Reading Aid Research Articles

The Impact of Narrow Reading on the Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge of Moroccan High School Students

Recent research on English as a foreign language (EFL) vocabulary instruction has surged due to its inherent importance and the challenge it poses, given the vast number of words in languages. Many studies explored how reading enhances EFL students’ vocabulary. However, empirical studies on how narrow reading aids beginners' vocabulary growth are lacking. Hence, this study purports to investigate the impact of narrow reading on the development of Moroccan EFL students’ receptive vocabulary knowledge. An experimental pretest post-test design is adopted. 75 10th grade (common core) beginner students belonging to three groups participated in the study. The first experimental group read 4 texts on the same theme and written by the same author. The second experimental group read 4 texts written by the same author. The control group read 4 texts written by different authors on different themes. Meara’s yes/no test was used to measure the participants’ receptive vocabulary knowledge before the treatment. The treatment lasted seven weeks.The vocabulary knowledge scale (VKS) was used to measure students’ receptive vocabulary gains. The results of a one-way ANOVA showed that the group which read texts on the same theme and by the same author outperformed the other groups. Informal discussion with the participants unveiled some factors that have eased vocabulary uptake.

How to Read Donor Development Policies: Developing Aids for Reading and the Case of Finland 1993–2023

Since the 1990s, and accelerating with the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the goals for development aid in donor-government development policies have proliferated. Goal structures have also become complex. It is, therefore, often difficult to read a given donor’s intentions from officially declared policy: what exactly it claims being committed to accomplishing with aid in recipient countries and through what means? Furthermore, when goals and means for aid are non-transparent, it becomes more difficult to evaluate or assess donor development policies as officially promised action plans. Related to but not identical to Hall’s policy paradigm concept [Hall, P, 1993, ‘Policy paradigms, social learning, and the state: The case of economic policymaking in Britain’, Comparative Politics, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 275–296] this study aims to develop an analytical framework for reconstructing given donor’s aid logic of goals and means. The framework keeps attention on tracking everywhere two elementary answers from direct or implied statements in official policy documents: what change or changes exactly a given donor claims to promote in recipient countries and through what actions or measures? With interest in Finnish development policies, all the main policy documents for three decades (1993–2023) were analysed. The finding was an apparently enduring core of policy understanding used in Finnish development policies, giving similar stated logic for aid for three decades.

Textbooks on reading in Russian for Chinese universities over the past 30 years: analysis and prospects

Textbooks are the basis for implementing the curriculum and an important support in teaching activities. They play an important role in foreign language teaching, representing teaching materials that combine the characteristics of the time, learning objectives, advanced teaching concepts, and patterns of self-learning. The aim of the research is to identify trends and problems in the sphere of preparation and publication of teaching aids for reading in Russian in China. The author analyzed 84 manuals on reading in Russian published in China over the last 30 years. Special attention was paid to the 4 most representative books published at different times. Comparative-typological method, as well as methods of induction and mathematical processing were used. The comparative analysis of teaching aids was carried out considering the aspects of the purpose of creation, structure, content. The features of universal (comprehensive) and professional-specialized reading textbooks, including auxiliary teaching materials are considered. The necessity of creating a series of high-quality textbooks is emphasized, and the ways of solving this problem are determined. The author has deeply explored the alternatives of composing Russian reading textbooks from the point of view of a system of multifunctional thematic content, integration of intercultural and national-specific elements, and multipolar learning.

The Influence of 'WEBTOON' as a Digital Reading Aid for High School EFL Students

After the pandemic, classrooms experienced a noticeable decline in learning outcomes, coinciding with the emergence of a more tech-savvy cohort of learners and educators. This shift prompted a quest for digital solutions to enhance student engagement, with Webtoon emerging as a prominent option. Particularly popular among Generation Z, Webtoon's straightforward yet entertaining interface, diverse themes, and captivating artwork entice users to delve into its panels during leisure time. In the following qualitative study, the perspectives of high school students from UEPSMA (Unidad Educativa Particular Salesianas María Auxiliadora) in Cuenca were examined. Through three cycles of action research employing qualitative methods, participants underwent three spontaneous quizzes and concluded with a final survey via Google Forms. Findings indicated that students found Webtoon's visuals and language usage gratifying, attributing their continued engagement to compelling storylines and vivid illustrations. Additionally, their responses underscored a sense of satisfaction with integrating a digital reading tool into the classroom, which notably bolstered their motivation for English reading.

Developing EFL Critical Reading Aids: Project-Based Learning Activities for Electrical Industrial Engineering Students

The Independent Learning and Independent Campus (MBKM) curriculum for vocational education provided learning experiences for students. However, the reading material conducted had not reached the curriculum target. Thus, this study aimed to develop critical reading material and worksheets based on the MBKM curriculum. The development procedure was designed in three stages: defining, designing, and developing for 3-D aids. The research resources employed were validation sheets for critical reading aids and semi-observation sheets to provide student activity during PjBL field trial. The results of this study were project-based learning (PjBL) used to construct English language learning aids for the syllabus and coursework units, including worksheets for critical reading. Hence, this learning aid could slightly enhance students' reading competence, which could lead them to have soft and hard skills as well as meet the MBKM curriculum target.

The comparative benefits of text and page modification on the reading rates between sighted and moderate to severe visually impaired eyes

Reading with a magnifier is relatively slow for persons with moderate to severe visual impairment (MSVI). This study sought to investigate the effect of the page and text modifications such as page length reduction and introduction of guidelines in between sentences known to significantly improve the reading rate of persons with normal vision on the reading rate of persons with MSVI who use an optical aid for reading. A quasi-experimental study design was used to determine text and page modifications on the reading rate of sighted persons and moderate to severe visually impaired eyes. Modifications made to the reading materials included reducing the length of sentences on the pages, introducing guidelines in between the sentences, and a combination of both reducing the page length and introducing guidelines between the sentences. The reading rate of participants was calculated based on the time taken to complete the various reading tasks. The tasks were grouped into spot and fluent reading tasks. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). There were 19 visually impaired participants representing 34% of the total population recruited for the study. For spot reading, MSVI group achieved a 10-point significant improvement in their reading rate when alternating-colored guidelines were combined with reduced page length. The modifications did not significantly improve the fluent reading rate of the MSVI group. For both spot and fluent reading, introducing guidelines and reducing sentence length potentially provide a way to improve the reading rate of the visually impaired people who use an optical aid for reading. The practical implications of these results should be investigated in people with MSVI who use different optical aids for reading.

Discordant and false-negative interpretations at digital breast tomosynthesis in the prospective Oslo Tomosynthesis Screening Trial (OTST) using independent double reading

ObjectivesTo analyze discordant and false-negatives of double reading digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) versus digital mammography (DM) including reading times in the Oslo Tomosynthesis Screening Trial (OTST), and reclassify these in a retrospective reader study as missed, minimal sign, or true-negatives.MethodsThe prospective OTST comparing double reading DBT vs. DM had paired design with four parallel arms: DM, DM + computer aided detection, DBT + DM, and DBT + synthetic mammography. Eight radiologists interpreted images in batches using a 5-point scale. Reading time was automatically recorded. A retrospective reader study including four radiologists classified screen-detected cancers with at least one false-negative score and screening examinations of interval cancers as negative, non-specific minimal sign, significant minimal sign, and missed; the two latter groups are defined “actionable.” Statistics included chi-square, Fisher’s exact, McNemar’s, and Mann–Whitney U tests.ResultsDiscordant rate (cancer missed by one reader) for screen-detected cancers was overall comparable (DBT (31% [71/227]) and DM (30% [52/175]), p = .81), significantly lower at DBT for spiculated cancers (DBT, 19% [20/106] vs. DM, 36% [38/106], p = .003), but high (28/49 = 57%, p = 0.001) for DBT-only detected spiculated cancers. Reading time and sensitivity varied among readers. False-negative DBT-only detected spiculated cancers had shorter reading time than true-negatives in 46% (13/28). Retrospective evaluation classified the following DBT exams “actionable”: three missed by both readers, 95% (39/41) of discordant cancers detected by both modes, all 30 discordant DBT-only cancers, 25% (13/51) of interval cancers.ConclusionsDiscordant rate was overall comparable for DBT and DM, significantly lower at DBT for spiculated cancers, but high for DBT-only detected spiculated lesions. Most false-negative screen-detected DBT were classified as “actionable.”Clinical relevance statementRetrospective evaluation of false-negative interpretations from the Oslo Tomosynthesis Screening Trial shows that most discordant and several interval cancers could have been detected at screening. This underlines the potential for modern AI-based reading aids and triage, as high-volume screening is a demanding task.Key Points• Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) screening is more sensitive and has higher specificity compared to digital mammography screening, but high-volume DBT screening is a demanding task which can result in high discordance rate among readers.• Independent double reading DBT screening had overall comparable discordance rate as digital mammography, lower for spiculated masses seen on both modalities, and higher for small spiculated cancer seen only on DBT.• Almost all discordant digital breast tomosynthesis-detected cancers (72 of 74) and 25% (13 of 51) of the interval cancers in the Oslo Tomosynthesis Screening Trial were retrospectively classified as actionable and could have been detected by the readers.

Rfid Application For Designing Lowcost Learning Device For Play And Learning To Read Early Braille For Blind Children

It is very important for children who have low vision or visual impairment to be able to recognize braille letters and recognize words. This ability will help them to be able to read and write Braille. Braille recognition learning methods currently use technology as a learning aid or assistive device. However, assistive devices with this technology are still rare and unaffordable for some schools and students in Indonesia. The design of this braille learning aid applies RFID as a low-cost solution for learning braille reading aids. This tool integrates several braille learning methods that have been carried out by teachers when teaching braille recognition in schools. The integrated methods are the Mangold method, the Fernald method, the Flashcards method and the scrabble method. This tool helps children recognize braille letters, arrange them as words and is confirmed directly by the tool through sound if the letters arranged as a word are right or wrong. With this integration method, children are expected to be able to learn to read braille while playing, and learn independently.

Influence of capitalisation and presence of an article in noun phrase recognition in German: Evidence from eye‐tracking

BackgroundGerman is exceptional in its use of noun capitalisation. It has been suggested that sentence‐internal capitalisation as in German may benefit processing by specifically marking a noun and thus a noun phrase (NP). However, other cues, such as a determiner, can also indicate an NP. The influence of capitalisation on processing may thus be context‐dependent, that is, dependent on other cues. Precisely this context dependency is investigated in the current study: Is there an effect of capitalisation on reading and is this affected by the presence of other cues such as a determiner (specifically, an article)?MethodsWe ran an eye‐tracking study with 30 German‐speaking adults, measuring fixations during sentence reading. Critical NPs either contained correctly capitalised nouns or not and were presented either with or without a determiner.ResultsThe results show that both the presence of capitalisation on the noun and the presence of a determiner led to faster reading. When no determiner was present to signal the NP, the presence of noun capitalisation aided reading most.ConclusionsFrom these results, we conclude that the influence of capitalisation is indeed context dependent: Capitalisation aids processing most when no other cue is present. Thus, different cues play a role in NP recognition. Based on these findings, we argue that noun capitalisation should not be studied in isolation. We argue that a better understanding of capitalisation as a reading aid is relevant for teaching reading strategies.

RANCANGAN USER INTERFACE APLIKASI MOBILE SEBAGAI ALAT BANTU KOMUNIKASI VISUAL ANAK AUTISTIK UNTUK ICT WATCH

ICT Watch as a community organization that focuses on collaborative building the capacity of Indonesian human resources for digital literacy knowledge and skills, online expression and cyber governance, has started its movement since 2002. ICT Watch works together with academics from LSPR Jakarta, Center for ASEAN Autism Research, UMN, Code Margonda, and KREAVI have developed a mobile application called VICARA (Visually Interactive Communication and Reading Aid) for autistic children. However, because there was no update, the application was taken down from the Apple Store and Google Play Store. Based on the evaluation results that have been carried out on the use of the VICARA application, ICT Watch intends to redesign and add updates and features to the VICARA application. The solution offered is the development of a user interface (UI) design for the VICARA application.

Marlowe in Sheets: Teaching Christopher Marlowe's Books through Digital Materiality

The online resource Marlowe in Sheets, a sister project to Prof. Tara Lyons’ Shakespeare in Sheets, puts forth Marlowe’s works in a manner never offered before to students and scholars: the original printed but unfolded and uncut quartos and octavos from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, reformatted and rebuilt into custom downloadable PDFs for academic and public use. Playing with digital reproductions of Marlowe’s widely studied works in their first printed form enriches the study of pre-modern literature by enabling users to navigate and engage critically with the fields of the history of the book, bibliography, and the history of reading. A strong focus on how readers first came across and interacted with early printed texts highlights the marked differences these unassembled works possess in terms of form and appearance compared to their modern-day equivalents, which are generally heavily edited, annotated, prefaced, equipped with reading aids and guides, and, most of all, ready-made.

“She is Present in Offstage, Absent in Mainstream”- Unheard Voices of Women in Shrilal Shukla's Raag Darbari

This work seeks to constitute the unexplored area in Shrilal Shukla's Raag Darbari, which is the lack of representation and absent female voices in the novel, by looking at the liminality of their participation in the larger rubric of politics, education and economics etc. The research examines the ‘subjectivity and positioning of women’, which is in contrast to the delineation of the male voices in the novel. The work diverges from the current readings of the text, which focuses on the satirical aspect of the novel. The paper accentuates on the autonomy of women and their indulgence in the role play of the novel by locating them within the corpus of Anchalik Literature. The paper is doing textual analysis by aid of feminist reading of the novel. The task is accomplished, keeping in mind the Feminist Mystique theory of Betty Friedan and Patricia Collins and Dorothy Smith’s Feminist Standpoint Theory. The main findings of the research demonstrate the urgency of issue where feminine ideals of women are completely out of the picture. The larger concern of this paper not only focuses on the objectivity of women but also their subjectivity. As a result, the research shifts the lens of looking at it from satirical framework to inherent gender struggles in the narrative.

The Design and Implementation of Reading Aid Tools Based on Raspberry Pi for Blind EFL Students

Because there is a dearth of accessible reading material, especially braille printed books, this blind reading aid was developed for EFL students. No longer will a blind learner have to rely on braille-printed books to learn and grow. This technology enables visually impaired EFL students to access the same literary works as their sighted peers. This study employs a qualitative approach to experimentation, with data gathered through observation, interviews, and a review of existing literature. This system planning is described using a flowchart and block diagram. The Blackbox testing approach was employed to conduct the tests in this research. The Raspberry Pi was used as the microcontroller, and the Push Button on the Raspberry Pi Camera was used to initiate the graphical capture and subsequent image file processing by Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Text-to-Speech (TTS). This procedure yields an mp3 file that can be played through loudspeakers or speakers, allowing blind people to "read" printed text by osmosis.

The Basic VRS-Effect Study: Clinical Trial Outcomes and Cost-Effectiveness of Low Vision Rehabilitation in Portugal.

The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to investigate the clinical impact of vision rehabilitation in patients with vision impairment and (2) to investigate the cost-effectiveness of a basic vision rehabilitation service in Portugal. The trial recruited patients diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy (DR) and visual acuity in the range 0.4-1.0logMAR in the better-seeing eye. Participants were randomised to one of the study arms consisting of immediate intervention and delayed intervention. The intervention included: new refractive correction, optical reading aids, in-office training and advice about modifications at home. Visual ability, health-related quality of life and costs were measured. Economic analysis was performed to evaluate whether the intervention was cost-effective. The trial compared the outcomes 12 weeks after the start in both arms. Of the 46 participants, 34 (74%) were diagnosed with DR, 25 (54%) were female, and mean age was 70.08 years (SD = 8.74). In the immediate intervention arm visual ability increased a mean of 0.523 logits (SE = 0.11) (p < 0.001). Changes in the delayed intervention arm were not statistically significant (p = 0.95). Acuity in the better-seeing eye, near acuity and critical print size also improved during the study. The mean cost of the intervention was €118.79 (SD = 24.37). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio using the EQ-5D-5L was 30,421€/QALY and 1186€/QALY when using near acuity. The current study gives evidence of positive clinical impact of a basic vision rehabilitation intervention and shows that a basic vision rehabilitation service is cost-effective. These findings are important to clinical and rehabilitation practices and for planning vision rehabilitation services. Retrospectively registered, 21/01/2019. ISRCTN10894889, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN10894889.

Kurdish Handwritten character recognition using deep learning techniques

Handwriting recognition is regarded as a dynamic and inspiring topic in the exploration of pattern recognition and image processing. It has many applications including a blind reading aid, computerized reading, and processing for paper documents, making any handwritten document searchable and converting it into structural text form. High accuracy rates have been achieved by this technology when recognizing handwriting recognition systems for English, Chinese Arabic, Persian, and many other languages. However, there is not such a system for recognizing Kurdish handwriting. In this paper, an attempt is made to design and develop a model that can recognize handwritten characters for Kurdish alphabets using deep learning techniques. Kurdish (Sorani) contains 34 characters and mainly employs an Arabic/Persian based script with modified alphabets. In this work, a Deep Convolutional Neural Network model is employed that has shown exemplary performance in handwriting recognition systems. Then, a comprehensive database has been created for handwritten Kurdish characters which contain more than 40 thousand images. The created database has been used for training the Deep Convolutional Neural Network model for classification and recognition tasks. In the proposed system the experimental results show an acceptable recognition level. The testing results reported an 83% accuracy rate, and training accuracy reported a 96% accuracy rate. From the experimental results, it is clear that the proposed deep learning model is performing well and comparable to the similar to other languages handwriting recognition systems.

3.12 Reading Without Eye Movements: Improving Reading Comprehension in Young Adults With ADHD

Impaired reading comprehension is a common complaint in ADHD that is accompanied by altered eye movement patterns. Here, we tested whether minimizing the need for eye movements during reading aids comprehension.

Proposta de método de análise digital de imagens para determinação da frente carbonatada em concretos

Abstract Carbonation is one of the most common pathologies in concretes and the correct determination of the depth reached by this process is essential to predict the lifespan of a structure. The most common method for measuring carbonation is to spray a phenolphthalein solution onto the concrete and then measure the colorless area of the solution. Traditionally, such measurement is done manually through visual assessment. However, as this is a subjective assessment, this process is subject to errors. In order to minimize these errors, researchers have used image editing processes and measurements obtained with computerized tools. Even using these programs, the process still depends on the operator’s sensitivity and judgment to determine the areas affected by carbonation. This work proposes a digital analysis with the assignment of phenolphthalein turning pH values in order to obtain the carbonated front limit with greater precision and in a semi-quantitative way. For this, three admixtures of concrete with pozzolans (fly ash and rice husk ash) were analyzed in binary and ternary mixtures submitted to natural carbonation. The proposed method proved to be accurate and efficient as an aid in reading carbonated depths.

The degree to which students with visual impairments in Jordanian public schools use their assistive technology to study subjects in inclusive schools from their point of view

The current study aims to identify the degree to which students with visual disabilities in Jordanian public schools use their own educational technologies to study subjects in inclusive schools from their point of view in light of some variables represented by gender, degree of disability, and school stage. The sample consisted of (349) male and female students with visual impairment who were selected by a stratified random method. To achieve the objectives of the study, a scale of the degree of use of educational technologies was built, divided into three dimensions: electronic Braille display screens, electronic reading aids, and a magnifying screen. The psychometric properties of the scale were verified. The results showed that the degree of using educational technologies among students with visual disabilities in inclusive Jordanian public schools was low, with an arithmetic mean of the total score (1.80). They also revealed that there were no statistically significant differences at the significance level (α = 0.05) in the level of students' use of educational technologies according to grade and degree of disability. The results also revealed a statistically significant difference according to the gender variable in favor of males

A concurrent, deep learning-based computer-aided detection system for prostate multiparametric MRI: a performance study involving experienced and less-experienced radiologists.

To evaluate the effect of a deep learning-based computer-aided diagnosis (DL-CAD) system on experienced and less-experienced radiologists in reading prostate mpMRI. In this retrospective, multi-reader multi-case study, a consecutive set of 184 patients examined between 01/2018 and 08/2019 were enrolled. Ground truth was combined targeted and 12-core systematic transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy. Four radiologists, two experienced and two less-experienced, evaluated each case twice, once without (DL-CAD-) and once assisted by DL-CAD (DL-CAD+). ROC analysis, sensitivities, specificities, PPV and NPV were calculated to compare the diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) between the two groups (DL-CAD- vs. DL-CAD+). Spearman's correlation coefficients were evaluated to assess the relationship between PI-RADS category and Gleason score (GS). Also, the median reading times were compared for the two reading groups. In total, 172 patients were included in the final analysis. With DL-CAD assistance, the overall AUC of the less-experienced radiologists increased significantly from 0.66 to 0.80 (p = 0.001; cutoff ISUP GG≥1) and from 0.68 to 0.80 (p = 0.002; cutoff ISUP GG ≥ 2). Experienced radiologists showed an AUC increase from 0.81 to 0.86 (p = 0.146; cutoff ISUP GG ≥ 1) and from 0.81 to 0.84 (p = 0.433; cutoff ISUP GG ≥ 2). Furthermore, the correlation between PI-RADS category and GS improved significantly in the DL-CAD + group (0.45 vs. 0.57; p = 0.03), while the median reading time was reduced from 157 to 150 s (p = 0.023). DL-CAD assistance increased the mean detection performance, with the most significant benefit for the less-experienced radiologist; with the help of DL-CAD less-experienced radiologists reached performances comparable to that of experienced radiologists. • DL-CAD used as a concurrent reading aid helps radiologists to distinguish between benign and cancerous lesions in prostate MRI. • With the help of DL-CAD, less-experienced radiologists may achieve detection performances comparable to that of experienced radiologists. • DL-CAD assistance increases the correlation between PI-RADS category and cancer grade.

Evaluation of physician performance using a concurrent-read artificial intelligence system to support breast ultrasound interpretation

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance and the interpretation time of breast ultrasound examination between reading without and with the artificial intelligence (AI) system as a concurrent reading aid. Material and methodsA fully crossed multi-reader and multi-case (MRMC) reader study was conducted. Sixteen participating physicians were recruited and retrospectively interpreted 172 breast ultrasound cases in two reading scenarios, once without and once with the AI system (BU-CAD™, TaiHao Medical Inc.) assistance for concurrent reading. Interpretations of any given case set with and without the AI system were separated by at least 5 weeks. These reading results were compared to the reference standard and the area under the LROC curve (AUCLROC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for performance evaluations. The interpretation time was also compared between the unaided and aided scenarios. ResultsWith the help of the AI system, the readers had higher diagnostic performance with an increase in the average AUCLROC from 0.7582 to 0.8294 with statistically significant. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were also improved from 95.77%, 24.07%, 44.18%, and 93.50%–98.17%, 30.67%, 46.91%, and 96.10%, respectively. Of these, the improvement in specificity reached statistical significance. The average interpretation time was significantly reduced by approximately 40% when the readers were assisted by the AI system. ConclusionThe concurrent-read AI system improves the diagnostic performance in detecting and diagnosing breast lesions on breast ultrasound images. In addition, the interpretation time is effectively reduced for the interpreting physicians.