The Effects of Computer-Mediated Texts on the Vocabulary Learning and Comprehension of Intermediate-Grade Readers

Abstract

The authors investigated whether intermediate-grade readers' vocabulary learning and comprehension would be affected by displaying texts on a computer screen that provided the meanings of difficult words. Sixty sixth-grade subjects read two informational passages containing several target words that had been identified as difficult. Subjects were assigned to four treatment conditions. In two of the conditions they read the passages on printed pages accompanied by either a standard dictionary or a glossary comprised of the target words. In the remaining two conditions they read the passages on a computer screen that provided either optional or mandatory assistance with the meanings of the target words. The results indicate that subjects who read passages with computer assistance scored significantly higher on a vocabulary test that measured subjects' knowledge of the target words. Subjects who read the passages on the computer screen with mandatory assistance also outperformed other subjects on a test measuring comprehension of the experimental passages. In addition, subjects free to select which of the target words they would investigate chose to do so more often when the computer provided assistance. The authors conclude that these results support and help explain previous studies that have found increases in comprehension when computer-mediated texts have been used to expand or control readers' options for acquiring information.