TITLE:
The Impact of Digital Books on Reading in Arabic Orthography
AUTHORS:
Salim Abu-Rabia, Madonna Hanna
KEYWORDS:
Digital Books, Diglossia, Arabic Orthography, Reading Comprehension, Reading Fluency, Reading Accuracy, Computerized Learning, E-Learning, AMIT Assessment, Digital Literacy, Digital Reading
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.13 No.1,
January
28,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background:This study examined the effectiveness of digital books in improving reading and reading comprehension among seventh-grade Arab students who have been defined as having difficulty reading. Method:This study sampled 120 students. Sixty students studied Arabic using a digital book, and sixty students at another school studied the same material in a printed version. The students are Arabic-speakers and are considered poor readers. The study population werelocated at the beginning of the school year based on the results of the AMIT assessment (a tool for mapping students’ ability in reading comprehension) in order to test the effectiveness of digital books on strengthening reading skills and comprehension. This study examined students in Arabic. The students were administered a test of reading and reading comprehension using digital texts. Results: The study indicated that using digital books did indeed improve reading comprehension skills in Arabic (in all dimensions of understanding) among Arab students struggling to read. On the other hand, the use of the digital books did not seem to affect reading accuracy skills among these students. Conclusions: Learning Arabic via digital books can improve poor Arabic readers in Arabic.