Degree Name

M.Ed. (Master of Education)

Program

Special Education

Date of Award

5-2024

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Pamela Mims

Committee Members

Dawn Rowe, John Wheeler

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, reading comprehension and reading engagement have decreased in the United States. Our world is also becoming increasingly technological, and a large percentage of individuals in the United States, specifically children, are playing video games. There are increasing amounts of video games that target educational skills, such as reading and math, and video games that have been created strictly for entertainment. This study examined the potential effects of playing text-based video games on the comprehension and engagement of 6-8 grade students with intellectual disabilities. A Multiple Baseline Across Participants single case design was used to measure the comprehension of 4 students as they played text-based games. The data from the study demonstrated that comprehension was higher when playing text-based games as opposed to reading texts on computers at a similar reading level, though more research is needed on this. This study is a pilot study that has the potential to lead to an evidence-based reading practice to support students with intellectual disabilities’ comprehension and reading engagement.

Document Type

Thesis - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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