Background: Research suggests that most South African learners are not achieving the expected literacy outcomes of their grades. Compounding the literacy crisis is the paucity of South African research related to information and communication technology (ICT)-based reading intervention, which may have potential for population-based service delivery. Aims and Objectives The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of the Virtual Reading Gym (VRG) online intervention for grade 3 to 6 learners with reading difficulties. The objective was to describe changes in learners’ reading skills (accuracy, rate, vocabulary and comprehension) after VRG intervention. Design Two studies were carried out: (1) A retrospective analysis used data from a previous study conducted in mainstream schools which used peer reading mentors; (2) A prospective study in a school for learners with special educational needs that had speech-language therapist led intervention. Both studies used matched subject pre/ post intervention designs. Methods and Procedures In Study 1, matched pairs were retrospectively created to form a sample (n=20, 8 males and 12 females, 10 intervention group and 10 control group) of grade 3 to 6 learners. In Study 2, the prospective study, participants (n=20, 14 males and 6 females, 10 intervention group and 10 control group) were grade 3 to 6 learners from a school for learners with special educational needs in Cape Town. For both studies, the intervention group received VRG intervention 3 times per week (30 minutes per session) for 10 weeks. The control group continued with regular school activities. Independent samples t-tests for gain scores were used to analyse results. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with intervention participants from the prospective study. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the transcribed interview data. 5 Results For the retrospective analysis there were no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups’ reading accuracy, rate, vocabulary and comprehension improvements at the completion of the VRG intervention. Similarly, the prospective study found no statistically significant differences between the reading accuracy, vocabulary or comprehension gains of learners in the intervention and control groups. However, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups’ gains on one measure of reading rate. The thematic analysis findings were that learners expressed enjoyment of the VRG and intervention experiences, valued the role of the reading partners, believed they had made literacy skill gains, described self-competency improvements, expressed the belief that the VRG could result in reading improvements, and portrayed positive attitudinal and behavioural changes related to reading. Discussion The study contributes by investigating the potential of one practical solution to South African learners’ reading difficulties and adding to the limited local evidence base on ICT reading intervention. Although an intervention effect could not be demonstrated in this study, the changes noted in reading rate and qualitative findings suggest the potential for impact. The discussion considers some explanations for the findings, suggestions for improving interventions such as the VRG, and lines of future research that could be developed to support South African children in their struggles with reading.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:32:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nuria Pons Vilardell Camas.pdf: 4448227 bytes, checksum: 9d02f580b32fe997a778b458b62b38f8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-05-30 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This study lies in the New Technologies and Education line of research and aims at describing and analyzing the process of producing an electronic journal on Education and Curriculum, by a group of students of the PhD Program of Postgraduate Education: Curriculum 2004 of PUC-SP. The work establishes a broad dialogue with several authors who reflect on the history of scientific publication, the evolution of magazines printed for the electronic media, especially the digital ones, the current principles of science for dissemination, the virtual reading, open access, and the curricular narrative. The instruments for collecting data were the researcher's field diary, the list of discussion created for the group of instructors from e-Curriculum magazine, recorded chats, recorded videos, testimonial e-mail of the subjects, letters of indexing organizations and a CD-ROM of the historical archives of e-Curriculum magazine. The research on the participatory action model provided the necessary engagement to hear the speeches of subjects who lived intensely the universe of the creation of a journal, enabling to confirm that, from the subject-authors perspective, the technological media are spaces of preparation and creation of new locations for the spread and dissemination of research, as spaces for learning socialization. The thesis shows that the electronic journals, in any area of knowledge, need to be explained through research for their existence. The investigation indicates that it is possible to create a journal in postgraduate programs and concludes that it is necessary to open up intense dialogues in these programs for the development of science in the country. It is not enough to produce magazines without their correspondent political-pedagogical effort for their use and effectiveness in the research domain. Finally, it was concluded that it is possible to construct a curricular narrative from the journey, from the search for the construction of pedagogical and social utopias, without losing or failing to develop the prescriptive curriculum / Este estudo situa-se na linha de pesquisa Novas Tecnologias e Educação, procura descrever e anal isar o processo de const rução de uma revista cientí fica elet rônica em Educação e Currículo, por um grupo de alunos do Doutorado do Programa de Pós-graduação Educação: Currículo de 2004 da PUC-SP. O trabalho estabelece amplo diálogo com diversos autores que refletem sobre a história da publicação cientí fica, a evolução das revistas impressas para os meios eletrônicos, especialmente os digitais, os princípios regentes de ciência para disseminação, sobre a leitura vi rtual , o acesso aberto, ou como se conhece, do open access, e da narrativa curricular. Como instrumentos de recolhas de dados ut ilizaram-se o diário itinerante da pesquisadora, a lista de discussão criada para o grupo formador da Revista e-Curriculum, chat gravados, gravações em vídeo, emai l depoimento dos sujeitos, cartas de órgãos indexadores e CD-ROM dos arquivos históricos da Revista e-Curriculum. A pesquisa em modelo de ação participava propiciou o engajamento necessário para ouvir os discursos de sujeitos que viveram intensamente o universo da construção de um periódico cientí fico, sendo possível confirmar que, pela perspectiva destes sujeitos-autores, os suportes tecnológicos se constituem em espaços de elaboração e de criação de novos locais para a disseminação e divulgação de pesquisas, como espaços de social ização das aprendizagens. A tese aponta que os periódicos eletrônicos, em qualquer área do conhecimento, necessitam serem significados por meio de pesquisa para sua existência. A investigação aponta que é possível const rui r um periódico em programas de pós-graduação e conclui que é necessário abri r-se diálogos intensos nestes programas para o desenvolvimento da ciência no país. Não é suficiente lançar revistas sem o correspondente t rabalho político-pedagógico para seu uso e eficácia no domínio da pesquisa. Por fim, foi concluído que é possível construi r uma narrativa curricular a parti r do t rajeto, da busca para a construção de utopias pedagógicas e sociais, sem perder ou deixar de se desenvolver o currículo prescritivo