Print Reading Research Articles

A position paper on researching braille in the cognitive sciences: decentering the sighted norm

AbstractThis article positions braille as a writing system worthy of study in its own right and on its own terms. We begin with a discussion of the role of braille in the lives of those who read and write it and a call for more attention to braille in the reading sciences. We then give an overview of the history and development of braille, focusing on its formal characteristics as a writing system, in order to acquaint sighted print readers with the basics of braille and to spark further interest among reading researchers. We then explore how print-centric assumptions and sight-centric motivations have potentially negative consequences, not only for braille users but also for the types of questions researchers think to pursue. We conclude with recommendations for conducting responsible and informed research about braille. We affirm that blindness is most equitably understood as but one of the many diverse ways humans experience the world. Researching braille literacy from an equity and diversity perspective provides positive, fruitful insights into perception and cognition, contributes to the typologically oriented work on the world’s writing systems, and contributes to equity by centering the perspectives and literacy of the people who read and write braille.

The reader's way: student process guiding library practice

PurposeThis paper explores the academic reading behaviors of first-year students in an attempt to understand their experiences and develop potential reading interventions to support undergraduate students.Design/methodology/approachResearchers used qualitative research methods to elicit in-depth findings regarding reading behaviors. They interviewed fifteen first-year students who had completed a required writing course regarding their reading habits and used open coding to analyze interviews.FindingsInvestigators discovered that the narrative from national media that students do not read discounts the volume and variety of texts that students regularly interact with in a variety of contexts. Several themes emerged from the interviews: (1) Students like to read in a variety of designated spaces at any time of the day or night, (2) Students prefer reading in print, but mostly read online, and (3) Students reported difficult vocabulary as the most significant challenge in reading academic texts, but also reported emotional concerns regarding reading.Originality/valueWhile previous studies have focused on factors such as format preference and time limitations that influence reading behaviors, this study contributes to the body of research looking at the reading behaviors of college students more holistically, providing new insights informing a range of library interventions to support student success in academic reading. In its use of student interviews, this study offers a student-centered contribution to the literature on student reading behaviors and considers the implications of these behaviors on librarian practice.

LESSONS ON LEARNING IN LATER LIFE WITH THE MIT AGELAB 85+ LIFESTYLE LEADERS

Abstract Previous research has established the role of lifelong learning in promoting psychological wellbeing and active aging. Population aging necessitates an understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges around formal and informal learning in later life. This paper will share findings from a mixed methods study with the MIT AgeLab 85+ Lifestyle Leaders, a panel comprised of octogenarians and nonagenarians from across the United States. Drawing on an online survey and virtual focus groups with 29 Lifestyle Leaders from January 2021, findings suggest the Lifestyle Leaders most often learned new things from talking with others (46%) and reading print (54%) or online (54%) sources. The majority were familiar with attending in-person lectures or classes (89.7%) and were now using videoconferencing to do these (78.6%). A majority (56.7%) had or are currently participating in a lifelong learning program. Most consider themselves lifelong learners and described this around remaining curious and engaged with life, choices around what one learns, and greater enjoyment of learning. In the survey, a plurality of Lifestyle Leaders indicated the top two challenges affecting their ability to learn were sensory burdens (e.g., hearing loss, declining eyesight) (35%) and their energy level (32.4%); focus group data revealed that recall also is a barrier. Focus group data further highlighted generational experiences around early life learning and career paths, specifically how gender roles, diagnoses of learning disabilities, and evolving digital technology have affected these and changed over the course of their lifetimes.

INDEKS MINAT BACA MASYARAKAT; STUDI KASUS DI KOTA KEDIRI, JAWA TIMUR

To improve the literacy rate of the population, the government, through the Ministry of Education and Culture, has initiated the National Literacy Movement (GLN) program since 2016, consisting of the School Literacy Movement (GLS), Family Literacy Movement, and Community Literacy Movement. motion exists. The National Literacy Movement has encouraged the growth of a reading culture. The purpose of habituation is to increase interest in reading and improve reading skills so that knowledge can be acquired better. The researchers chose Kediri city in East Java. Kediri City is a service city, a city with a thriving trade and service industry. The purpose of this study is to determine how to develop a test of variables and indicators that represent reading habits and suitable indicators for measuring levels of reading habits. Reading habits in Kediri city. East Java. According to the findings, the Kediri City Reading Interest Index is in the top category with 79.7, the score he is composed of four index dimensions. Each index value mentioned for the city of Kediri is a skill dimension index of 93.9. An Access Dimension Index of 65.3 belongs to the high category. 90.3 Very High Categorical Alternate Dimension Index. The cultural dimension index is 69.2, which is in the high category. The nine years of obligatory schooling are a great contribution to Kediri Municipality's efforts to increase community literacy, and electronic reading material for smartphones and computers (laptops, PCs, tablets, and/or tablets) that supports Latin letter reading and writing is also available. According to the aforementioned statistics, there is truly very great potential for local communities to independently provide print reading and Internet networks, as well as the use of computer devices that bridged the majority of the access to multiple reading sources. Therefore, we must concentrate on promoting more streamlined, secure, and dependable access.

#BookTokMadeMeReadIt: young adult reading communities across an international, sociotechnical landscape

PurposeThis research article presents an exploratory case study of the sociotechnical landscape of BookTok, and how young people use it to connect with others around the books they love, or those they love to hate. By observing the interplay between young people, books, and the technology (TikTok) that connects them, this study aims to explore how blending analog and digital media tools makes reading social and fun.Design/methodology/approachThe authors selected three bestsellers available in English and Danish, and BookTokers who made related videos. This study used a qualitative, ethnographic (Pink, 2021) approach to explore interactions on the app. Inductive coding (Saldaña, 2021) helped the authors identify themes, and connect to areas of inquiry.FindingsDuring the pandemic, TikTok and BookTok offered young people opportunities for reading engagement in social, bookish communities by using technology to promote reading in print. In doing so, their actions made reading and being a reader highly entertaining.Research limitations/implicationsAs an exploratory case study, this research is not generalizable. But the findings will apply to future work on reading, publishing, and connected learning in a sociotechnical landscape.Practical implicationsBookTok connects print and digital formats, offering innovative possibilities for young people’s connected learning and reading promotion in schools and libraries.Originality/valueBecause TikTok is a relatively new tool, and its sub-community BookTok became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, research on this topic is still in its earliest stages.

Fingerprint Based Voting System

Biometric Finger print devices are used in the Electronic Voting machine for voter verification. We have designed a finger print based voting machine where there is no need for the user to carry their government ID. The voter at the polling booth needs only to place their Finger on the device, thus allowing the acquisition of an on-spot fingerprint from the voter which serves as an identification. This Finger print reader reads the details from the tag. This data is passed onto the controlling unit for the verification. The controller fetches the data from the reader and compares this data with the already existing data stored during the registration of the voters. If the data matches with the pre-stored information of the registered fingerprint, the person is allowed to cast his vote. If not, a warning message is displayed on LCD and the person is barred from polling his vote. The vote casting mechanism is carried out manually. LCD is used to display the related messages, warnings and ensuing results.

The Importance of Embodiment and Agency in Parents’ Positive Attitudes Towards Shared Reading with Their Children

Parents’ attitudes are an important indicator of whether and how parents engage in shared book reading (SBR) at home. This study analysed Norwegian parents’ attitudes towards reading books with their children aged between 1–4.5 years. Thematic analysis of data from 24 interviews revealed two main themes in parents’ accounts: agency (the child’s independence, the adult’s control as well as their shared control during SBR) and embodiment (physical presence and intimate experience of a SBR session). Both themes correspond to parents’ preference for reading print rather than digital books with their children. Findings are discussed from the socio-material theoretical perspective, with attention to their practical and policy implications.

Speed and Accuracy Measures of School-Age Readers With Visual Impairments Using a Refreshable Braille Display

This study provides information on the use of a refreshable braille display in relation to reading speeds and accuracy for students with visual impairments. The characteristics and variables which were statistically significant predictors of reading speed were explored. Forty-nine students in grades 1–9 participated with their teachers of students with visual impairments. In this 16-week study participants used the Reading Adventure Time! app to complete a pretest, intervention, and eight progress monitoring checks. Using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression analyses the researchers found silent reading speeds averaged 16.80 WPM at grades 1–2, 46.43 WPM at grades 3–4, 46.12 WPM at grades 5–6, and 50.51 WPM at grades 7–9. Oral reading speeds averaged 18.37 WPM at grades 1–2, 49.05 WPM at grades 3–4, 45.62 WPM at grades 5–6, and 45.82 WPM at grades 7–9. On average, there were few miscues for participants at all grade levels. Statistically significant predictors of reading speed included the number of braille cells on the refreshable braille display, the proportion of students receiving free and reduced lunch recipients, time spent in literacy instruction with the general education teacher, and whether the student was a dual braille and print reader. Reading speeds were comparable to those found in studies which examined reading paper-based formats. The most common statistically significant predictor of reading speed was the number of cells on the refreshable braille display. Wise decisions about the types of refreshable displays used can potentially make a difference in students’ reading speeds.

Book readers in the digital age: Reading practices and media technologies

With the rising popularity of digital reading media, leisure reading is undergoing a transformation process. However, the reasons for readers to adopt e-book reading or to stick to traditional printed books are mainly unknown. Therefore, we explored demographic and motivational differences between print readers, digital readers, and readers using both reading media. We further studied their book-reading practices, like the amount of reading, the preferred genres, the different reading situations, and if there are dedicated reading media for specific genres or situations. Additionally, we explored if digital reading media have changed the reading process or just appeal to a certain type of reader. Therefore, we conducted a survey ( n = 779) of adult book readers about their leisure reading behavior. The results show that print readers, digital readers, and readers using both media differ in age, gender, amount of reading, genre preference, and the situations in which they read. Furthermore, digital reading media especially foster reading on the move.

‘Tafereel van de voornaamste godsdiensten der waereldt’

Between 1723 and 1743, the French bookseller Jean Frederic Bernard, who had emigrated to Amsterdam, published the seven-volume Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde, richly illustrated by Bernard Picart. Earlier research argued that Picart and Bernard are important predecessors of the emerging scientific fields of anthropology and ethnology in the early modern period because of their use of the comparative method. The frontispiece Picart developed for the work in 1727 confirms this. Although previous research has already pointed at this frontispiece’s iconographic and metaphorical value in relation to the entire work, a thorough close reading of the title print seems to be lacking. In this contribution, I not only show to what extent the frontispiece serves as a visual synthesis for the book’s content, I also argue that it reveals Picart and Bernard’s artistic strategy of condemning the ceremoniality and theatricality in these religious rituals.

Student perceptions of reading digital texts for university study

An increasingly important aspect of undergraduate study is the ability to deal with reading academic texts digitally. Whilst the literature suggests that students prefer reading print texts (Foasberg, 2014; Mizrachi, 2015) and often have a deeper level of engagement with texts in this medium (Mangen et al., 2013; Delgado et al., 2018), the reality is that, for most students, digital texts are the norm. Study guides often focus on reading strategies that are considered broadly applicable to both digital and print formats. However, the differences between the two mediums are likely to impact on the strategies used, with students developing their own approaches as they gain more experience. In this paper, we present findings from a study exploring students’ perspectives and practices in relation to digital reading. We carried out focus group interviews with 20 students in their second or final year of undergraduate degree programmes. Our analysis reveals that reading texts digitally does indeed form the bulk of students’ reading activity, with ease and speed of accessibility, cost, and environmental considerations influencing this choice, and in some cases, precluding reading in print. However, despite the prominence of digital reading, some aspects of print reading – in particular the scope for more sustained focus, detailed reading and enjoyment of the experience – were highly valued by the students. Students’ approaches to reading digital texts varied depending on reading purpose, but, in general, students had developed a range of techniques to help them navigate digital reading.

A development trend comparison of reading speed and comprehension between students with visual handicap in Chinese Braille and sighted ones in print

At present, most of the comparisons of reading performance (reading speed and reading comprehension) between Braille readers and print readers is focused on English, while there is little research on Chinese in this aspect. To obtain the comparisons, experiments were designed to test the reading performance of Braille readers and print readers, and then the test data were analyzed. The study reveals the differences between Braille readers and print readers in compulsory primary schools for students with visual handicap and sighted ones in Mainland China. It is found that the reading performance of Braille readers is generally lower than that of print readers, but the opposite is true in some instances, notably the average score of reading comprehension among students in sixth grade of primary school in the study. At the same time, it is suggested that the homophones among Chinese characters are among the important factors that have a great influence on the reading performance of Braille readers. From the perspective of the experimental data, the paper illustrates that finding ways to distinguish homophones in Chinese Braille will be one of the key problems to address in order to improve the reading performance of Braille readers.

Patterns of reading behaviour in digital hypertext environments

AbstractBackgroundComputer‐based assessment allows for the monitoring of reader behaviour. The identification of patterns in this behaviour can provide insights that may be useful in informing educational interventions.ObjectivesOur study aims to explore what different patterns of reading activity exist, and investigates their interpretation and consistency across different task sets (units), countries, and languages. Three patterns were expected: on‐task, exploring and disengaged.MethodsUsing log data from the PISA 2012 digital reading assessment (9226 students from seven countries), we conducted hierarchical cluster analyses with typical process indicators of digital reading assessments. We identified different patterns and explored whether they remained consistent across different units. To validate the interpretation of the identified patterns, we examined their relationship to performance and student characteristics (gender, socio‐economic status, print reading skills).Results and ConclusionsThe results indicate a small number of transnational clusters, with unit‐specific differences. Cluster interpretation is supported by associations with student characteristics—for example, students with low print reading skills were more likely to show a disengaged pattern than proficient readers. Exploring behaviour tended to be exhibited only once across the three units: It occurred in the first unit for proficient readers and in later units for less skilled readers.Major TakeawaysBehavioural patterns can be identified in digital reading tasks that may prove useful for educational monitoring and intervention. Although task situations are designed to evoke certain behaviours, the interpretation of observed behavioural patterns requires validation based on task requirements, assessment context and relationships to other available information.

Projection or Reflection? The Pandemic Bookshelf as a Mirror for Self-Image and Personal Identity

ABSTRACT The opportunity for display of books is a frequently cited reason for choosing print reading over e-reading. But the desired display is not always intended for others. For many, the most important observer of a personal bookshelf is the person to whom it belongs: a physical shelf as means to access, commemorate, and honour reading history and reading identity. This makes it essential to consider bookshelves in the era of COVID-19 not only in terms of the Zoom feed, beaming snapshots of collections to the outside world, but also Zoom “self view”: the digital selfportrait hovering in the corner of our device screens. Drawing on qualitative data from surveys, focus groups and interviews conducted between 2014 and 2021, this paper will explore the phenomenon of the backdrop as mirror, and examine curated bookshelves - including manipulated, misattributed, or appropriated bookshelves - in terms of self- as well as public image.

Sensory modality and spoken language shape reading network in blind readers of Braille.

The neural basis of reading is highly consistent across many languages and scripts. Are there alternative neural routes to reading? How does the sensory modality of symbols (tactile vs. visual) influence their neural representations? We examined these questions by comparing reading of visual print (sighted group, n= 19) and tactile Braille (congenitally blind group, n= 19). Blind and sighted readers were presented with written (words, consonant strings, non-letter shapes) and spoken stimuli (words, backward speech) that varied in word-likeness. Consistent with prior work, the ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOTC) was active during Braille and visual reading. A posterior/anterior vOTC word-form gradient was observed only in sighted readers with more anterior regions preferring larger orthographic units (words). No such gradient was observed in blind readers. Consistent with connectivity predictions, in blind compared to sighted readers, posterior parietal cortices were recruited to a greater degree and contained word-preferring patches. Lateralization of Braille in blind readers was predicted by laterality of spoken language and reading hand. The effect of spoken language increased along a cortical hierarchy, whereas effect of reading hand waned. These results suggested that the neural basis of reading is influenced by symbol modality and spoken language and support connectivity-based views of cortical function.

Reading on Screen Vs Print: An Investigation into the Attitudes of Moroccan EFL University Students

This study was conducted with the objective to explore University students' attitudes toward onscreen reading and the factors affecting their attitudes. A descriptive survey was used in this study as a data collection tool. The questionnaire results of 212 students belonging to Ibn Zohr University, Faculty of art and humanities, have asserted that Moroccan EFL university students have positive attitudes toward onscreen reading. However, the participants also revealed several negative factors that make their onscreen reading experience challenging and troublesome. Overall, this study revealed five positive and negative factors affecting students' attitudes toward onscreen and print reading. These include practical factors, psychological factors, economic factors, cognitive factors, and health factors. The pedagogical implications discussed in this study are valuable and worth considering by students, teachers, decision-makers, and curriculum designers.

Difference in Quality of Vision Outcome among Extended Depth of Focus, Bifocal, and Monofocal Intraocular Lens Implantation.

We aimed to compare the postoperative quality of vision among patients who received extended depth of focus (EDOF), bifocal, and monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. A retrospective study was conducted, and 87 patients who underwent cataract surgery were enrolled. Patients were categorized into different groups according to IOL design, with 24, 29, and 34 individuals constituting bifocal, EDOF, and monofocal groups. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity (VA), biometry data, refractive status, contrast sensitivity (CS), higher-order aberrations (HOAs), and a quality of vision questionnaire that consisted of 11 questions were obtained 1 month postoperatively. The Kruskal–Wallis test and Pearson’s chi-square test were applied for statistical analyses. The postoperative CDVA was better in the EDOF group than in the bifocal group (p = 0.043), and the residual cylinder was lower in the EDOF groups than in the other two groups (both p < 0.05). The CS was worse in the EDOF group than in the other two groups (all p < 0.05), while the spherical aberration and trefoil were lower in the EDOF group than in the bifocal group (both p < 0.05). In terms of the quality of vision, the scores were better in the monofocal group than in the EDOF group in seven items (all p < 0.05), and the quality of vision in the bifocal group was better than in the EDOF group in small print reading (p = 0.042). In addition, the incidence of glare was lower in the monofocal group than in the other two groups (p < 0.001), while the spectacle dependence ratio was significantly higher in the monofocal group compared to the other two groups (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the general quality of vision was better in the monofocal group compared to the bifocal and EDOF groups, while the spectacle dependence ratio was significantly higher in the monofocal group than in the other two groups.

Using an eye tracker to examine the effect of prior knowledge on reading processes while reading a printed scientific text with multiple representations

ABSTRACT Readers' prior knowledge is an important factor for comprehending scientific texts. The study used an eye tracker to examine the reading processes of the undergraduates with high (HPK) and low prior knowledge (LPK) while reading a long printed scientific article. The results of measuring the eye movements offered some interesting findings. First, HPK readers are more capable of using multiple representations and know the importance of scientific diagrams for reading comprehension; the results revealed that HPK readers spent significantly longer fixation durations on representational and statistical diagrams and had higher percentages of transitional fixations between text and diagrams than did LPK readers. Second, LPK readers were much more text-driven; the total fixation durations on text was significantly higher for the LPK readers than for the HPK readers, and they also exhibited a tendency to read the diagram captions rather than the diagrams after reading the text. Third, mature readers in both groups would engage in self-regulating their reading strategy to slow down their reading speed for processing more important information. This study overcame technical limitations and recorded readers' eye movements in a real print reading situation which may open the path to assess broader issues in future reading research.

Reading digital- versus print-easy texts: a study with university students who prefer digital sources.

The transition from on-paper to on-screen reading seems to make it necessary to raise some considerations, as a greater attentional effort has been claimed for print texts than digital ones. Not surprisingly, most university students prefer this digital medium. This research aims to examine reading times by contextualizing this phenomenon into two processes: namely, word recognition and reading comprehension task on paper and on screen. Thus, two different tasks—counterbalanced into digital and print mediums—were carried out per each participant with a preference for a digital medium: a reading comprehension task (RCT) and a lexical decision task (LDT) after reading a specific story. Participants were slower reading print texts and no statistically significant differences were found in RCT accuracy. This result suggests that the task required more cognitive resources under the print medium for those with a worse comprehension performance in reading, and a more conservative pattern in digital RCT for those with a better performance.

Identifying Key Contextual Factors of Digital Reading Literacy Through a Machine Learning Approach

Few of previous reading studies comprehensively examined the contributing factors of students’ digital reading literacy. To fill this gap, based upon the ecological perspective, this study aims to investigate which factors from the student, home, and school context are more important in discriminating high-performing digital readers from non–high-performing digital readers. The data of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2016 with 74,692 Grade 4 students from 14 countries and economies was analyzed using the machine learning approach of support vector machine with recursive feature elimination. Results showed that except print reading levels, students’ reading self-efficacy, home resources for learning, talking about what have read in class, and the number of books in the home are the most influential contextual factors contributing to the high performance of digital readers. The selected 20 key contextual factors render a high prediction power for discriminating digital readers. Our findings show that, in general, home-related factors have overarching influences on children’s digital reading development; at the school level, instruction-related features are more influential than school characteristics.