#34720 - rdnoble - Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:53 am
As a member of the Technology Committee for my 8 year old twin?s school I've been looking for a tool to assist in reading comprehension. Since most third graders have a GBA I figure it would make a great platform for this type of endeavor. Please let me know if you have heard of anyone working on the following type of functionality.
Many schools participate in a reading comprehension program called accelerated reader. The student will select and read one of the school?s library books on the program list. Once they have completed the book they take a comprehension test on one of the library PCs. However, it would be nice if a student could download a book reader program, and a couple of books into a programmable GBA cartridge while in the school library. Then while reading the book, coding within the book would instruct the reading program to quiz the student (a couple of multiple choice questions after x number of pages, each chapter, or some other break-point). If the student gets the answers correct they are allowed to continue reading the next section of the book, if they didn?t get the answers correct the reader would be taken back to the beginning of the prior section. Answers and number of attempts would be recorded.
On the student?s next visit to their library their quiz scores would be uploaded and replacement books downloaded.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
#34722 - tepples - Tue Jan 25, 2005 1:55 am
| rdnoble wrote: |
| As a member of the Technology Committee for my 8 year old twin?s school I've been looking for a tool to assist in reading comprehension. Since most third graders have a GBA I figure it would make a great platform for this type of endeavor. |
How will parents of kids who don't already have a GBA, especially parents who are opposed to any sort of video gaming ("it rots your brain"), react when they find that they have to buy a $80 GBA SP for school? How will any mom react when she finds that she has to import a $100 flash card for school and then pay to replace it should it get lost or broken?
And how easy is it for a child to read small text on a 3" screen?
| Quote: |
| However, it would be nice if a student could download a book reader program, and a couple of books into a programmable GBA cartridge while in the school library. |
This will not work for any book first published on or after January 1, 1923. I don't think a school district has the clout to talk a publisher into licensing more recent literary works for copying on school-operated devices.
Perhaps if no such app exists, it's because developers who have considered developing such an app have already considered the logistical issues (getting GBAs, getting flash cards, getting copyright licenses, and getting text displayed) and have found no solution. Any ideas?
_________________
-- Where is he?
-- Who?
-- You know, the human.
-- I think he moved to Tilwick.
#34727 - rdnoble - Tue Jan 25, 2005 3:39 am
Projects like Bookreader from bookreader.co.uk have addressed the issues about screen readability and Project Gutenberg answers the question of book availability. Your point about the cost of programmable cartridges is valid. Unfortunately the internal RAM of the GBA probabily isn't enough to provide the needed functionality alone, so a cartridge solution might be required.
There is more development work going on in the Palm and Windows CE environment for ebook and related, but that would most even more for parents to buy into. But my goal is to provide an option, not a requirement, to assist students improve their reading comprehension. Just one more tool for a parent/educator to have available.
Thank you for your thougts.
#34736 - tepples - Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:01 am
| rdnoble wrote: |
| Projects like Bookreader from bookreader.co.uk have addressed the issues about screen readability |
Look at first-grade and fifth-grade textbooks. Ever notice how the first-grade textbooks have larger print? That's partly because the vision circuitry in a first-grader's brain hasn't fully developed. But now that I look more closely at the bookreader site, I see that it has multiple fonts, solving that problem.
| Quote: |
| and Project Gutenberg answers the question of book availability. |
I'm a PG fan myself, but do you think you can get your school district to let you use stories from PG rather than stories from the official district-sanctioned reader, which is probably made entirely of newer stories?
I thought of another thing: You plan to use the GBA to administer a multiple-choice examination at the end of each chapter. Is this such a good idea? Multiple-choice reading comprehension tests that I took during my years as a 1-12 student* often didn't feel very valid, as they tended to have more than one good answer to each of the tougher questions, especially those regarding motivations of characters, and the "best" answer was more a matter of opinion than a matter of basic comprehension.
* I skipped kindergarten for some odd reason. I think it scarred me.
_________________
-- Where is he?
-- Who?
-- You know, the human.
-- I think he moved to Tilwick.
#34755 - ScottLininger - Tue Jan 25, 2005 5:49 pm
This is a really interesting idea. I started work on an HTML/Ebook reader for the GBA, and it wouldn't be that much work to finish it.
But I think the issues of copyright would prove too weighty for a first project. Kids who are enlightened enough to be interested in Project Gutenberg books probably don't need help with reading comprehension.
Instead, one could create a program that only contains the interactive pieces. The students could read the book then turn on the GB at the end of each chapter for the quiz/activity. By using the gameboy's "save game" capability, one could record all of their answers and remember where they left off.
Other subjects (math, geography, etc.) might be a less legally messy place to start...
Also, I think that multiple choice questions aren't taking advantage of the platform. You could use all kinds of activities, puzzles, and mini-games to accomplish the same goal, but in a much more engaging fashion.
In terms of "parents who think video games rot the brain," I'd say those people are growing fewer and fewer by the year. Most people with third graders are from the "Nintendo generation" who grew up with video games. Yes, there are some who wouldn't want their kids to participate, but that's fine. This doesn't sound like core curriculum.
In terms of kids without gameboys, the library could easily maintain a small number for checkout. Gameboys are remarkably durable, and when bought used they cost less than some textbooks. I *guarantee* you could find a local game store who would donate some used gameboys in exchange for getting to slap each with a "This Educational Tool Supported By" sticker.
Does your school already have a list of books supported in the PC program? How many are you talking about?
RdNoble, are you a programmer? I'd love to chat more about this idea. I'm currently working on a project where we are deploying gameboys to museums for a similar goal. PM me or drop me an email, if you have some time.
scott[zat]scottlininger[dot]com
-Scott
#34781 - rdnoble - Wed Jan 26, 2005 3:18 am
Thank you Scott for your thoughtful insights. I've sent you an email and look forward to discussing your ideas further.