How Do Kinect-Based Literacy Games Compare to Reading With a Caretaker? The Effects of Medium and Interactivity

• In Event: How Can Computer Games Change Text Comprehension and Learning?

Abstract

How do Kinect-based literacy games compare to reading with a caretaker?: The effects
of medium and interactivity
Reading to young children has a number of benefits, including acquisition of vocabulary
and literacy skills. Digital reading games, including ones with new modes of interface
such as the Kinect for Xbox, may provide similar benefits, and also allow dynamic ingame
activities that maintain young children’s interest in reading. However, it remains to
be seen whether reading with the Kinect system is comparable to being read to by a
caregiver, and whether the addition of in-game activities is beneficial or distracts from
learning. This was addressed in a controlled comparison of reading outcomes for children
who either i) had a story read to them by an adult, ii) had the same story read to them by a
character in a Kinect game, or iii) had the story read by a character in a Kinect game with
the addition of in-game activities.
Participants
Participants were kindergarten and first grade students (N = 39) who ranged in age from
5- to 7-years old (M = 6.2 years; 22 boys). All were fluent in English.
Design
Students were randomly assigned to read the children’s book, Children Make Terrible
Pets, in one of three conditions: Kinect with Activities (mini-games); Kinect Without
Activities (activity control); or with an experimenter in a Book Reading session (medium
control).
Measures
Language and reading assessments were conducted using a list of 20 words drawn from
the story that varied in length and frequently. Pre- and Posttests reading measures
included:
• Short words read by Sight
• Longer words requiring Active Decoding.
• High Frequency Words
• A Total Reading Score (for all 20 words)
• And the ability to provide Definitions for words
Results & Discussion
There were no Pretest group differences. During the reading session, all groups
were highly engaged (96% time on-task). Both Kinect-Activities and Book Reading
groups had significant gains for High Frequency Words, Active Decoding, and Total
Reading Score, but only Kinect-Activities group had significant gain for Sight words (p <
.05). (See Figure 1.) Overall, these data are encouraging for the next generation of digital
literacy games. The mini-games in the Kinect-Activities condition seem to have helped
the children acquire reading vocabulary: Only this group and the Book Reading group
had significant gains in reading vocabulary. These findings suggest that reading in digital
literacy games can be an interesting, engaging activity for children, and, with the addition
of well-designed activities, can support children’s acquisition of language and literacy
skills.

Authors

• Bruce Douglas Homer, City University of New York

• Charles K. Kinzer, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Jan L. Plass, New York University

• Susan Letourneau, New York University

• Daniel L. Hoffman, Kamehameha Schools

• Elizabeth Hayward, New York University

• Selen Turkay, Harvard University

• Yolanta Kornak, City University of New York