2014 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Effects of SLTR method using handheld electronic reading devices
| Project/Area Number |
26770207
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| Research Institution | Sojo University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
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| Keywords | reading disorders / dyslexia / e-readers / efl reading |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
During the fiscal year 2014, the researcher established a website directed at diagnosing second language (English) reading disorders among Japanese native speakers. At present, the site includes seven different diagnostic tasks for identifying orthographic and phonological processing problems. Three more tasks will be added in May 2015 to enable the researcher to administer adaptations of the Sight Word Efficiency Test, the Phoneme Decoding Test and the Oral Reading Fluency Test.
The researcher has completed gathering level appropriate texts for use in a replication study testing the effectiveness of e-readers for those with chronic reading deficiencies. These texts have been analyzed in terms of vocabulary range, grammatical complexity and readability to ensure that they are suitable for use in the study. The materials have also been compared to the New Crown, Sunshine, and New Horizon English textbook used in Japanese junior high schools to ensure equivalency with the existing Japanese junior high school English curriculum.
During the fiscal year 2014, the researcher identified and tested a reading app to be used during the replication study. The Good Reader app (available from the Apple Apps store) has been selected to present the texts to the participants in the study.
Recently the researcher has found a school willing to participate in the e-reader replication study. 西山中学校 in Kumamoto city has agreed to assist the researcher in administering the study and collecting the necessary data. The study will commence in September of 2015.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
The progress of the research has been slightly delayed because of difficulty in finding a public junior high school willing to participate in the replication study. In November of 2014, the researcher approached two separate school boards with a proposal to conduct e-reader research on second grade junior high school students. Both school divisions declined to take part in the study.
西山中学校 later agreed to participate, but could not accommodate an April 2015 start to the study.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
During fiscal year 2015, the researcher will continue to improve and expand the diagnostic tests available on the website (http://readassist.jp/). The diagnostic tests will be presented at the JALT CALL conference in Fukuoka in June as well as at smaller, local conferences throughout the year.The researcher will continue to work with computer programmers to enhance the precision and functionality of the programs used in the diagnostic testing. As well, efforts will be made to make all tests available on mobile devices as well as tablets and personal computers.
The researcher plans to work more closely with NPO Edge, a dyslexia/reading support organization in order to offer testing and remediation using mobile technology. The researcher will also use the website to provide additional information and support to those suffering from reading disorders.
As data from the present research becomes available, the researcher will pursue opportunities to give presentations and publish papers related to second language reading deficiencies as well as the effects of e-readers on the reading speed and comprehension of Japanese English language learners.
Lastly, if suitable arrangements can be made the researcher will attempt to repeat the e-reader study in fiscal year 2016 with a different set of participants.
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| Causes of Carryover |
The reason money remains from fiscal year 2014 is that the researcher declined to claim costs to attend the 2014 Moodle Association of Japan Moodle MOOT in Kyoto, Japan. As the attendance fee for this conference includes a one-year membership in the Moodle Association of Japan, the researcher believed that this would violate the the prohibition on using Kakenhi funds to purchase memberships in professional associations. As such, the researcher used funds from his personal research allowance to attend the conference.
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| Expenditure Plan for Carryover Budget |
The remaining money from fiscal year 2014 will be used to attend conferences in Kyushu and other areas of Japan.
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| Remarks |
As the present study is still in the preparation phase, the researcher has not yet presented or published on the results of using e-readers to assist the reading of Japanese English language learners.
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Research Products
(2 results)
