Technology-based Intervention in L2 Reading Comprehension: Toward Digital Scaffolding

Technology has created abundant resources and opportunities for language learners to enhance their reading comprehension competencies. Despite an increase in access to written input, reading comprehension has stayed challenging for many, including language learners. Digital scaffolding can contribute to improving reading comprehension skills for L2 learners. Motivated by such a premise, in this study, alternative implementations of digital scaffolding have been tested in an English as a Foreign language (EFL) context and their impacts assessed. Two digital scaffolding interventions were examined including contextual conversation (COC) and adjunct questions (AJQ). A total of 172 EFL students read two reading passages in three different conditions: COC, AJQ, and control. In COC, a conversation focused on the primary concepts of the text was included prior to reading the passages. In AJQ, six questions were inserted within each of the reading passages. The assessments included Pathfinder Network Scaling, multiple-choice questions, fill in the Blank test, familiarity question, and interest question. The results of the study provided evidence that both of the treatments were effective with statistically significant differences between the COC group and controls on most measures and statistically significant differences between the AJQ group and controls on some measures. Furthermore, Pathfinder scaling revealed both treatment groups displayed a better organization of the passage according to the graph representation. However, the COC group displayed fewer missing links than the AJQ group and the network properties of the COC were more similar to the network properties identified by experts for both passages. Additionally, the study measured the participants’ overall use of reading strategies using the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS). The findings suggested a medium use of reading strategies by the study participants. The overall findings suggest that although both interventions have potential, COC may be a more potent strategy than AJQ for EFL learners. In light of the fact that reading is a critical skill determining school success, the present study contributes to the evidence that digital scaffolding can successfully be implemented as an intervention to improve learners’ reading comprehension.

Department dc:contributor.department

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Ardeshiri, Minoo

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Cummins, Jim

• Adjunct question
• Digital scaffolding
• educational technology
• L2 reading comprehension
• Pathfinder Network Scaling
• Technology-based interventions

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1807/97329

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utoronto.scholaris.ca:1807/97329