Effects of a Virtual Reality Training Program on Visual Attention and Motor Performance in Children with Reading Learning Disability

Resumen

Reading is a complex cognitive process that requires multisensory processing, graphical phonological codification, short- and long-term memory, executive functions, and motor and cognitive responses. Children with reading learning disability (RLD) show a specific deficit in learning to read, along with motor, rhythmic and visual difficulties. The present exploratory research aims to observe the effects of a virtual reality game training program on reading performance (accuracy, speed, and comprehension), visual attention, motor balance, and coordination in children with RLD in an experimental study by comparing two groups (experimental and control) of children. The game was developed by the authors and incorporates a commercial game BeatSaber'' and a specific design game GrafoTami’’. The results showed that the training program induced a significant effect on visual attention task scores and movement speed in two balance tasks for participants in the experimental group, while participants in the control group did not show any changes. Although no significant changes in reading performance were observed, the high magnitude effect size suggested that changes in reading performance would likely become significant with a larger number of participants, and the same was true for physical self-perception and happiness self-perception, which are areas of self-perception.

Publicación
International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction