholson, 2001). Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk
Contact Details Nigel Beacham IMPACT Research Group Department of Computer Science Loughborough University, UK Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk URL: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/ Project funded by: The Technologies for Disabilities Information Service (TechDis) URL: http://www.techdis.ac.uk/ Nigel Beacham Email: N.Beacham@lboro.ac.uk