Potocki, A. , Ecalle, J. & Magnan, A.
Laboratoire EMC, Université Lumière Lyon 2
This study examines the effects of a computer-assisted learning (CAL) program designed to foster comprehension skills in comparison with a CAL program designed to foster decoding skills. In a randomized control trial design, two separate groups of less skilled comprehenders in second grade were constituted. The first group (N = 41) was trained using a software fostering several aspects of comprehension skills (literal comprehension, coherence inferencing and knowledge-based inferencing). The control group (N = 20) was trained with a software focused on grapho-syllabic process. The two groups were matched on a range of measures (age, non verbal intelligence, reading comprehension, listening comprehension, vocabulary, memory and comprehension monitoring) and trained intensively over a short period (10 h over a period of 5 weeks). A classical pre-test/training/post-test design was used. The results showed that the experimental group trained with the comprehension software outperformed the control group in reading comprehension, comprehension monitoring and vocabulary.