Digital Guidance for Susceptible Readers: Effects on Fifth Graders’ Reading Motivation and Incidental Vocabulary Learning
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2018
Keywords
in-school free reading, digital reading, susceptibility genotypes, attention problems, differential susceptibility, digital pedagogical agent, randomized control trial, guided reading, vocabulary learning, reading motivation
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633117708283
Abstract
In this digital era, a fundamental challenge is to design digital reading materials in such a way that they improve children’s reading skills. Since reading books is challenging for many fifth graders—particularly for those genetically susceptible to attention problems—the researchers hypothesized that guidance from a digital Pedagogical Agent (PA) could improve students’ reading motivation and incidental vocabulary learning. Using a sample of 147 fifth-grade students, the researchers carried out a randomized control trial with three groups of students reading: (a) hardcopy (print) books, (b) digital books, and (c) digital books with a PA. For students with a genetic predisposition to attention problems, carriers of the DRD4 seven-repeat allele, the PA supported their incidental vocabulary learning. For noncarriers, there were no effects of the digital reading materials or the PA.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Journal of Educational Computing Research, v. 56, issue 1, p. 48-73
Scholar Commons Citation
Nielen, Thijis M. J.; Smith, Glenn G.; Sikkema-de Jong, Maria T.; Drobisz, Jack; van Horne, Bill; and Bus, Adriana G., "Digital Guidance for Susceptible Readers: Effects on Fifth Graders’ Reading Motivation and Incidental Vocabulary Learning" (2018). Educational and Psychological Studies Faculty Publications. 218.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/esf_facpub/218
