{"id":{"repo_id":"oxford-brookes","oai_identifier":"tle:841b9f78-48c5-4636-86ac-4c9fbaf7e409:d6bd9758-527a-46cd-bfe2-c433766e8fca:1"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/oxford-brookes/tle:841b9f78-48c5-4636-86ac-4c9fbaf7e409:d6bd9758-527a-46cd-bfe2-c433766e8fca:1","repository":{"repo_id":"oxford-brookes","name":"Oxford Brookes University","base_url":"https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/oai"},"display":{"title":"Investigating the impact of spellcheck on writing for students with and without dyslexia","abstract":"Background. Writers with dyslexia have difficulty with spelling, which may also restrict their written lexical diversity. Thus spellcheck could be particularly useful to these writers. However, writers with dyslexia also have difficulties with executive functioning required to prevent distraction, and so the automatic underlining of spellcheck could be disruptive for this group. Little empirical evidence for effects of spellcheck exists in the literature. Furthermore, functions within word processing programs, such as spellcheck, are not accounted for in theoretical frameworks of writing. Method. Three studies were conducted to address three research questions. First a survey was used to explore how and why writers use word processing programs, and spellcheck in particular (n=30 with dyslexia, n=177 without dyslexia). The second study comprised of two experiments that used keystroke logging to monitor writing behaviour to find out whether spellcheck disrupts writing and what this means in terms of cognitive processing, particularly for writers with dyslexia (experiment one, n=18 with dyslexia, n= 18 control group; experiment two, n=10 with dyslexia, n=10 control group). In the third study, essays written with and without spellcheck, (n=18 with dyslexia, control group n=18), were measured to find out whether spellcheck improves spelling accuracy and lexical diversity more for writers with dyslexia than for writers without dyslexia. Results. Findings make original contributions to knowledge. Survey results indicated that groups differ in their motivations for using word processing programs but both groups report that they always use spellcheck in its default settings. Writing behaviour showed that spellcheck disrupts writing. Furthermore, when writers were disrupted, they were more likely to forget what they were going to write next. Writers with dyslexia were affected more than writers in the control groups. Text measures demonstrated that, for both groups, spellcheck reduced the number of spelling errors to near zero and, for writers with dyslexia, spellcheck also increased the lexical diversity of essays. Lexical diversity was not increased for the control group. Conclusions. Findings have practical implications regarding advice for best practice when writing with spellcheck, which differs per group. The fact that each group was affected by spellcheck differently relates to theories of dyslexia and has implications concerning cognitive processing during writing. It is proposed that writing models are expanded to account for effects of spellcheck on writing.","abstract_html":"Background. Writers with dyslexia have difficulty with spelling, which may also restrict their written lexical diversity. Thus spellcheck could be particularly useful to these writers. However, writers with dyslexia also have difficulties with executive functioning required to prevent distraction, and so the automatic underlining of spellcheck could be disruptive for this group. Little empirical evidence for effects of spellcheck exists in the literature. Furthermore, functions within word processing programs, such as spellcheck, are not accounted for in theoretical frameworks of writing. Method. Three studies were conducted to address three research questions. First a survey was used to explore how and why writers use word processing programs, and spellcheck in particular (n=30 with dyslexia, n=177 without dyslexia). The second study comprised of two experiments that used keystroke logging to monitor writing behaviour to find out whether spellcheck disrupts writing and what this means in terms of cognitive processing, particularly for writers with dyslexia (experiment one, n=18 with dyslexia, n= 18 control group; experiment two, n=10 with dyslexia, n=10 control group). In the third study, essays written with and without spellcheck, (n=18 with dyslexia, control group n=18), were measured to find out whether spellcheck improves spelling accuracy and lexical diversity more for writers with dyslexia than for writers without dyslexia. Results. Findings make original contributions to knowledge. Survey results indicated that groups differ in their motivations for using word processing programs but both groups report that they always use spellcheck in its default settings. Writing behaviour showed that spellcheck disrupts writing. Furthermore, when writers were disrupted, they were more likely to forget what they were going to write next. Writers with dyslexia were affected more than writers in the control groups. Text measures demonstrated that, for both groups, spellcheck reduced the number of spelling errors to near zero and, for writers with dyslexia, spellcheck also increased the lexical diversity of essays. Lexical diversity was not increased for the control group. Conclusions. Findings have practical implications regarding advice for best practice when writing with spellcheck, which differs per group. The fact that each group was affected by spellcheck differently relates to theories of dyslexia and has implications concerning cognitive processing during writing. It is proposed that writing models are expanded to account for effects of spellcheck on writing.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["O'Rourke, Lynsey"],"institution":"Oxford Brookes University","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019","date_published":"2019","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:43:22Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":["All rights reserved"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.24384/4txv-vc38","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["O'Rourke, Lynsey"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["O'Rourke, Lynsey"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2019"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Oxford Brookes University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["thesis"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["All rights reserved"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://doi.org/10.24384/4txv-vc38","https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/841b9f78-48c5-4636-86ac-4c9fbaf7e409/1/O'Rourke2019SpellcheckDyslexia.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Background. Writers with dyslexia have difficulty with spelling, which may also restrict their written lexical diversity. Thus spellcheck could be particularly useful to these writers. However, writers with dyslexia also have difficulties with executive functioning required to prevent distraction, and so the automatic underlining of spellcheck could be disruptive for this group. Little empirical evidence for effects of spellcheck exists in the literature. Furthermore, functions within word processing programs, such as spellcheck, are not accounted for in theoretical frameworks of writing. Method. Three studies were conducted to address three research questions. First a survey was used to explore how and why writers use word processing programs, and spellcheck in particular (n=30 with dyslexia, n=177 without dyslexia). The second study comprised of two experiments that used keystroke logging to monitor writing behaviour to find out whether spellcheck disrupts writing and what this means in terms of cognitive processing, particularly for writers with dyslexia (experiment one, n=18 with dyslexia, n= 18 control group; experiment two, n=10 with dyslexia, n=10 control group). In the third study, essays written with and without spellcheck, (n=18 with dyslexia, control group n=18), were measured to find out whether spellcheck improves spelling accuracy and lexical diversity more for writers with dyslexia than for writers without dyslexia. Results. Findings make original contributions to knowledge. Survey results indicated that groups differ in their motivations for using word processing programs but both groups report that they always use spellcheck in its default settings. Writing behaviour showed that spellcheck disrupts writing. Furthermore, when writers were disrupted, they were more likely to forget what they were going to write next. Writers with dyslexia were affected more than writers in the control groups. Text measures demonstrated that, for both groups, spellcheck reduced the number of spelling errors to near zero and, for writers with dyslexia, spellcheck also increased the lexical diversity of essays. Lexical diversity was not increased for the control group. Conclusions. Findings have practical implications regarding advice for best practice when writing with spellcheck, which differs per group. The fact that each group was affected by spellcheck differently relates to theories of dyslexia and has implications concerning cognitive processing during writing. It is proposed that writing models are expanded to account for effects of spellcheck on writing."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Investigating the impact of spellcheck on writing for students with and without dyslexia"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["O'Rourke, Lynsey"],"dc:creator":["O'Rourke, Lynsey"],"dc:date":["2019"],"dc:description":["Background. Writers with dyslexia have difficulty with spelling, which may also restrict their written lexical diversity. Thus spellcheck could be particularly useful to these writers. However, writers with dyslexia also have difficulties with executive functioning required to prevent distraction, and so the automatic underlining of spellcheck could be disruptive for this group. Little empirical evidence for effects of spellcheck exists in the literature. Furthermore, functions within word processing programs, such as spellcheck, are not accounted for in theoretical frameworks of writing. Method. Three studies were conducted to address three research questions. First a survey was used to explore how and why writers use word processing programs, and spellcheck in particular (n=30 with dyslexia, n=177 without dyslexia). The second study comprised of two experiments that used keystroke logging to monitor writing behaviour to find out whether spellcheck disrupts writing and what this means in terms of cognitive processing, particularly for writers with dyslexia (experiment one, n=18 with dyslexia, n= 18 control group; experiment two, n=10 with dyslexia, n=10 control group). In the third study, essays written with and without spellcheck, (n=18 with dyslexia, control group n=18), were measured to find out whether spellcheck improves spelling accuracy and lexical diversity more for writers with dyslexia than for writers without dyslexia. Results. Findings make original contributions to knowledge. Survey results indicated that groups differ in their motivations for using word processing programs but both groups report that they always use spellcheck in its default settings. Writing behaviour showed that spellcheck disrupts writing. Furthermore, when writers were disrupted, they were more likely to forget what they were going to write next. Writers with dyslexia were affected more than writers in the control groups. Text measures demonstrated that, for both groups, spellcheck reduced the number of spelling errors to near zero and, for writers with dyslexia, spellcheck also increased the lexical diversity of essays. Lexical diversity was not increased for the control group. Conclusions. Findings have practical implications regarding advice for best practice when writing with spellcheck, which differs per group. The fact that each group was affected by spellcheck differently relates to theories of dyslexia and has implications concerning cognitive processing during writing. It is proposed that writing models are expanded to account for effects of spellcheck on writing."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://doi.org/10.24384/4txv-vc38","https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/841b9f78-48c5-4636-86ac-4c9fbaf7e409/1/O'Rourke2019SpellcheckDyslexia.pdf"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Oxford Brookes University"],"dc:rights":["All rights reserved"],"dc:title":["Investigating the impact of spellcheck on writing for students with and without dyslexia"],"dc:type":["thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:43:22Z"}