Kerge Intellektipuudega Õpilaste Lugemisoskus Paberilt Ja Ekraanilt

Digital tools are increasingly used in teaching students with intellectual disabilities, as teachers are responsible for developing studentsâ digital competence. Consequently, there is a growing proportion of reading tasks displayed on screens, making it increasingly important to understand how different mediums affect studentsâ reading techniques and text comprehension. This study aims to determine how the medium influences the reading techniques and text comprehension of students with mild intellectual disabilities when they read from paper versus when they read on a computer screen. The sample included 38 students with mild intellectual disabilities from one school. Two school-related informational texts and corresponding text comprehension questionnaires were used as research tools. The students read one text on paper and the other one on a screen. The results of the study indicated that the said studentsâ reading fluency, time for reading, and the number of errors did not differ depending on the medium. Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference in text comprehension. Correlations confirmed the absence of differences between the mediums: a strong correlation was found between the time spent reading in different mediums and the number of reading errors made on paper and the computer screen. However, there was no correlation between text comprehension and reading time. In conclusion, both paper and digital texts can be equally used in teaching students with mild intellectual disabilities, as their reading technique and comprehension do not depend on the choice of the medium. Reading from screens offers an opportunity to diversify lessons and increase studentsâ motivation, which could improve text comprehension

EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching · Student Assessment and Feedback