Design Guidelines for Applications that Target Arab Dyslexic Students

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that involves difficulties in reading and affects the academic achievement of students with dyslexia, particularly in reading. It is a language-based learning disability, where the severity of difficulties varies across different languages. Arab dyslexic students are in need for tools that support their academic achievement process. The design of most of the educational applications in Arabic language that target dyslexic student, do not meet their special needs and requirements. Our contribution is an analysis of design considerations to reach a suitable design for applications that targets Arab students with dyslexia. The result of our analysis is presented as a number of guidelines that are related to the applications elements.

La résolution des problèmes écrits : l’étude auprès d’une élève présentant une dyslexie

In our previous studies, we developed an approach to teaching problem-solving we termed Equilibrated Development that allows students to better understand the quantitative relationships that arise in a mathematical problem and to better choose a solution strategy. We used the method of a teaching experiment to evaluate the applicability of the developed approach to cases of students with dyslexia and to modify it, if necessary, to meet these students’ needs. Our data suggest that: a) the understanding of the mathematical structure of a problem is independent of the student's basic numerical knowledge, and b) there are conditions that allow a dyslexic student to develop mathematical reasoning to solve written problems despite difficulties in reading and writing of numbers and text.

Identifikasi Mental Computation Siswa Disleksia dalam Melakukan Operasi Penjumlahan dan Pengurangan Bilangan Bulat

To describe mental computation strategies of the dyslexic student in performing the addition and subtraction of 1-digit and 2-digit integer. Mental computation is a process of doing arithmetic calculations without using other tools. This strategy will help dyslexic students find more accurate and flexible solution while solving the arithmetic problem because it can minimize their weaknesses in terms of reading and writing. This research uses the qualitative approach. Data were collected by using a task-based interview for two dyslexic students. The results of this study indicate that dyslexic students use the spin-around strategy to solve the addition for the 1-digit number and the working from the right and from the left strategies to solve the addition for the 2-digit number. Meanwhile, to solve the subtraction problem, dyslexic students use think addition and counting back strategies for the 1-digit number and Working from The Right strategy for the 2-digit number.

Towards Effective Foreign Language Teaching: Focus on Dyslexia

This paper aims to overview the problems faced by dyslexic students learning a foreign language in the theoretical framework of foreign language teaching methodology (Berninger and Wolf 2009, Crombie 2010, Stasiak 2004, etc.) and psychology (Gardner 1983, 1999, Bogdanowicz 2002, 2004, Davis 1997, etc) The author of the paper is going to prove that dyslexic students benefit from the use of multisensory techniques (VAK) which stimulate their learning process by engaging students at multiple levels of perception. Special attention is given to the nature of dyslexia, its types and handicaps it results in. Numerous solutions to the problem are presented and analysed within the framework of Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences (MIT), which seeks to explore each student’s strong intelligences to deal with those weaker ones. Accordingly, dyslexic students and their teachers should be challenged to recognise the hidden potential of dyslexia and see it as a gift to be explored. Moreover, the importance of safe classroom environment has been stressed, as once a dyslexic student feels comfortable in the classroom, the teacher can equip him with a range of techniques and strategies to deal with dyslexia successfully. In addition, a significant role of the teacher and parents in the process of teaching dyslexics is discussed. Finally, the author of the paper gives a number of practical tips how to deal with dyslexia and proves that foreign language teaching (FLT) can be both effective and enjoyable for those who encounter this handicap.

Too much information: Why facilitate information and media literacy?

The Educause Horizon Report states that while web-based tools are rapidly becoming standard in education and in the workplace and technologically mediated communication is the norm, fluency in information, visual, and technological literacy is not formally taught to most students. In the light of this we need new and expanded definitions and paradigms of Information and Media Literacy (IML) that promote mastering critical thinking as well as technical proficiency. This study, forming part of the Irish Integrative Learning Project, attempts to test an assumption that entrants to the humanities are media literate. This assumption, often made by educators in higher education, largely goes unchallenged. This paper reflects on the strengths and weaknesses of a series of media literacy workshops when facilitated in conjunction with the undergraduate History of Art course at University College Cork, Republic of Ireland from 2007–2009. It concludes with an example of how these media literacy workshops, indirectly, had surprisingly positive affects on a dyslexic student by scaffolding his learning and providing him with alternative entry points to learning whereby he was empowered to confidently articulate History of Art's signature disciplinary skills-set at a foundation level: critical visual analysis.