Slideit+ New Ebook Reader for Personal Computer (PC) for Improved Reading Comprehension

 ABSTRACT

Reading expository text is essential in educational settings but can present challenges. eBooks bring several advantages: they are portable, searchable and efficiently stored. However, eBooks have disadvantages compared to natural books. eBooks are more rigid and fragile than natural books. Although reading on a mobile phone is more flexible than on PC (desktop or laptop), it still lacks the flexibility of a natural book. Further, mobile phones can only handle relatively small texts and are not suitable for texts with high-resolution graphics or multimedia. This study developed SlideIt+, an eBook reader for PC to target reading comprehension while drawing on eBook advantages. Thirty-four participants were grouped into three conditions: an experimental group that used the eBook reader; a control group who read natural books, and an experimental group who read natural books with a structured reading strategy that was also incorporated into the eBook reader. The eBook reader outperformed natural book reading, and performance was equivalent for the eBook reader and natural books when the reading strategy was used. SlideIt+ effectively helps comprehension of expository text on PC. The SlideIt+ eBook reader mechanism could be adapted for other eBook readers, supporting research into the integration of reading strategies into eBooks.