Learning Reading Strategies for Science Texts in a Gaming Environment: iSTART vs iTG

University Of Memphis, Memphis TN

Investigators

Abstract

It is well known that many students find science text challenging to comprehend. Students' reading ability is partly to blame. Reading problems become most apparent when the student is faced with a challenging text for which they have knowledge deficits. Science text, in particular, has many technical terms that are difficult to ground in everyday experience. Thus, there is a need for reading comprehension interventions to improve science comprehension. This project compares the effectiveness of two types of tutoring environments in improving high-school students' ability to understand challenging science text. Both environments contain the same pedagogical content, but present it differently: as a lesson or as a game. The first environment, developed and tested over the past 5 years, is an automated reading strategies tutor called iSTART (Interactive Strategy Training for Active Reading and Thinking) that uses animated pedagogical agents to deliver interactive instruction on self-explanation and reading strategies (comprehension monitoring, paraphrasing, generating inferences). Instruction occurs in three stages with each stage requiring increased interaction on the part of the learner. Results across a wide range of studies indicate that iSTART is highly effective in improving students' ability to understand challenging science text. While effective, iSTART can be somewhat unappealing to an average high-school student in extended practice situations. While students need extended practice to master the strategies, iSTART becomes monotonous over time. To increase students' engagement, an alternative version of iSTART practice will be developed that allows students to practice iSTART strategies in a game environment. iSTART-The Game (iTG) will present the same reading strategy practice to students, but will incorporate game-based principles to enhance engagement. This project examines whether a gaming environment for learning strategies for science text comprehension more effectively sustains students' attention and engagement during training, and thereby results in improved acquisition and mastery of these strategies. In the first year of funding, an automated reading strategy tutoring system that is framed in a gaming environment will be developed. In Year 2, pilot studies will be conducted to refine the system. In Year 3, practice using the strategies will be compared in three conditions: iTG, iSTART, and a control condition. Students will practice the strategies over a period of five additional sessions after the initial training. This experiment will provide information on the potential value of iTG over time and specifically, whether iTG engages students over repeated practice sessions. The potential interactive effects of individual differences such as prior science knowledge, reading skill, and motivational levels will also be examined. This research will contribute to better understanding of engagement as a factor in learning gains. It is predicted by the investigators that many students who do not find the standard tutoring environment sufficiently engaging will significantly benefit from the alternative approach. Most importantly, this instructional intervention should be especially valuable for those students most at risk due to having lower ability and interest in science. This research will accomplish the goal of creating a test-bed learning environment intended to improve reader engagement and advance our understanding of the potential instructional gains from such environments. The project will contribute to our understanding of the relationship between game features and engagement. It will provide students with tools that help them more effectively meet the challenges of learning from difficult science texts. In addition, this research will contribute to our understanding of the roles that cognition and emotion play in fostering learning, the specific processes involved with learning from science texts, and the complex interplay of factors such as reading strategies, knowledge, reading skill, interest, and motivation.