The Effect of Assistive Technology on Vocabulary Learning of Students with Visual Impairments
| Autor: | Afsaneh Saeedakhtar, Nasrin Khodaee, Afsar Rouhi, Reza Abdi |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2024 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Research in English Language Pedagogy, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 52-76 (2024) |
| Druh dokumentu: | article |
| ISSN: | 2588-3259 2538-4244 |
| DOI: | 10.30486/relp.2023.1989211.1471 |
| Popis: | The present study sought to investigate the role of assistive technology (AT) in English vocabulary learning by students with visual impairment (VI) in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. It also endeavored to elicit their attitudes towards AT through a semi-structured interview. To this end, 22 students with VI were divided into an experimental and a control group. Before the experiment, their initial vocabulary knowledge was measured through a pretest. Over five sessions, the experimental group was assigned to learn the target vocabulary items via a screen reader, i.e., non-visual desktop access (NVDA). In the absence of NVDA, the control group was exposed to the same vocabulary items by implicit instruction. Then, both groups received a posttest. The results of an independent samples t-test run on the data obtained from the post-test demonstrated that the experimental group built significantly larger vocabulary items than the control group. Responses given to a semi-structured interview revealed that learners prompted by AT acknowledged that the assistance afforded by NVDA, as a supplementary tool, facilitated learning the target vocabulary items. Based on the findings of the present study the incorporation of AT into the instructional materials of students with VI is recommended. |
| Databáze: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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