Computer tool for use by children with learning difficulties in spelling

The development of a computer tool to be used by children with learning difficulties in spelling is described in this thesis. Children with spelling disabilities were observed by the author, and their errors were recorded. Based on analysis of these errors, a scheme of error classification was devised. It was hypothesized that there were regularities in the errors; that the classification scheme describing these errors could provide adequate information to enable a computer program to 'debug' the children's errors and to reconstruct the intended words; and that the children would be able to recognize correct spellings even if they could not produce them. Two computer programs, the EDITCOST and the PHONCODE programs, were developed. These incorporated information about the types of errors that were made by the children, described in terms of the classification scheme. They were used both to test the hypotheses and as potential components of a larger program to be used as a compensatory tool. The main conclusions drawn from this research are: The errors made by children with learning difficulties in spelling show regularities in both the phoneme-grapheme correspondences and at the level of the orthography. The classification scheme developed, based on the children's errors, provides a description of these errors. It provides adequate information to enable a computer program to 'debug' the children's errors and to reconstruct the intended words. Computer tools in the form of interactive spelling correctors are able to offer a correction for a substantial proportion of the child's errors, and could be extended to provide more information about the children's errors. They are also suitable for use with other groups of children

Innovation in qualitative research methodology: annotated bibliography

This bibliography contains the 67 papers that contain innovation, new, novel or emerging in their title or abstract. The bibliography is grouped according to the topics of research methodology identified in the literature and each entry describes the innovation claims made by the authors

Can Seeding in the Clinic Reach a Wide Audience? A Proof of Concept Study on Spreading a Health Message About Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Using a Shareable Online Video

BACKGROUND: Shareable online video offers the potential for spreading a health message across online and real world social networks. Seeding a message in a clinical setting may be advantageous. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential of an online video to spread a health message about juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) when delivered or seeded in a clinical setting and investigate factors that influence sharing behavior. METHODS: Multimethod proof of concept study. Concepts for two different styles of video were developed using focus groups and interviews and reviewed by an online market research panel. We compared dissemination of the two videos from two specialist pediatric rheumatology clinics in NHS Hospitals. Participants were 15 patients, family members, and clinical staff with knowledge of JIA at concept stage; 300 market research panel members in development stage; and 38 patients and their parents or guardians in the seeding stage. Newly diagnosed patients with JIA and/or parents or guardians were invited to view and share an online video with a health message about JIA across real-life and electronic social networks. Main outcome measures were viewing statistics, sharing behavior and patterns, and participant feedback. RESULTS: Of 38 patients and/or their parents or guardians given links, 26 visited the video webpage and shared the link, 2 visited and did not share, and 10 did not visit. Most links were viewed and shared within a few days. A total of 3314 pageviews were recorded with a mean of 89.6 pageviews per link (range 0-1245). Links were accessed from 26 countries, with most viewers in the United Kingdom (82.5%). Mothers were the most active group of sharers. CONCLUSIONS: Distribution of a video link in a clinical setting may be an effective way to spread a health message. Parents or guardians of children with JIA are more likely to share a link than young people. Dissemination depends on a small number of active sharers, the content of the video, and the willingness of participants to share health information about themselves. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UK Clinical Research Network Study Portfolio ID (UKCRN): 13747; http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/Search/StudyDetail.aspx?StudyID=13747 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6eeXlMmM6)