| The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of microcomputers on children's attention to reading tasks. Five concerns are addressed: (a) the differences in attentional performance between microcomputer and textual presentation of material, (b) children's presentation mode preference and the effects of previous computer experience on those preferences, (c) developmental differences in attentional behavior, (d) the effects of previous reading achievement on attentional behavior, and (e) the reliability of the methodology for identifying different aspects of attention in school situations.; Third and fifth graders read two stories each, one presented on a microcomputer and one presented on text. While they were reading, a television presented cartoons and rock and roll music as a distraction. The subjects were videotaped by a hidden camera. In addition, comprehension scores, story ratings, and reading achievement test scores were collected for each subject. Following the experiment, each subject was interviewed about the experiment in general. The videotapes were used to determine each subject's frequency off task, time off task, and total completion time.; The results indicate that subjects took longer to complete the story presented on the microcomputer than that presented on text. Second, subjects preferred the microcomputer to the text version. Third, fifth graders were off task fewer times and took less time to complete the task than third graders. Fourth, good readers were off task fewer times, took less time to complete the task, and comprehended the story better than average and poor readers. Similarly, average readers comprehended the story better, took less time to complete the task, and were off task fewer times than poor readers. Fifth, partial correlations indicated that frequency off task, time off task, and total completion time were positively correlated. Comprehension was negatively correlated with frequency off task and time off task.; Possible explanations for the results and a description of the limitations of the study are provided. Educational implications and recommendations for future research also are presented. |
