Supporting struggling readers with digital game-based learning

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of a digital game-GraphoLearn (GL)-in supporting second-grade students who have persistent difficulties with acquiring accurate and fluent reading skills. The participants (N = 37) were randomly assigned either to a 6-week intervention including sessions with GL, in addition to school-provided support, or a control group receiving only school-provided support. The intervention took place at the students' homes and schools under the supervision of their parents and teachers. The results showed that the children who received the GL intervention developed significantly faster in word reading than the control group. Moreover, their reading development was significantly faster during the GL intervention compared with that of the follow-up period, which included only typical school-provided support. No transfer effects on reading fluency, reading comprehension, or spelling were found. Furthermore, the children who, according to the observations of their parents and teachers, showed higher cognitive engagement during the intervention had higher gains in word reading and sentence reading fluency than the children who appeared less cognitively engaged. Higher emotional engagement was related to increased playing time but not to larger gains in reading. The study indicates that a short digital game-based intervention training of letter-sound correspondences and word-level reading can give a boost to the reading development of struggling readers. Inspecting the engagement and in-game performance during gameplay provides important information that can be used for further development of the game to respond to the needs of the learners with severe difficulties.

A mobile game as a support tool for children with severe difficulties in reading and spelling

“…We tested models with mean response time and response accuracy as mediators, but our hypothesis was not supported. Among GL Reading players, the correlations suggested that self-efficacy was marginally associated with faster response times, and faster response times were related to improvement in word reading fluency, which is consistent with an earlier GL study, which suggested that game performance is a mediator between child's cognitive engagement in gameplay and learning gains (Ronimus et al, 2019). However, the indirect effects from self-efficacy via game performance to learning gains were not significant, which could be because of lack of statistical power caused by small sample size.…”

“…To our knowledge, previous studies have not addressed the role of self-efficacy in children's game-based learning of literacy skills. However, previous studies concerning self-regulation and engagement (Kegel et al, 2009;Kegel & Bus, 2012;Ronimus et al, 2019;van de Sande et al, 2016) suggest that factors related to persistence and effort may be important in this kind of training. We also aim to identify potential mediators between self-efficacy and learning by utilising the game log data, namely information about response times and response accuracy.…”

“…Also, Van de Sande, Segers, and Verhoeven (2016) found that adding support for executive functions seemed to benefit children who practiced preliteracy skills independently with a computer game. Finally, Ronimus, Eklund, Pesu, and Lyytinen (2019) found that high cognitive engagement while playing GraphoLearn was associated both with higher response accuracy in the game and higher gains in reading fluency.…”

The instructional theory framework appears lost. Isn’t it time we find it again?

“…We reviewed the method section in each paper to confirm the word "traditional" reflected an instructional treatment that researchers were comparing to a competing instructional treatment. The articles that met this criterion were Mavridis, Katmada, and Tsiatsos 2017 2018, and Rominus, Eklund, Pesu, and Lyytinen (2019). None of these research articles include references linking their designs and conclusions with an instructional theory framework (Situation, Conditions, Values, and Methods) such as the one described above or any type of design theory (Reigeluth & Carr-Chellman, 2009a) that "…identifies good methods for accomplishing goals (p. 7) 4 .…”

Supporting Acquisition of Spelling Skills in Different Orthographies Using an Empirically Validated Digital Learning Environment

“…Recent GL studies reveal that severe dyslexia is very difficult to overcome when intervention is started after the child has been affected by the related failures during the first semester (Ronimus et al, 2019 ). Thus, the optimal starting time is when children enter school.…”