Learning Disabled Readers' Comprehension of Computer Mediated Text: The Influence of Working Memory, Metacognition and Attribution

This study determined the degree to which computer mediated presentations of text influence learning disabled children's reading comprehension and whether cognitive factors related to metacognition, attribution, and working memory influence treatment effects. To this end, 60 learning disabled (LD) and 60 average (AV) readers from grades 4-6 were assigned randomly to one of four treatment conditions: control, paper (off-line), computer-no reread, and computer reread. Within each condition, traditional and cloze comprehension questions were presented at three levels of passage difficulty. Subjects were administered the following pre and posttest measures: Metacognition and Attribution questionnaires, Nelson Reading Skills Test, and the Working Memory Span task. Regardless of treatment condition, average readers scored higher than LD readers on measures of reading comprehension, working memory, and metacognition. The results indicate that computer mediated text was no better than off-line conditions in improving learning disabled readers' comprehension. Further, attribution and metacognitive sophistication were independent of treatment effects. The only factor associated with performance on computer mediated text presentations was working memory. The results support the notion that the attributes of the instructional medium (computer, off line) do not directly affect disabled readers' comprehension.