Traditional Paper Format Research Articles

ASSESSING THE REPERCUSSIONS OF DICTIONARY FORMATS ON SCHOLARLY WRITING OUTCOMES: UNDERTAKING MIXED-METHOD APPROACH

The complexity of foreign vocabulary and the multifaceted meanings of word combinations often pose significant challenges to language learners, potentially deterring their motivation. Dictionaries, however, serve as pivotal tools in surmounting these obstacles. Extant research has extensively explored the intersection of language acquisition and dictionary utilization, revealing a marked preference among EFL students for online or electronic dictionaries over traditional paper formats. Despite the recognized importance of dictionary use in fostering language proficiency, there remains a notable paucity of research investigating the specific impact of different dictionary formats on learners' writing skills. This study adopted a quasi-experimental between-groups design, including a control group and two experimental groups, involving a cohort of 67 Chinese EFL graduates from an international college in China. Over a ten-week experimental period, participants in the experimental groups utilized digital and paper dictionaries as reference aids for abstract writing, whereas the control group was deprived of any dictionary usage. Following the experiment, a semi-structured interview was conducted to assess the benefits of dictionary use in abstract writing and to elicit learners' perceptions of digital versus print English dictionaries. The weekly abstract writing submissions from all three groups were collected and meticulously analyzed. The findings revealed that both digital and paper dictionaries significantly enhanced the abstract writing performance of the Chinese EFL graduates in the experimental groups. Notably, participants who used digital dictionaries demonstrated a substantial and statistically significant improvement in overall abstract writing quality and language usage compared to those in the print-dictionary group. Furthermore, the study reported that digital dictionaries were particularly favored by Chinese EFL graduates due to their numerous advantageous attributes, including their reliability and efficacy in identifying appropriate linguistic expressions and vocabulary. In conclusion, the empirical evidence underscores the efficacy of digital dictionaries in augmenting the writing skills of EFL learners, suggesting a potential pedagogical shift towards the integration of digital lexicographical resources in language education curricula.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0705/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Within Clinic Reliability and Usability of a Voice-Based Amazon Alexa Administration of the General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD 7).

This is the second in a series of studies assessing the usability and reliability of a novel voice-based delivery system of mental health screening assessments. The previous study demonstrated the reliability and patient preference of a voice-based format of the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ 9) for measuring major depression compared to a traditional paper format. Through this study, we further examined the Amazon Alexa tool in the administration of the General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD 7). With a replicated methodology to the first study, 40 newly administered patients completed the GAD 7 in one format at their first session and the alternate format at their follow up. Results from the new in clinic population replicated the findings observed in the first PHQ 9 study: GAD 7 assessment scores for the Alexa and paper version showed a high degree of reliability (α = 0.77), patients showed higher overall positive attitudes for the voice-based GAD 7 format, and subscales for attractiveness, stimulation, and novelty were significantly higher for the voiced-based format. Results also demonstrated 42 (84%) of the 50 patients who completed the voice-based format responded as being willing to use the device from home. With new recommendations of universal screening of anxiety disorders for patients below the age of 65 and rapid changes in virtual mental healthcare, convenient screenings are more important than ever. We believe this novel clinical assessment tool has the potential to improve patient behavioral healthcare while mitigating the workload of healthcare professionals.

Evaluation of eating habits by 7-day food record: web-PC vs. traditional paper format

The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of a web-based 7-day food-record using METADIETA-web link (Meteda s.r.l.) – a professional software used in nutritional practice and research – compared with the traditional paper format. Twenty-six healthy adults of both sexes were recruited in this cross-over study based on the number coming from the sample size calculation, and randomly assigned to start with METADIETA-web or traditional 7-Day Food-Diary. All the 7-day food-diaries were recorded in the Metadieta-software. The System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire was administered to evaluate the participants’ preferences in terms of usability, acceptability, and feasibility. Differences in energy intake, nutrient composition, and SUS between the digital and traditional modalities were evaluated. Energy and nutrients were not significantly different between the two methods with a variation <15%, with alcohol intake showing the strongest relation (0.1% variation). The Interclass Correlation Coefficient showed a grade of consistency between the two methods excellent for alcohol, good for proteins, carbohydrates, and fibre, moderate for energy and saturated fat, and poor for total fat and cholesterol. SUS suggested that the web-based platform was in general well accepted, but highlighted some inconsistencies and complexity compared to the written food diary. The web-based 7-day food-record may allow an accurate and quicker analysis of food timing than conventional approaches, seeming reliable for energy and macronutrient composition, making it a potentially attractive tool for nutritional research. However, the reported inconsistencies and complexity must be considered and addressed.

Validation of an Electronic Visual Analog Scale App for Pain Evaluation in Children and Adolescents With Symptomatic Hypermobility: Cross-sectional Study.

Rapid advances in mobile apps for clinical data collection for pain evaluation have resulted in more efficient data handling and analysis than traditional paper-based approaches. As paper-based visual analogue scale (p-VAS) scores are commonly used to assess pain levels, new emerging apps need to be validated prior to clinical application with symptomatic children and adolescents. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of an electronic visual analogue scale (e-VAS) method via a mobile health (mHealth) App in children and adolescents diagnosed with hypermobility spectrum disorder/hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (HSD/HEDS) in comparison with the traditional p-VAS. Children diagnosed with HSD/HEDS aged 5-18 years were recruited from a sports medicine center in Sydney (New South Wales, Australia). Consenting participants assigned in random order to the e-VAS and p-VAS platforms were asked to indicate their current lower limb pain level and completed pain assessment e-VAS or p-VAS at one time point. Instrument agreement between the 2 methods was determined from the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and through Bland-Altman analysis. In total, 43 children with HSD/HEDS aged 11 (SD 3.8) years were recruited and completed this study. The difference between the 2 VAS platforms of median values was 0.20. Bland-Altman analysis revealed a difference of 0.19 (SD 0.95) with limits of agreement ranging -1.67 to 2.04. An ICC of 0.87 (95% CI 0.78-0.93) indicated good reliability. These findings suggest that the e-VAS mHealth App is a validated tool and a feasible method of collecting pain recording scores when compared with the traditional paper format in children and adolescents with HSD/HEDS. The e-VAS App can be reliably used for pediatric pain evaluation, and it could potentially be introduced into daily clinical practice to improve real-time symptom monitoring. Further research is warranted to investigate the usage of the app for remote support in real clinical settings.

Integrating information practices into everyday teaching

This paper reports on the information practices and information literacy (IL) skills of South Korean elementary school students from the perspectives of working teachers. Key to this investigation was the notion of information practice, and how this is shaped by the practice architecture found in an educational setting. A sequential mixed design was undertaken to investigate these ideas which consisted of exploratory interviews with 4 elementary school teachers and was followed by a questionnaire which analysed the responses of 314 elementary school teachers. Findings indicate that in this setting, teachers, students and pre-set curricular content serve as the most frequently used information sources for students during their everyday classes. We pay specific attention to the ongoing centrality of the textbook, in its traditional paper format, to the ways in which teachers design learning activities, and suggest that this limits the diversity of informational approaches to which young South Korean learners are exposed. While these learners are engaged, they are limited in terms of informational genre since teachers and textbooks were found to be dominant information proxies. Activities in which students engage in active seeking or scanning are rarer. Contexts with such a configuration may be hindering the development of critical information literacy skills that are vital in dealing with the abundance of information faced by individuals today.

Identifying the Requirements of Visually Impaired Users for Accessible Mobile E-book Applications

Books are a medium for communicating information and in recent years have taken the electronic form called e-books. This shift has opened new opportunities for the visually impaired in overcoming their struggles with books in the traditional paper format. Yet, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) claimed that many e-book applications do not meet needs of the visually impaired. Very few studies had investigated this subject matter hence paving the way for this current study to address the above research gap. As a result, equitable access to e-books for the visually impaired is still limited. Hence, there is now a necessity to design usable and accessible e-book interfaces for the visually impaired. To achieve this goal, it is important to identify the e-book requirements of the visually impaired into their e-book applications. An online survey was conducted involving seven visually impaired students at a local Malaysian university. The target participants’ ages are between 21 and 27 years old. The outcomes of this study identified ten requirements for accessible e-book applications for the visually impaired. Among these requirements are features that enable users to zoom, read aloud, and search for book contents. Besides that, screen reader strategy and text-to-speech are also mandatory. Other requirements include clear text and sound, ease of navigation, high contrast, and high brightness. These requirements will involve the field of Human-Computer Interaction design which is applied particularly in the development of usable and accessible mobile e-book applications for the visually impaired.

A Mobile Technology for Collecting Patient-Reported Physical Activity and Distress Outcomes: Cross-Sectional Cohort Study.

BackgroundElectronic patient-reported outcome (PROs) provides a fast and reliable assessment of a patient’s health-related quality of life. Nevertheless, using PRO in the traditional paper format is not practical for clinical practice due to the limitations associated with data analysis and management. A questionnaire app was developed to address the need for a practical way to group and use distress and physical activity assessment tools.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess the level of agreement between electronic (mobile) and paper-and-pencil questionnaire responses.MethodsWe validated the app version of the distress thermometer (DT), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ-9). A total of 102 participants answered the paper and app versions of the DT and IPAQ, and 96 people completed the PHQ-9. The study outcomes were the correlation of the data between the paper-and-pencil and app versions.ResultsA total of 106 consecutive breast cancer patients were enrolled and analyzed for validation of paper and electronic (app) versions. The Spearman correlation values of paper and app surveys for patients who responded to the DT questionnaire within 7 days, within 3 days, and on the same day were .415 (P<.001), .437 (P<.001), and .603 (P<.001), respectively. Similarly, the paper and app survey correlation values of the IPAQ total physical activity metabolic equivalent of task (MET; Q2-6) were .291 (P=.003), .324 (P=.005), and .427 (P=.01), respectively. The correlation of the sum of the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (Q1-9) according to the time interval between the paper-based questionnaire and the app-based questionnaire was .469 for 14 days (P<.001), .574 for 7 days (P<.001), .593 for 3 days (P<.001), and .512 for the same day (P=.03). These were all statistically significant. Similarly, the correlation of the PHQ (Q10) value according to the time interval between the paper-based questionnaire and the app-based questionnaire was .283 for 14 days (P=.005), .409 for 7 days (P=.001), .415 for 3 days (P=.009), and .736 for the same day (P=.001). These were all statistically significant. In the overall trend, the shorter the interval between the paper-and-pencil questionnaire and the app-based questionnaire, the higher the correlation value.ConclusionsThe app version of the distress and physical activity questionnaires has shown validity and a high level of association with the paper-based DT, IPAQ (Q2-6), and PHQ-9. The app-based questionnaires were not inferior to their respective paper versions and confirm the feasibility for their use in clinical practice. The high correlation between paper and mobile app data allows the use of new mobile apps to benefit the overall health care system.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03072966; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03072966

Digital Story Mapping to Advance Educational Atlas Design and Enable Student Engagement

Storytelling is recognized as a valid and important method of communicating information and knowledge gleaned from volumes of ever-accumulating data. Practices of data-driven storytelling in journalism and geovisual analytics have contributed to the development of geovisual stories; also called story maps. The benefits of student-focused multi-thematic atlases and digital storytelling methods in education can also be realized in story maps. An online, interactive version of the original paper version of the Wyoming Student Atlas was developed using story mapping technology. Studies on best practices for data-driven storytelling and web map interaction were used to inform the transition of the atlas from a traditional paper format to a collection of story maps. Evaluation of the atlas story maps for educational purposes was conducted by observing students from multiple classrooms as they used the story maps in a lesson. The students and educators responded to a survey after using the story maps. Results of the survey show positive responses to the atlas story maps, including ease of use and preference over a traditional paper atlas. However, certain types of interaction with the map resulted in increased negative or uncertain responses from students concerning their perception of the atlas story maps.

Physiotherapy Questionnaires App to Deliver Main Musculoskeletal Assessment Questionnaires: Development and Validation Study.

BackgroundPatient-reported outcomes (PROs) translate subjective outcomes into objective data that can be quantified and analyzed. Nevertheless, the use of PROs in their traditional paper format is not practical for clinical practice due to limitations associated with the analysis and management of the data. To address the need for a viable way to group and utilize the main functioning assessment tools in the field of musculoskeletal disorders, the Physiotherapy Questionnaires app was developed.ObjectiveThis study aims to explain the development of the app, to validate it using two questionnaires, and to analyze whether participants prefer to use the app or the paper version of the questionnaires.MethodsIn the first stage, the app for an Android operational system was developed. In the second stage, the aim was to select questionnaires that were most often used in musculoskeletal clinical practice and research. The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) questionnaire were selected to validate the app. In total, 50 participants completed the paper and app versions of the AOFAS and 50 completed the FAOS. The study’s outcomes were the correlation of the data between the paper and app versions as well as the preference of the participants between the two versions.ResultsThe app was approved by experts after the adaptations of the layout for mobile phones and a total of 18 questionnaires were included in the app. Moreover, the app allows the generation of PDF and Excel files with the patients’ data. In regards to validity, the mean of the total scores of the FAOS were 91.54% (SD 8.86%) for the paper version and 91.74% (SD 9.20%) for the app. There was no statistically significant differences in the means of the total scores or the subscales (P=.11-.94). The mean total scores for the AOFAS were 93.94 (SD 8.47) for the paper version and 93.96 (SD 8.48) for the app. No statistically significant differences were found for the total scores for the AOFAS or the subscales (P>.99). The app showed excellent agreement with the paper version of the FAOS, with an ICC value of 0.98 for the total score (95% CI 0.98-0.99), which was also found for the AOFAS with the ICC for the total score of 0.99 (95% CI 0.98-0.99). For compliance, 72% (36/50) of the participants in the FAOS group and 94% (47/50) in the AOFAS group preferred the app version.ConclusionsThe Physiotherapy Questionnaires app showed validity and high levels of compliance for the FAOS and AOFAS, which indicates it is not inferior to the paper version of these two questionnaires and confirms its viability and feasibility for use in clinical practice.

Higher‐level phylogeny of diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) based on larval characters

AbstractA comprehensive higher‐level phylogeny of diving beetles (Dytiscidae) based on larval characters is presented. Larval morphology and chaetotaxy of a broad range of genera and species was studied, covering all currently recognized subfamilies and tribes except for the small and geographically restricted Hydrodytinae, where the larva is unknown. The results suggest several significant conclusions with respect to the systematics of Dytiscidae including the following: monophyly of all currently recognized subfamilies, although Dytiscinae when considered in a broad context is rendered paraphyletic by Cybistrinae; currently recognized tribes are monophyletic except for Agabini, Hydroporini and Laccornellini; inter‐subfamily and inter‐tribe relationships generally show weak support, except for a few well supported clades; three distinct clades are recognized within Dytiscinae [Dytiscini sensu lato (i.e. including the genera Dytiscus Linnaeus and Hyderodes Hope), Hydaticini sensu lato, and Cybistrini]; and recognition of Pachydrini as a distinct tribe. Other less robust results include: Methlini sister to the rest of Hydroporinae; relative basal position of Laccornini, Hydrovatini and Laccornellini within Hydroporinae; close relationship of Agabinae and Copelatinae; Matinae nested deep within Dytiscidae, as sister to a large clade including Colymbetinae, Coptotominae, Lancetinae and Dytiscinae sensu lato; the sister‐group relationship of Agabetini and Laccophilini is confirmed. The results presented here are discussed and compared with previous phylogenetic hypotheses based on different datasets, and the evolution of some significant morphological features is discussed in light of the proposed phylogeny. All suprageneric taxa are diagnosed, including illustrations of all relevant synapomorphies, and a key to separate subfamilies and tribes is presented, both in traditional (paper) format and as an online Lucid interactive identification key.

A preliminary study on the effects of an E-gloss tool on incidental vocabulary learning when reading Chinese as a foreign language

To become proficient readers of Chinese, learners must identify characters quickly and accurately. Learners who are able to recognize characters rapidly are able to focus on the overall message rather than the meaning of individual characters. However, the complex orthography of Chinese makes decoding characters difficult. E-gloss tools such as Dim Sum have been highly touted as solutions to ease this burden for second language learners of Chinese (Shen &amp; Tsai 2010; Xie &amp; Tao 2009). Research has shown that when learners use these tools, reading speeds and comprehension scores improve; however, no research has investigated the effect of such tools on incidentally-learned vocabulary. This study compared incidental vocabulary gains by 19 students in two different Chinese courses, reading four texts with an e-gloss tool and four texts in a traditional paper format. Although a significant difference between the two reading formats was not found, simple comparisons of learning gains by individual learners in both reading formats suggest that students’ learning and reading styles may impact the effectiveness of reading with or without the e-gloss tool.

Visual consequences of electronic reader use: a pilot study

With the increasing prevalence of electronic readers (e-readers) for vocational and professional uses, it is important to discover if there are visual consequences in the use of these products. There are no studies in the literature quantifying the incidence or severity of eyestrain, nor are there clinical characteristics that may predispose to these symptoms with e-reader use. The primary objective of this pilot study was to assess the degree of eyestrain associated with e-reader use compared to traditional paper format. The secondary outcomes of this study were to assess the rate of eyestrain associated with e-reader use and identify any clinical characteristics that may be associated with the development of eyestrain. Forty-four students were randomly assigned to study (e-reader iPAD) and control (print) groups. Participant posture, luminosity of the room, and reading distance from reading device were measured during a 1-h session for both groups. At the end of the session, questionnaires were administered to determine symptoms. Significantly higher rates of eyestrain (p=0.008) and irritation (p=0.011) were found among the iPAD study group as compared to the print 'control' group. The study group was also 4.9 times more likely to report severe eyestrain (95% CI [1.4, 16.9]). No clinical characteristics predisposing to eyestrain could be identified. These findings conclude that reading on e-readers may induce increased levels of irritation and eyestrain. Predisposing factors, etiology, and potential remedial interventions remain to be determined.

Computer Applications in Health Science Education

In recent years, computer application development has experienced exponential growth, not only in the number of publications but also in the scope or contexts that have benefited from its use. In health science training, and medicine specifically, the gradual incorporation of technological developments has transformed the teaching and learning process, resulting in true "educational technology". The goal of this paper is to review the main features involved in these applications and highlight the main lines of research for the future. The results of peer reviewed literature published recently indicate the following features shared by the key technological developments in the field of health science education: first, development of simulation and visualization systems for a more complete and realistic representation of learning material over traditional paper format; second, portability and versatility of the applications, adapted for an increasing number of devices and operative systems; third, increasing focus on open source applications such as Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).

A Case Study: Enhancement of Business Process Management Through System Automation

Student transcripts prior to the year 1999 at Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) registrar’s office are in traditional paper format. Currently, the manual process takes about twenty minutes per record while the computerized processing can be done in less than five minutes. The goal of this research is threefold: 1) to study the effectiveness of the computerized system compared to the manual process; 2) to increase small public Historically Black Colleges and Universities HBCU campus (SUNO) operational efficiencies through the reduction of paper work and manual operation; 3) to increase the use of enhanced information and technological tools, processes and management.

Using digital multimedia to improve parents' and children's understanding of clinical trials.

Data show that many research subjects have difficulty understanding study information using traditional paper consent documents. This study, therefore, was designed to evaluate the effect of an interactive multimedia program on improving parents' and children's understanding of clinical trial concepts and participation. Parents (n=148) and children (n=135) were each randomised to receive information regarding clinical trials using either a traditional paper format (TF) or an interactive iPad program (IP) with inline exercises. Participants' understanding of the information was assessed using semistructured interviews prior to (pretest) and after (post-test) receiving the information. Participants also completed a short survey to assess their perceptions of information delivery and satisfaction with the process. Regardless of the mode of information delivery, all participants demonstrated improved pretest to post-test understanding. While there were no statistical differences in parents' post-test understanding between the TF and IP groups, children in the IP group had significantly greater post-test understanding compared with children in the TF group (11.65 (4.1) vs 8.85 (4.1) (2.8, 1.4, 4.2) 0-18 scale where 18=complete understanding). Furthermore, the IP was found to be significantly 'easier to follow' and 'more effective' in presenting information compared with the TF. Results demonstrated the importance of providing information regarding clinical trial concepts to parents and children. Importantly, the ability of interactive multimedia to improve understanding of clinical trial concepts and satisfaction with information delivery, particularly among children, supports this approach as a novel and effective vehicle for enhancing the informed consent process.

A Randomized Trial of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Administration: Tablet Computer Versus Paper and Pencil

To compare the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) patient-reported outcome measure as administered by tablet computer to the traditional paper format. In a prospective, randomized study design, 223 consecutive adult patients who presented to the clinic of a single hand surgeon at a tertiary medical center were randomized by visit time to receive the DASH by either paper or tablet computer. Test completeness, time to completion, DASH score, and diagnostic and demographic data were collected and compared between the two cohorts. In total, 120 participants took the DASH using the tablet and 103 using paper. 43% of the paper surveys had at least one question that was omitted, compared with 13% in the tablet group; 14% of the paper surveys were not scoreable (<27 questions answered) compared with 4% of the tablet surveys. The mean time to complete was 3.1 minutes for the paper version of the DASH and 4.3 minutes for the tablet version. Among our study population, there was no influence of age, sex, or diagnosis category on the time required to complete either version of thetest. The mean DASH score was 45 for the paper version and 32 for the tablet version. The use of digital data entry methods in the arena of health care outcomes research is increasing. Administration of the DASH via a tablet computer resulted in more complete data, slightly increased responder burden, and a lower DASH score. This finding may have important implications for the use of this metric in an electronic format in future research endeavors. Diagnostic II.

De las alfabetizaciones y competencias en la era digital: estudio de caso

There is a lot of information about what digital skills people should have to communicate successfully on the internet. The literature on the subject refers to a range of disciplinary fields that analyze the different meanings and variables of the term "Literacy" (Bawden, 2002), although these notions are more related to library and information science. This article outlines some concepts and terms that are intended to describe the competences and skills in information management that a person must have to be considered information literate. Finally, this paper presents the results of a research made on researchers at the Institute of Political Studies of the University of Antioquia (IPS), Medellin, Colombia. Some of their skills and literacies are analyzed, related to how they search and retrieve information and the level of knowledge researchers need to have to function in an environment that has changed substantially from the traditional paper format, which they were fully used to, to an increasing prevalence of electronic and digital media.

University students' attainment and perceptions of computer delivered assessment; a comparison between computer-based and traditional tests in a ‘high-stakes’ examination

This study compared higher education dental undergraduate student performance in online assessments with performance in traditional paper-based tests and investigated students' perceptions of the fairness and acceptability of online tests, and showed performance to be comparable. The project design involved two parallel cross-over trials, one in Year 3 (n = 132) of the dental curriculum, one in Year 5 (n = 134). A total of 266 students undertook related tests of the same knowledge base in both online and traditional paper formats. Order of presentation of the test form was randomized. One hundred and thirty-two students in Year 3 additionally completed questions concerning their perceptions of the acceptability and fairness of the online examination process. Focus group discussions were held with groups of students (n = 30) from both Year 3 and 5 to explore their perceptions of the online format. The online tests were created using the commercial software package MaxExam (Bristol, UK). The results were analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the order of presentation being entered as a variable in the analysis. The results of the study showed that for both Years 3 and 5 students there was a high degree of consistency in performance between the two versions of the tests, although a minority of students performed better in the online version of the test. Over 70% of students rated the online test as acceptable, and 90% felt that the online format did not disadvantage them even in a ‘high-stakes’ situation. From these results, we conclude that online assessment does not confer any disadvantage to students. Students perceive such assessment to be both fair and acceptable, and to have some advantages over the traditional paper-based methods of assessment.

From the Editor‐in‐Chief

From the Editor‐in‐Chief

The Internet is valid and reliable for child-report: An example using the Activities Scale for Kids (ASK) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)

Objective This study tested the impact of web administration on well-established measures of children's physical function and quality of life. Study Design and Setting Participants were recruited from clinics at six hospitals. They completed the Activities Scale for Kids ( ASK) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) questionnaires twice, in a crossover design that used paper and web-based modes of administration. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to assess the validity of the new web formats relative to the original paper formats and their test–retest reliability. Results Sixty-nine children ranging in age from 8.0 to 13.4 years (mean = 11.0 years) completed the study. The sample included children with cerebral palsy (19), spina bifida (23), and cystic fibrosis (27). The mean ASK score was 77.5 and the mean PedsQL score was 69.1. The intermethod intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.98 (lower limit 0.94) for the ASK and 0.64 (lower limit 0.35) for the PedsQL. These compare to intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.99 and 0.94, respectively, for traditional paper formats. Conclusion The web ASK was valid in comparison to the original paper format. Consistency in mode of administration may be more important when using the PedsQL. Both measures were highly reliable on paper and on the web.