This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Montali, J. Articles by Lewandowski, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Montali, J. Articles by Lewandowski, L. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Bimodal Reading: Benefits of a Talking Computer for Average and Less Skilled Readers

Julie Montali is a doctoral student in school psychology at Syracuse University. Her research interests include assessment of and intervention for reading disabilities, and understanding memory as it relates to learning and reading disabilities.

Lawrence Lewandowski

Lawrence Lewandowski, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology and director of training in school psychology at Syracuse University. His research and writing activities focus on understanding the neuropsychological, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects of learning disabilities. Address: Lawrence Lewandowski, Department of Psychology, 472 Huntington Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244.

Studies have shown that when information is presented through visual and auditory channels simultaneously (i.e., bimodal presentation), speed of processing and memory recall are enhanced. The present study demonstrated the efficacy of a bimodal approach to fostering reading comprehension. Eighteen average readers (9 girls and 9 boys) and 18 less skilled readers (8 girls and 10 boys) in Grades 8 and 9 participated in the study. Students were presented with social studies and science passages via a computer. Passages were presented in three conditions: visually (on screen), auditorily (read by digitized voice), and bimodally (on screen, highlighted, while being voiced). Following each passage, students answered 10 oral-response, short-answer comprehension questions. Results indicated that less skilled readers comprehended more with bimodal versus unimodal presentations. Overall, their performance in the bimodal condition was commensurate with average readers' comprehension in the visual condition. For less skilled readers, an increase in word recognition from pre- to posttesting on word lists was found across conditions. In addition, results of a brief consumer satisfaction survey suggested that low-skilled readers felt most successful in terms of their comprehension when passages were presented bimodally. Several clinical issues involved in presenting information bimodally using computers are discussed.

Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol. 29, No. 3, 271-279 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/002221949602900305


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?