The Effect of Assistive Technology on Vocabulary Learning of Students with Visual Impairments

Subject Areas : Research in English Language Pedagogy

Afsaneh Saeedakhtar ¹ , Nasrin Khodaee ² , Afsar Rouhi ³ , Reza Abdi ⁴

1 - University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2 - University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
3 - University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
4 - University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

Received: 2023-06-19 Accepted : 2023-08-20 Published : 2024-12-01

Keywords: assistive technology, NVDA, Screen Reader, vocabulary learning, Students with VI,

Abstract :

The present study sought to investigate the role of assistive technology (AT) in English vocabulary learning by students with visual impairment (VI) in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. It also endeavored to elicit their attitudes towards AT through a semi-structured interview. To this end, 22 students with VI were divided into an experimental and a control group. Before the experiment, their initial vocabulary knowledge was measured through a pretest. Over five sessions, the experimental group was assigned to learn the target vocabulary items via a screen reader, i.e., non-visual desktop access (NVDA). In the absence of NVDA, the control group was exposed to the same vocabulary items by implicit instruction. Then, both groups received a posttest. The results of an independent samples t-test run on the data obtained from the post-test demonstrated that the experimental group built significantly larger vocabulary items than the control group. Responses given to a semi-structured interview revealed that learners prompted by AT acknowledged that the assistance afforded by NVDA, as a supplementary tool, facilitated learning the target vocabulary items. Based on the findings of the present study the incorporation of AT into the instructional materials of students with VI is recommended.

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