Proposed Topic

 

Audiobooks are described as a digitized work. Digitized works are defined as a work conceived for another medium, such as the printed medium (Bouchard and Heckmann 2012). The Association of American Publishers found that the audiobook market is the fastest growing publishing format, with audiobook sales increasing by over 40% in 2018 (Trombetta, 2019; Poole, 2019; Catalano, 2018), and the global market expected to grow by another 25% in 2020 (Thorp, 2020). The audiobook market is meeting the growing needs of the time poor consumer; providing the opportunity to multitask with other activities whilst listening to their favourite books. Audiobooks are also becoming more creative and ambitious with a number of authors now producing new works which are only available as an audiobook format with popular actors employed to narrate the stories; recent studies have found that listeners are more emotionally engaged with audiobooks when compared to watching television or movies (Trombetta, 2019; Catalano, 2018; Esteves & Whitten, 2011).

 

Audiobooks are also becoming increasingly popular in the education setting, as they have been shown to benefit students’ literacy through listening to pronunciation and intonation, as well as increasing the students’ exposure to words; audiobooks also provide the listener with the opportunity to change the speed of narration, further enhancing students with lowered literacy the opportunity to better understand and comprehend the storyline.  Lamb (2011, p. 16), Johnson (2009, p. 105) and Labbo (2000, p. 543) describe the benefits of audiobooks to students through differentiating instruction – audiobooks can offer more time for reading, serve as a model of verbal fluency, motivate reluctant readers, and improve the English vocabulary development of English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) students; these benefits ultimately lead to greater educational outcomes for students.

 

This review will focus on academic literature, which investigates the benefits of audiobooks for students with learning difficulties, disabilities or have an EAL/D background and consider how audiobooks assist school students in literacy development. This review is relevant due to the increasing number of enrolled students in a SW Sydney high school with learning difficulties/disabilities or EAL/D backgrounds, who have low literacy or engagement with reading. The review will discuss the main methods used to select literature related to the topic, the types of research analysis used within the research, as well as weaknesses, limitations and possible gaps of the reviewed literature. Responding to these gaps, a potential relevant research question will be proposed for further consideration.

 

Literature Search Method

 

The initial search of the benefits of audiobooks was very broad and as such led to a large number of results, as shown in Table 1; this table shows the very basic development of search terms for the review. As this was the beginning of the search process, this search term was used with Primo Search, Google Scholar and Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC); an extremely large number of articles were related to this search term, with Google Scholar yielding over 500,000 pages of results. While there were a large number of results the vast majority were not relevant as they did not necessarily relate to education or improving literacy, which is the main topic focus. A large number of results were weighted towards books and dissertations; searches were refined to peer-reviewed articles and further development of search terms took place.

 

From the initial review of literature and meta-analyses (Bryman, 2016, p. 318), a number of authors were identified as being significant, this led to author searches being included as part of the literature search, bibliographic branching and related article recommendations were also used in the search process. The State Library of NSW and Journal Storage (JSTOR) were included as additional scholarly search approaches which assisted in further development of search terms and articles relevant for the review. Table 2 shows the keyword search combinations which were used.

 

An identified issue when searching journal articles related to EAL/D, was that various terms are used to describe English as a Second Language users depending on the country of origin of the studies, a number of different search terms were employed to overcome this. It was difficult to find any articles that related to the use of audiobooks in Australian education settings, with only one article mentioning Australia (Ness & Berry, 2013), suggesting a large gap in the literature for Australian schools, the use of more specific Australian terminology may have assisted in finding relevant articles. Additional author searches, bibliographic branching and related article recommendations from scholarly articles would have further assisted this literature review, time and word constraints made this difficult to complete. The use of EndNote would also have assisted in completing the literature review for this assignment, to assist with organisation of the articles which were reviewed.

 

 

Table 1: Initial search term development.

 

Search term	Result
benefits of audiobooks	A very large number of results, not all educationally relevant.
audiobook inclusivity	Smaller broader results, not necessarily relevant.
audiobooks AND education	More results targeting education specifically.

 

 

Table 2: Search term combinations.

 

audiobooks AND low literacy	audiobook inclusivity “special education”	audiobook equality autism
audiobooks disability data	audiobooks disability measuring success	“audiobooks” AND low literacy
audiobook AND reading difficulty	Dyslexia AND audiobook OR talking book	“audiobook” AND “reading disability” AND school*
audiobooks AND EALD	audiobooks AND EFL AND school*	audiobook AND EFL AND education
“audiobook” AND “reading disability” AND school* AND “Australia”	“Chang, Anna Ching-Shyang” and audiobooks	“Esteves, Kelli” AND reading disabilities

 

Review of Literature

 

Reading benefits students’ cognitive development and academic success (Moore & Cahill, 2016), which ultimately leads to student engagement and remaining at school to complete their studies; for students with learning difficulties, disabilities or an EAL/D background the ability to read and comprehend what they are reading is diminished.  A significant number of studies found that there is benefit to student engagement and learning when audiobooks are used to enhance reading for EAL/D and learning difficulties/disabilities, however, numerous gaps exist in the research surrounding these benefits and there are no significant studies for Australian students.

 

An American meta analysis study (Bryman, 2016, p. 318) completed by Moore & Cahill (2016) was the only study which considered the use of audiobooks with adolescents with learning disabilities, EAL/D and students with typical patterns of development together. With regards to EAL/D students Moore & Cahill (2016) and Alcantud-Diaz & Gregori-Signes (2014) found that students’ reading comprehension, spoken interaction and writing improved with the use of audiobooks. The use of audio content has historically been used in EAL/D education and the research supports this delivery. Similarly a mixed method study; involving quantitative data from comprehension skills testing and qualitative data from participants’ opinions about the use of audiobooks (Bryman, 2016, p. 193-194; Creswell, 2012, p.22)  was undertaken in Turkey with 66 first year university students (Kartal & Simsek, 2017) results identified positive outcomes of using audiobooks with EAL/D students. Whilst this study was based on students aged 18-22, which is out of the age range of school age students, their results showed significantly higher general listening comprehension skills post trial. Quantitative results in this trial showed students believed the audiobooks improved their reading and listening comprehension; students found hearing the correct pronunciation of words assisted in improving their pronunciation; these outcomes would be of benefit for Australian EAL/D students in their education in mainstream classes.

 

Finally, a Taiwanese study (Chang & Millett, 2015) and a Spanish study (Tragant Mestres, Llanes Baró, & Pinyana Garriga 2018) were the most robust qualitative studies. These studies involved 64 year 10 secondary students and 100 upper primary school students respectively; making the sample sizes significantly reasonable (Wilson Van Voorhis & Morgan, 2007 p. 48) and implemented an ANOVA test measure (Lewis-Beck, Bryman & Futing, 2004, p. 657) to discover the significant differences between silent reading and audiobook reading for reading rates and comprehension. One issue with the Taiwanese study was there was no control group of students however this study is the most relevant in regards to ages of students studied, the results of this study found a large effect size on improving reading rates, comprehension and enjoyment with using audiobooks. Conversely, the Spanish study found no significant improvement in test results, a reason for this may have been the shorter intervention period and the material used with the trial; however, students’ engagement with audiobook reading was shown to be much higher.  Importantly, the studies researched were located in countries with non-English speaking backgrounds learning English; the Greek study with students outside the age range of school students. As such, the translatability of profiles may be difficult to the Australian school context and limits generalisability to our school system (McMillan & Wergin, 2010, p. 12-13)

 

Students with learning difficulties and disabilities encounter significant learning barriers and are often negatively impacted due to their accessibility to printed reading material when compared to their peers. The use of audiobooks provides these students with greater independence, access and ultimately assists in their motivation to read, literary learning and ability to meet the demands of the curriculum. The meta analysis research for students with learning difficulties completed by Moore & Cahill (2016); Stevens, Walker & Vaughan (2014) and Ness & Berry (2013) showed some positive outcomes, including greater independence and accessibility.  The Moore & Cahill (2016) also reported students improved motivation to read and some reading comprehension development; however, the improvements shown in this study were not significant. The Stevens et al. (2014) meta synthesis review was the most robust in terms of criteria of studies reviewed; their findings highlighted that repeated reading with the use of audiobooks benefits students with learning disabilities, however, small sample sizes and treatment duration were limitations to the research designs.

 

Results from a number of studies found improvements in accessibility, reading comprehension, fluency and attitudes to reading (Whittingham, Huffman, Christensen & McAllister, 2013; Esteves & Whitten, 2011; Davies, Stock, King & Wehmeyer, 2008; Boyle, Rosenberg, Connelly, Washburn, Brinckerhoff & Banerjee, 2003) when audiobooks are incorporated into reading programs. The Boyle et al. (2003) study is aged and there has been considerable improvements in the delivery of audio material from that time, as discussed in the introduction, this study was also limited to six weeks which may have limited the true outcomes of using audiobooks, even though the ANOVA test results are positive for the use of audiobooks. Similarly the Davies et al. (2008) study was also a short time period, eight weeks, age of participants was higher than school age and considered the impact of functionality and accessibility rather than the measurement of literacy improvement, the technological advancements since 2008 must be taken into account when considering this research. While the researchers did use more robust analysis tools; ANOVA, the small sample sizes and average age of participants; 28.47 years, limits the generalisability of this study.

 

In addition, two studies (Whittingham et al., 2013; Esteves & Whitten, 2011) used mixed methods approaches for their research. Esteves & Whitten (2011) found positive impacts of audiobooks on reading fluency, however, no significant difference to reading attitudes was found. Conversely Whittingham et al. (2013) who triangulated results (Bryman, 2016, p. 386; McMillan & Wergin, 2010, p. 12; Punch, 2005, p. 309) to verify consistencies in their findings, discovered reading attitudes and comprehension both improved with the use of audiobooks. Small sample sizes are an identified limitation to the generalisability of both study results.

 

All reviewed research papers for students with reading difficulties/disabilities are from America, making it difficult to generalise the study results to Australian schools; it can be concluded that while some evidence suggests the benefits of audiobooks there are significant gaps in the research. Further in-depth studies, with larger participant groups and longer timeframes are required to ultimately discover the benefits of audiobooks to literacy development for students with learning disabilities and difficulties.

 

 

Weaknesses, Limitations and Gaps in the Reviewed Literature

 

As mentioned throughout the review, there are a number of weaknesses, limitations and gaps in the literature which was reviewed for this analysis. The most significant identified issue is that none of the reviewed studies took place in Australian schools, this makes it difficult to generalise the results of the previous research to Australian education settings.

 

The age of the studies is also an identified weakness, with older studies ranging from 2008 – 2016, only two studies were undertaken within the last four years (Kartal & Simsek, 2017; Tragant Mestres, Llanes Baró, & Pinyana Garriga 2018). As stated in the introduction there has been considerable development in the production of audiobooks as well as the technology available to listen to audio recordings; this ultimately influences students’ access and engagement with audiobooks.

 

Another limiting factor of the reviewed literature was the length of study periods. A number of studies only undertook research for a six week (Boyle et al. 2003) or eight week (Esteves & Whitten 2011; Davies et al. 2008) time period, with such short time frames, it makes it difficult to conclude the validity of the research (Wallace & Wray, 2006, p. 27).

 

The age of participants in a number of studies (Davies et al. 2008; Kartal & Simsek, 2017) also limits generalisability, as the participants in these studies had an average age over the general age of school populations.

 

Proposal for Further Research

 

Through in-depth research of the available literature on the benefits of audiobooks for students with learning difficulties/disabilities or EAL/D a number of weaknesses and limitations to the studies have been identified. Further research within the Australian context is required to discover the impacts of using audiobooks for the identified groups of students. As such the following research question is proposed.

 

Does an extensive audiobook program at a SW Sydney high school covary with improved reading comprehension test scores and engagement with reading for students with learning difficulties/disabilities or EALD backgrounds?

References

 

Alcantud-Diaz, M. and Gregori-Signes, C., 2013. Audiobooks: improving fluency and instilling literary skills and education for development. Directory of open access journals, 20(1), pp.111-125. https://doaj.org/article/40c57792d3c643d09282d7651f3adcab

Bourchardon, S. & Heckman, D. (2012). Digital manipulability and digital literature. Electronic Book Review http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/electropoetics/heuristic

Boyle, E. A., Rosenberg, M. S., Connelly, V. J., Washburn, S. G., Brinckerhoff, L. C., & Banerjee, M. (2003). Effects of Audio Texts on the Acquisition of Secondary-Level Content by Students with Mild Disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 26(3), 203–214. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.2307/1593652

Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Catalano, F. (2018, August 11). Listen up: Digital audiobooks now the ‘fastest growing format’ as tech and titles improve. GeekWire. https://www.geekwire.com/2018/listen-digital-audiobooks-now-fastest-growing-format-tech-titles-improve/

Chang, A., & Millett, S. (2015). Improving reading rates and comprehension through audio-assisted extensive reading for beginner learners. System, 52, 91-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2015.05.003

Creswell, J. (2012). The process of conducting research using quantitative and qualitative approaches. In Educational research: planning, conducting and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.) (pp. 8-24). Pearson.

Davies, D., Stock, S., King, L., & Wehmeyer, M. (2008). “Moby-Dick Is My Favorite:” Evaluating a Cognitively Accessible Portable Reading System for Audiobooks for Individuals With Intellectual Disability. Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, 46(4), 290-298. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556(2008)46[290:mimfea]2.0.co;2

Elsa, T. M., Àngels Llanes Baró, & Garriga, À. P. (2019). Linguistic and non-linguistic outcomes of a reading-while-listening program for young learners of english. Reading and Writing, 32(3), 819-838. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1007/s11145-018-9886-x

Esteves, K. J., & Whitten, E., (2011). Assisted reading with digital audiobooks for students with reading disabilities. Reading Horizons, 51(1), 21-40. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/873824877?accountid=10344

Johnson, P. (2009). Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management (Vol. 2nd ed). Chicago: ALA Editions.

Kartal, G., & Simsek, H. (2017). The effects of audiobooks on EFL students’ listening comprehension. The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, 17(1), 112-123. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Galip_Kartal2/publication/334508194_The_Effects_of_Audiobooks_on_EFL_Students’_Listening_Comprehension/links/5d2ed4a292851cf4408a88be/The-Effects-of-Audiobooks-on-EFL-Students-Listening-Comprehension.pdf

Labbo, L. (2000). 12 Things Young Children Can Do with a Talking Book in a Classroom Computer Center. The Reading Teacher, 53(7), 542-546. www.jstor.org/stable/20204838

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and leading with technology, 39(3), 12-17. http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/ login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=67371172&site=ehost-live

Lewis-Beck, M. S., Bryman, A., & Futing Liao, T. (2004). The SAGE encyclopedia of social science research methods (Vols. 1-0). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781412950589

McMillan, J. H. & Wergin, J. F. (2010). Introduction to reading educational research. Understanding and evaluating educational research (4th ed.). Pearson/Merrill.

Milani, A., Lorusso, M. L., & Molteni, M. (2010). The effects of audiobooks on the psychosocial adjustment of pre-adolescents and adolescents with dyslexia. Dyslexia (10769242), 16(1), 87–97. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1002/dys.397

Moore, J. and Cahill, M., 2016. Audiobooks: Legitimate “Reading” Material for Adolescents? Research Journal of the American Association of School Libraries, 19. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1120838.pdf

Nees, M., & Berry, L. (2013). Audio assistive technology and accommodations for students with visual impairments: Potentials and problems for delivering curricula and educational assessments. Performance Enhancement & Health, 2(3), 101-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.peh.2013.08.016

Poole, S. (2019, July 13). Listen up: why we can’t get enough of audiobooks. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/13/listen-up-rise-of-audiobooks-steven-poole

Punch, K. (2005). Extract from Mixed methods and evaluation. Introduction to social research : quantitative and qualitative approaches (2nd ed.) 306-309. Sage.

Thorp, C. (2020, January 6). Audiobooks: The rise and rise of the books you don’t read. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200104-audiobooks-the-rise-and-rise-of-the-books-you-dont-read

Tragant Mestres, E., Llanes Baró, À., & Pinyana Garriga, À. (2018). Linguistic and non-linguistic outcomes of a reading-while-listening program for young learners of English.  Reading and Writing, 32(3), 819-838. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1007/s11145-018-9886-x

Trombetta, S. (2019, May 24). There’s actually a scientific reason for why you love audiobooks so much. Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/p/why-audiobook-listening-is-growing-in-popularity-with-readers-17186269

Wallace, M., & Wray, A. (2006). Extracts. In Critical reading and writing for postgraduates. Sage Publications.

Wittingham, J., Huffman, S., Christensen, R., & McAllister, T. (2013). Use of Audiobooks in a School Library and Positive Effects of Struggling Readers’ Participation in a Library-Sponsored Audiobook Club. Research Journal Of The American Association Of School Librarians, 16. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1012831.pdf.

Wilson Van Voorhis, C., & Morgan, B. (2007) Understanding Power and Rules of Thumb for Determining Sample Sizes, Tutorials in Quantitative Methods for Psychology, 3(2), 43-50. doi: 10.20982/tqmp.03.2.p043

 

Appendix 1.

Literature Summary Sheet – Audio Books

1. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Moore, J. & Cahill, M.
Title	Audiobooks: Legitimate “Reading” Material for Adolescents?
Year	2016
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	Primo Search – Benefits of audiobooks
Link to article	http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=03bd5a46-5eef-4a23-8b3e-484f1c648e51%40pdc-v-sessmgr01
Citation	Moore, J., & Cahill, M. (2016). Audiobooks: Legitimate “Reading” Material for Adolescents? School Library Research, 19, 1–17.

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)	●     Adolescents with visual impairments or learning difficulties ●     Second language learners ●     typical developing adolescents
What? (program/ method)	Lit review in audio delivery
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)	Numerous gaps exists in research of adolescents & audiobooks
When? (year)	2016
Where? (context information)	America
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)	Meta analysis – in depth review of past lit

Deeper analysis

Strengths	EFL – increase comprehension with audiobks – German study
Weaknesses	Variable outcomes of audiobook use for LD and typical
Limitations/ questions raised for you	Quality of narration, longer term studies needed, how audiobks support knowledge gains & vocab development Nuanced contbn of adiobks on lit dev & proficiencies
Relation to other literature	7, 2, 5
Relation to my research/ area of interest	Some positive outcomes esp for EAL/D

 

 

2. Article Source Information

Author(s)	María Alcantud Díaz Carmen Gregori Signes
Title	Audiobooks: improving fluency and instilling literary skills and education for development
Year	2014
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	Google Scholar
Link to article	https://doaj.org/article/40c57792d3c643d09282d7651f3adcab
Citation	Alcantud-Diaz, M. and Gregori-Signes, C., 2013. Audiobooks: improving fluency and instilling literary skills and education for development. Directory of open access journals, 20(1), pp.111-125. https://doaj.org/article/40c57792d3c643d09282d7651f3adcab

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)	Primary education settings Learning English
What? (program/ method)	Review of Lit on how audiobks contribute to language learning
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)
When? (year)	2014
Where? (context information)	Spain
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)	Critical review of a selection of articles and contribution of audiobks to language learning.

Deeper analysis

Strengths	Audiobks favour and foster listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken prodn & writing +ve impact on learners language competence + literary skills
Weaknesses	Seems a fairly brief review. Spanish
Limitations/ questions raised for you
Relation to other literature	5
Relation to my research/ area of interest

 

 

3. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Whittingham, Jeff; Huffman, Stephanie; Christensen, Rob; McAllister, Tracy
Title	Use of Audiobooks in a School Library and Positive Effects of Struggling Readers’ Participation in a Library-Sponsored Audiobook Club
Year	2013
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	ERIC
Link to article	https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1012831.pdf
Citation	Wittingham, J., Huffman, S., Christensen, R., & McAllister, T. (2013). Use of Audiobooks in a School Library and Positive Effects of Struggling Readers’ Participation in a Library-Sponsored Audiobook Club. Research Journal Of The American Association Of School Librarians, 16. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1012831.pdf.

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)	21 students in Grade 4-5 Students were 2 grade levels below
What? (program/ method)	School Lib book club
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)	Falling behind in reading can lead to students losing interest in learning & school. Increase reading skills leads to +ve attitudes twd reading
When? (year)	2013
Where? (context information)	Rural Elementary America
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)	Lib audiobook club Quant – stdised test data Qual – pre + post interviews, surveys, teacher, parent + student questionnaires Mid point interviews

Deeper analysis

Strengths	Student attitude twd reading + their abilities improved Reading more due to audiobks Audiobks with struggling readers a success
Weaknesses	Small sample size Ltd generalizability Maturation may have lead to improvement
Limitations/ questions raised for you	Further research needed to see definitive improvement in test scores from audiobks +ve results for struggling readers
Relation to other literature	6
Relation to my research/ area of interest

 

 

4. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Labbo, L.
Title	12 Things Young Children Can Do with a Talking Book in a Classroom Computer Center.
Year	2000
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	State Library of NSW – JSTOR Dyslexia AND audiobook OR talking book
Link to article	https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.sl.nsw.gov.au/stable/pdf/20204838.pdf
Citation	Labbo, L. (2000). 12 Things Young Children Can Do with a Talking Book in a Classroom Computer Center. The Reading Teacher, 53(7), 542-546. Retrieved August 11, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/20204838

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)
What? (program/ method)
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)
When? (year)
Where? (context information)
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)

Deeper analysis

Strengths
Weaknesses
Limitations/ questions raised for you
Relation to other literature
Relation to my research/ area of interest

 

 

5. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Kartal, G. & Simsek, H.
Title	The Effects of Audiobooks on EFL Students’ Listening Comprehension
Year	2017
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	ERIC – audiobooks and second language learning. Full article was not available on ERIC, title was copied to Google Scholar for full article.
Link to article	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Galip_Kartal2/publication/334508194_The_Effects_of_Audiobooks_on_EFL_Students’_Listening_Comprehension/links/5d2ed4a292851cf4408a88be/The-Effects-of-Audiobooks-on-EFL-Students-Listening-Comprehension.pdf
Citation	Kartal, G., & Simsek, H. (2017). The effects of audiobooks on EFL students’ listening comprehension. The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, 17(1), 112-123.

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)	66 1st yr uni EFL students. 18-22 yrs old
What? (program/ method)	Effect of audiobks on listening comprehension Skills & attitudes to using audiobooks in foreign language classroom
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)	Do audiobks effect EFL listening comprehension skills & what are students opinions of using audiobks
When? (year)	2017
Where? (context information)	Eng Lang Teach Dept State Uni Turkey
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)	Quant – general listening skills scores pre & post Quali – participants opinions via survey & subjected to content analysis

Deeper analysis

Strengths	Control & experimental same at beginning Listening comp statistically sig higher for audiobook use Quali – believed improve reading & comp Improved pronunciation
Weaknesses	Study based on uni students 13 weeks
Limitations/ questions raised for you
Relation to other literature	1, 7, 11
Relation to my research/ area of interest	+ve attitudes to reading

 

 

6. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Esteves, K. & Whitten, E.
Title	Assisted Reading with Digital Audiobooks for Students with Reading Disabilites
Year	2011
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	Primo Search Audiobooks and low literacy
Link to article	https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/873824877?accountid=10344&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo
Citation	Esteves, K. J., EdD., & Whitten, E., PhD. (2011). Assisted reading with digital audiobooks for students with reading disabilities. Reading Horizons, 51(1), 21-40. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/873824877?accountid=10344

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)	20 students from five different schools Upper elementary with documented reading disability and IEP
What? (program/ method)	Reading fluency & attitude pre & post test
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)	Compare assisted reading with audiobks with sustained silent reading in terms of fluency & reading attitude
When? (year)	2011
Where? (context information)	Mid Western suburban school district
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)	Use of audiobks & bks to follow along

Deeper analysis

Strengths	Sig increase in post test scores for both control & treatment Treatment group demonstrated large gains Reading attitude increased
Weaknesses	7 wk trial 20 students
Limitations/ questions raised for you	Longer trial period would benefit
Relation to other literature	3
Relation to my research/ area of interest

 

 

7. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Boyle, E. A., Rosenberg, M. S., Connelly, V. J., Washburn, S. G., Brinckerhoff, L. C., & Banerjee, M.
Title	Effects of Audio Texts on the Acquisition of Secondary-Level Content by Students with Mild Disabilities
Year	2003
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	Google Scholar – Bibliographical Branching.
Link to article	http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=fdaf1a2d-b90e-465a-a3bd-bb0b56925650%40sdc-v-sessmgr01
Citation	Boyle, E. A., Rosenberg, M. S., Connelly, V. J., Washburn, S. G., Brinckerhoff, L. C., & Banerjee, M. (2003). Effects of Audio Texts on the Acquisition of Secondary-Level Content by Students with Mild Disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 26(3), 203–214. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.2307/1593652

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)	95 students (dropped to 67 by end of study) Learning dif, emotional dst, speech/language impairment Specialised accommodation Permission to participate
What? (program/ method)
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)
When? (year)	2003
Where? (context information)	6 large suburban high schools in NE America high/middle, middle/low socioeconomic All schools had self contained classes for the study
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)	Audiobks with SLICK strat
	Audio only Control – only teacher based instn support

Deeper analysis

Strengths	Shows using audiobks variable for students with mild cognitive disabilities Increase of immediate comprehension
Weaknesses	From 2003 – aged Using CD-rom audio – tech has changed greatly
Limitations/ questions raised for you	Only a 6wk trial Generalizability of findings are ltd to similar students in self contained classrooms that serve students with LD Audio assists students with mild LD, potential to increase students independence
Relation to other literature	1, 5
Relation to my research/ area of interest	Shows audio benefits students with LD

 

 

8. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Daniel K. Davies, Steven E. Stock, Larry R. King, Michael L. Wehmeyer, David Helm;
Title	“Moby-Dick Is My Favorite:” Evaluating a Cognitively Accessible Portable Reading System for Audiobooks for Individuals With Intellectual Disability.
Year	2008
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	Audiobook and disability – Primo
Link to article	https://meridian-allenpress-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/idd/article/46/4/290/1334/Moby-Dick-Is-My-Favorite-Evaluating-a-Cognitively
Citation	Daniel K. Davies, Steven E. Stock, Larry R. King, Michael L. Wehmeyer, David Helm; “Moby-Dick Is My Favorite:” Evaluating a Cognitively Accessible Portable Reading System for Audiobooks for Individuals With Intellectual Disability. Intellect Dev Disabil 1 August 2008; 46 (4): 290–298. doi: https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1352/1934-9556(2008)46[290:MIMFEA]2.0.CO;2

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)	49 participants (ave age 28.47yrs) with intellectual disabilities from local edu transition programs & adults receiving support
What? (program/ method)	Use of three different reading software programs
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)	Providing people with intellectual disabilities the opp to engage with print info
When? (year)	2008
Where? (context information)	America
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)	4 wk trial of reading assist prog Data collected on two dependent measures –       Accuracy –       independence

Deeper analysis

Strengths
Weaknesses	Age of article 2008 Only assisted in the setting Age of participants (28.47) Size of each group relatively small Does not look at motivation or comprehension
Limitations/ questions raised for you	How does software impact learning
Relation to other literature	9
Relation to my research/ area of interest	Looks at software programs that may be used to assist with audiobks

 

 

9. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Milani, A., Lorusso, M. L., & Molteni, M.
Title	The effects of audiobooks on the psychosocial adjustment of pre-adolescents and adolescents with dyslexia.
Year	2010
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	Google Scholar – Primo “audiobook” AND “reading disability” AND school*
Link to article	http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=ecda6885-d75f-4cbc-93fb-5b89f031fd59%40pdc-v-sessmgr02
Citation	Milani, A., Lorusso, M. L., & Molteni, M. (2010). The effects of audiobooks on the psychosocial adjustment of pre-adolescents and adolescents with dyslexia. Dyslexia (10769242), 16(1), 87–97. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1002/dys.397

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)	K-5, LD
What? (program/ method)	Looked at 70 articles (19 in the end) of K-5 students with LD –       Target reading fluency in Eng –       Experimental, quasi-exp, single subject with treatment & comparison
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)	To investigate the effects of fluency interventions
When? (year)	2014
Where? (context information)	America
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)	Synthesis of research on the effects of reading fluency & reading comprehension of K-5 with LD

Deeper analysis

Strengths	Comprehensive study Using audiobooks was effective to assist with repeated reading
Weaknesses	More research needed for use of audiobks
Limitations/ questions raised for you	Use of audiobks provides greater flexibility for teachers Larger sample sizes required Treatment duration
Relation to other literature	8
Relation to my research/ area of interest

 

 

10. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Elsa, T. M., Àngels Llanes Baró, & Garriga, À. P.
Title	Linguistic and non-linguistic outcomes of a reading-while-listening program for young learners of English
Year	2019
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	Primo audiobooks AND EFL AND school*
Link to article	https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/2076596753?accountid=10344&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo
Citation	Elsa, T. M., Àngels Llanes Baró, & Garriga, À. P. (2019). Linguistic and non-linguistic outcomes of a reading-while-listening program for young learners of english. Reading and Writing, 32(3), 819-838. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1007/s11145-018-9886-x

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)	25 students from four classes Ages 10-11
What? (program/ method)	Reading/listening of graded readers Pre & post test 18 sessions over 2 days per week 21 graded readers total
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)	To see if RWL improves students test results for literacy
When? (year)	2018/19
Where? (context information)	Spain
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)	18 sessions or RWL v RO

Deeper analysis

Strengths
Weaknesses	Only 18 session of RWL or RO Graded readers were short
Limitations/ questions raised for you	Does student selection of bks impact
Relation to other literature
Relation to my research/ area of interest

 

 

11. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Chang, A., & Millett, S.
Title	Improving reading rates and comprehension through audio-assisted extensive reading for beginner learners
Year	2015
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	Bibliographic branching
Link to article	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2015.05.003
Citation	Chang, A., & Millett, S. (2015). Improving reading rates and comprehension through audio-assisted extensive reading for beginner learners. System, 52, 91-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2015.05.003

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)	64 Yr 10 EFL students
What? (program/ method)	SSR or AR over 26 wk pd for 90mins/wk
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)	Effect of AR on reading rates & comprehension
When? (year)	2015
Where? (context information)	Taiwan
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)	Pre test, post test, 3mnth delayed post test Extensive reading program over 26wks

Deeper analysis

Strengths	Loner time pd Number of students 64
Weaknesses	No control group Researchers book choice Need more texts and different types of text
Limitations/ questions raised for you
Relation to other literature	5
Relation to my research/ area of interest

 

 

12. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Nees, M., & Berry, L.
Title	Audio assistive technology and accommodations for students with visual impairments: Potentials and problems for delivering curricula and educational assessments.
Year	2013
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	Bibliographic branching
Link to article	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.peh.2013.08.016
Citation	Nees, M., & Berry, L. (2013). Audio assistive technology and accommodations for students with visual impairments: Potentials and problems for delivering curricula and educational assessments. Performance Enhancement & Health, 2(3), 101-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.peh.2013.08.016

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)
What? (program/ method)	Review of current practises and problems
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)
When? (year)
Where? (context information)
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)

Deeper analysis

Strengths
Weaknesses
Limitations/ questions raised for you
Relation to other literature
Relation to my research/ area of interest

 

 

 

13. Article Source Information

Author(s)	Chang, A.
Title	The effect of Reading While Listening to Audiobooks: Listening Fluency and Vocabulary Gain
Year	2011
Search Information (Where and how did you find it?	Google Scholar
Link to article	https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Reading-While-Listening.pdf
Citation	Chang, A. (2011). The Effect of Reading While Listening to Audiobooks: Listening Fluency and Vocabulary Gain. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching, 21.

Summary of Key Information

Who? (participants)	19 students
What? (program/ method)
Why? (problem/ question/ goal)	Effects of RWL on EFL fluency and voc gain
When? (year)	2011
Where? (context information)	Taiwan
How? (what did the researcher use/ do?)	26 weeks intervention

Deeper analysis

Strengths
Weaknesses	More and longer trials required.
Limitations/ questions raised for you
Relation to other literature
Relation to my research/ area of interest

 

 

 

EER500: Introduction to Educational Research (202060)
Assignment 1 – Literature Analysis and Research Question (40%)

Formative Criteria	SY	US
Appropriate use of writing conventions.	Is coherent, structured and of an acceptable standard of literacy.	Lacks coherence, structure and/or has serious deficiencies in the quality of the writing.
Correct use of a reference list and correct in-text referencing techniques consistent with APA 7 referencing style.	Referencing conforms to APA 7 referencing style. And At least 8 relevant scholarly sources have been cited.	Referencing is omitted, or does not conform to APA 7 referencing style. And/ or Fewer than 8 relevant scholarly sources have been cited.

 

Criterion One	HD	DI	CR	PS	FL
	4.25-5	3.75-4.2	3.25-3.7	2.5-3.2	<2.5
Identifies the topic and explains the significance.   5 marks	Identifies a novel research topic (i.e. an area which has not yet been addressed in the literature) by providing specific definitions partly taken from scholarly literature and adapted for the research context. Fully articulates personal relevance (personal, professional and/or practical).	Identifies a more specific (multiple secondary points may be considered, such as level, method, measure, etc.) research topic by providing specific definitions taken from scholarly literature. Articulates personal relevance (personal, professional and/or practical).	Identifies a specific (secondary points may be considered, such as level, method, measure, etc.) research topic by providing general definitions partly taken from scholarly literature. Partially articulates relevance (personal, professional and/or practical).	Identifies a relatively broad, yet acceptable area for the proposed research. Partially outlines relevance (personal, professional and/or practical).	Does not meet pass criteria – See commentary for specific details
Criterion Two	HD	DI	CR	PS	FL
	8.5-10	7.5-8.4	6.5-7.4	5-6.4	<4.9
Outlines the scope of the review, identifies search terms employed and key literature sources   10 marks	Comprehensive level of description (e.g. what, when, why, reflection). Employs at least three or more scholarly search approaches.     More than 15 combinations of search terms and search approaches are described.   A narrative structure is enriched by thoughtful and informed (e.g. reference to literature) reflection.	Strong level of description (e.g. what, when, why).   Employs at least three scholarly search approaches.     At least 15 combinations of search terms and search approaches are described.   A narrative structure enriched by some reflection.	Sound level of description (e.g. what, when).   Employs at least two scholarly search approaches.   At least 10 combinations of search terms and search approaches are described.   A narrative structure is introduced.	Basic level of description (e.g. what).   Employs at least one scholarly search approach.     At least 5 combinations of search terms and search approaches are described.	Does not meet pass criteria – See commentary for specific details
Criterion Three	HD	DI	CR	PS	FL
	12.75-15	11.25-12.6	9.75-11.1	7.5-9.6	<7.5
Presents an analysis and critique of prior literature   Displays knowledge of research design including theoretical framework/methodology and methods employed in key studies in the literature   15 marks	12 or more topic-relevant scholarly sources are reviewed deeply.   Describes specific trends broad trends with sophisticated description (specific paradigms, methods and techniques are presented) of research in a relational way (purpose, methods and findings are synthesised). Unpacks and critiques some evidence. The structure is refined and an overarching narrative structure is evident, connectives are used.   The textbook, additional subject readings and wider readings are drawn on for nuanced, critical discussion of methods.   Shows a sophisticated, nuanced understanding of the many aspects of research methods and paradigms. Draws on secondary elements where appropriate (samples, contexts, etc.). Informed comparisons are made. Multiple sources may be grouped to make larger critical points.	At least 10 topic-relevant scholarly sources are reviewed deeply.   Describes specific trends with sound description (key language is used with accuracy, deeper concepts may also be included) of research in a relational way (purpose, methods and findings are addressed together). Unpacks evidence. The structure is clear and generally logical, connectives are used.     The textbook, additional subject readings and wider readings are drawn on for meaningful, critical discussion of methods.   Shows a well-developed understanding of research methods and paradigms. Draws on secondary elements where appropriate (samples, contexts, etc.). Informed comparisons are made.	At least 8 topic-relevant scholarly sources are reviewed deeply.   Describes broad trends with sound description of research (key language is used with accuracy). The structure is clear and generally logical.                 The textbook and additional subject readings are drawn on for meaningful discussion of methods.   Provides robust description of the fundamental aspects of research methods and paradigms. Draws on secondary elements where appropriate (samples, contexts, etc.). A critical tone is evident.	At least 6 topic-relevant scholarly sources are reviewed deeply.   Describes broad trends within the research with some description of research (some informal language may still be evident). The structure is sound but could be refined (some repetition and evidence without purpose may be evident).           The textbook is drawn on for meaningful discussion of methods.       Provides accurate description of the fundamental aspects of research methods and paradigms. Some critique is attempted.	Does not meet pass criteria – See commentary for specific details
Criterion Four	HD	DI	CR	PS	FL
	4.25-5	3.75-4.2	3.25-3.7	2.5-3.2	<2.5
Adopts a critical stance by identifying gaps/ tensions/ problems/ oversights/ weaknesses in the literature.   5 marks	Gap(s) is/ are presented at the end of the review, prior to the question. The gaps are thoughtfully signposted and unpacked in the body of the review.   At least three meaningful additional gaps are cited (e.g. content, method, year, perspective, context, etc.).	Gap(s) is/are presented at the end of the review, prior to the question. The gaps are explicitly signposted and unpacked in the body of the review.   At least two meaningful additional gaps are cited (e.g. content, method, year, perspective, context, etc.).	Gap(s) is/are presented at the end of the review, prior to the question. The gaps are implicitly evident in the body of the review.     At least one meaningful additional gap is cited (e.g. content, method, year, perspective, context, etc.).	Gap(s) is/are presented at the end of the review, prior to the question.         At least one meaningful gap in the knowledge domain is cited.	Does not meet pass criteria – See commentary for specific details
Criterion Five	HD	DI	CR	PS	FL
	4.25-5	3.75-4.2	3.25-3.7	2.5-3.2	<2.5
Produces a relevant research question to address in the research proposal (A2).   5 marks	Presents a sophisticated, nuanced research question alluding to a robust research approach in A2. The question clearly relates to a specific aspect of the topic through the gap(s) noted. Stakeholder(s) and construct(s) are fully described. There is a clear argument for the unique contribution to the literature.	Presents a well-structured research question alluding to specific paradigm or method. The question relates to a specific aspect of the topic through the gap(s) noted. Stakeholder(s) and construct(s) are fully described. There is evidence of a unique contribution to the literature.	Presents an appropriately structured research question alluding to specific paradigm or method. The question relates to the main topic through the gap(s) noted. Stakeholder(s) and construct(s) are partially described. There is some evidence of a unique contribution to the literature.	Presents an appropriately structured research question. The question relates broadly to the main topic. Stakeholder(s) and construct(s) are presented.	Does not meet pass criteria – See commentary for specific details

 

 

Marking Rubric for Students (see above for more detailed information)

A1: Literature Review (40%)	Value	Mark
Use of academic language conventions	SY/UN	SY
Adherence to APA 7th referencing conventions	SY/UN	SY
Identifies the topic and explains the significance	5	3.5
Scope of the review process	10	9
Critique of prior literature and understanding of research paradigms and methods	15	13
Identification of Gaps in the literature	5	5
Presentation of research question for A2	5	4.5
TOTAL	40	35

 

Mark out of 40: 35                           Percentage:  87.5%                                          Grade:  High Distinction                              

 

Marker: Dr James Deehan

 

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