1. By Shalu Rana (srana8@gmu.edu) Effect Sizes Effect Sizes Intervention Length Disability Area Length Background of the Problem Background of the Problem According to NCES (2013) 33% of 4 th graders and 42% of 8 th graders perform at the Basic level in reading. Only 27% of 8 th and 38% 12 th graders performed at the Proficient level. Demands in reading increase as students progress through school, in the content areas and in high stakes testing. Research has shown that reading comprehension strategies can help students understand more of what they read or repair problems with comprehension. Various technology centers and CAEP recommend use of technology to help students access curriculum. Less is known about outcomes of technology use on comprehension of expository text. Importance for Students with LD Students with learning disabilities (LD) experience more difficulties with reading than their typically developing peers. Purpose & Methods Purpose: To investigate the effects of technology interventions on reading comprehension of expository text with students with learning disabilities or those students who struggle with reading comprehension. Literature Search Procedures:  Database searches of Psych Info., Education Research Complete, Web of Science  Keywords: reading comprehension, computer-assisted, computer software, digital text, text enhancement, technology, expository, science, and social studies.  Ancestry and descendant searches and relevant websites Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Overall Characteristics Overall Characteristics  8 studies published between 1992-2012  Published in 7 journals including:  e.g., Journal of Special Education, Journal of Learning Disabilities, Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, Learning Disabilities Quarterly, Remedial and Special Education, Reading and Writing Quarterly Characteristics of Participants:  Total sample = 673  Upper elementary grades (4-6) = 14%  Secondary grades (7-12) = 86% Interventions:  Electronic Text (e-text): a general term for any document that is read in digital form.  Static e-text: a digital text that is stagnant and cannot be manipulated. The text s presentational.  Multimedia e-text: digital text that includes a combination of text, audio, still images, animation, video or interactive content forms.  Computer-assisted: involves application and use of computers.  Text-to-Speech: a form of speech synthesis that converts text into spoken voice output.  Avatars: a figure representing a person in computer games, internet, forums and educational software.  Audio books: a recording of a book being read. Inclusion  Reading comprehension interventions  Participants with LD, struggling readers, or at-risk (at least 50% of sample)  Grades 4-12; Years 1990-2014  Experimental or quasi- experimental Exclusion  Not peer-reviewed.  Vocabulary, decoding or other reading interventions.  K-3 grades.  Single-subject design. Discussion & Implications  Overall effect size moderate to large (.75) suggesting technology as a viable intervention for reading comprehension of expository text. However, studies investigated have mixed outcomes.  Effect sizes were better for technology that included enhancements over e-text.  Text-to-speech and multimedia e-text highly effective, however, due to n=1 number of studies any conclusions should be considered cautiously. The mean effect size of e-text was lower than other intervention types.  Limited studies investigating comprehension of expository text, particularly in secondary grade level.  Research on the use of technology interventions in reading comprehension is limited, particularly for research including students with LD.  Several studies did not meet quality indicators.