Can virtual reality improve dyslexic English students’ reading fluency and their emotional valence towards reading?

Abstract. The purpose of this master’s thesis is to compare whether a text read in a virtual environment improves the reading of English students with dyslexia in terms of fluency compared with a text laid and read on a piece of paper. Furthermore, another interest of this study is to identify how the participants’ emotional valence was aroused while reading. This master’s thesis is done with the help of Lyfta Oy, an EdTech learning company focused on 360º photos and VR learning environment. Moreover, the thesis design is based on a Lyfta’s workshops, were one the participants read an entire passage in VR without difficulties being dyslexic. Two research questions are aimed to be answered during this research: (1) Is there a difference in fluency between reading in virtual reality (VR) and on a piece of paper? And (2) How positive and negative emotions were empathized while reading? The study was carried out in the UK, were 23 Year 7, 8 and 9 students took part of the data collection. During this face, the participants were asked to read two short passages, one in VR and the other on a piece of paper, being video recorded and, they were asked to fill in two questionnaires about their emotions while reading both texts. Afterwards, the number of errors, words read per minute and prosody were quantified based on the videos, to analyze the participants’ fluency (which comprises three elements: (1) accuracy, (2) rate and (3) prosody) and to answer the first research question. The results suggested that there is not enough data to draw statistical difference between VR and paper. To answer the second research question, the questionnaires’ answers were analyzed. The results suggested that there is a statistical difference in terms of prosody and emotional valence between VR and paper. This study could have some implications in school children having dyslexia, since it might boost positive emotional valence and hence boost their motivation to practice their reading skills. Moreover, educational companies might find a motivation to research more in depth in some aspects of this research and create educational products that can beneficiate dyslexic students’ academic achievement. Also, this research could not only have an impact in dyslexic students, but in general education and other students, since the current master’s thesis continues investigating and analyzing issues that are important in the school days and everyday life of students, such as the role of emotions in the classroom and how VR can affect their emotional valence

THE ROLE OF HAPTICS FEEDBACK IN SUPPORTING THE LEARNING PROCESS FOR DYSLEXIC CHILDREN

This report discusses the research and project done on the chosen topic, which is The Role of Haptics Feedback in Supporting the Learning Process for Dyslexic Children. This project shows that haptics feedback and interaction can be used to support Dyslexic children in their education. The general objective of this project is to expose the Dyslexic children to the technology that can assist them in their learning process and to include the element of kinesthetic in the learning process of Dyslexic children by using haptic interaction/feedback technology. The literature review component discusses about all the research that the author had done prior to the pre-development and post-development of the project. It consists of all the information required in both building the software interface and understanding the hardware to be used. All the related elements such as the nature of Dyslexia, its symptoms and treatment, the methods used to teach Dyslexic children, haptic introduction and technologies are further discussed in detail. In the methodology section, the author discussed about the software development methodology applied in developing the project. The project phases are also being discussed in detail. Other than that, the author has also included a Gantt Chart as a development phase reference to ensure that the project is progressing perfectly according to plan. In the results and discussions section, the prototype development process and results together with the testing results will be discussed in detail. All the justifications are made clearly. In the recommendations section, the author lists some of the things that can be done to improve this project in the future. These things include to add more interactivity to the current prototype such as making games out of it or include sounds. Lastly, the conclusion section will discuss about the role of haptics feedback in supporting the learning process of Dyslexic children in overall, based on the results of the current project

Using Gamification to Motivate Students with Dyslexia

The concept of gamification is receiving increasing attention, particularly for its potential to motivate students. However, to date the majority of studies in the context of education have predominantly focused on University students. This paper explores how gamification could potentially benefit a specific student population, children with dyslexia who are transitioning from primary to secondary school. Two teachers from specialist dyslexia teaching centres used classDojo, a gamification platform, during their teaching sessions for one term. We detail how the teachers appropriated the platform in different ways and how the students discussed classDojo in terms of motivation. These findings have subsequently informed a set of provisional implications for gamification distilling opportunities for future pedagogical uses, gamification design for special education and methodological approaches to how gamification is studied

Learning Languages and Complex Subjects with Memory Palaces

A memory palace is an ancient technique of using space as a way of organizing memories. It’s a powerful tool for learning, retaining, and recalling large amounts of complex information quickly and effectively. In the middle ages, these techniques were widely used to learn and compose large texts and works of literature. In this paper, we present the fundamental theory behind memory palaces as the foundation for the project Macunx - a VR platform for building memory palaces to learn huge amounts in short time and with full retention - as well as the initial stages of its development. The paper concludes with a discussion of the future stages over the testing of the package with end-users for its final refinement

Students in higher education with reading and writing difficulties

Peer reviewe

The effects of a short online english course on a dyslexic learner’s reading skills

El siguiente estudio, titulado The Effects of a Short Online English Course on a Dyslexic Learner’s Reading Skills, es una investigación cualitativa que pretende entender qué efecto hay en las habilidades de lectura en la primera lengua de un estudiante disléxico después de exponerle al aprendizaje de inglés. De esta manera, este proyecto de investigación es un caso de estudio que involucró a un participante disléxico no bilingüe. Para la recolección de información se emplearon cuatro instrumentos: un examen diagnóstico, que determinó la condición cognitiva del sujeto; un examen de comprensión de lectura, implementado antes y después del curso para analizar los efectos del bilingüismo en estas habilidades; un diario de campo, donde se reportó el desempeño del individuo durante el proceso; y una entrevista, en la que la acudiente del participante expresó su percepción hacia el proceso. Los datos se recolectaron con base en la Teoría Fundamentada..

Delivering Specialist Study Skills Tutorials via Remote Working Tools (RWTs). An Investigation of Specialist Study Skills Tutors’ Views

(RWTs). An Investigation of Specialist Study Skills Tutors’ Views Ivan Newman and John Conway Background This investigation is based on one element of broader, doctoral research which examines the effects of changes in Disabled Students Allowances (DSA) on specialist one-to-one study skills support delivered to HE students in receipt of DSA, notably, but not exclusively, those with specific learning difficulties (SpLDs). This report concerns one of the changes introduced to specialist one-to-one Study Skills Support (aka as Band 4 Non-Medical Helper Provision), namely that the delivery of remote (i.e. not physically present) support tutorials using communications tools, such as Skype is, from March 2016, subject to explicit recommendation by Needs Assessors (DSA-QAG, March 2016(a), pp. 17, 24)3 . Once published, the guideline in question was subject to much debate, often passionate, on the email forum for members, typically specialist study skills tutors, of the Association of Dyslexia Specialists in Higher Education (ADSHE). In order to offer a research-based response to the March guideline, a short series of questions relating to the use of communications tools, such as Skype, was appended to the wider survey, and publicised over the ADSHE email forum in June-July 2016. In August 2016, the Department for Education published an Update containing the following statement, “We recognise that on occasion the student may wish to receive their support remotely, for example if they are on a field trip abroad, or not able to attend the usual place of delivery for a particular session.” (DfE, 2016). The data in this report was gathered prior to the DfE’s August update. The lead author of this report is a qualified and registered Specialist Study Skills Tutor and Diagnostic Assessor for SpLDs and is a quality assured member of ADSHE in addition to other professional organisations. The doctoral research project is supervised by Dr John Conway, Head of Disability Services at the Royal Agricultural Universit