Restatement of initial research questions
Reading is a crucial skill in life. Therefore, it is one of the core skills that learners must acquire. Duggan (2009) states that reading comprehension is affected by many internal and external factors and visual processing. Reading comprehension is defined as the degree of understanding a text (Jager-Adams, 1994). It does not only include the amount of reading time, but also the ability to trigger information from the text. According to Ouellette (2006), the end goal of reading is comprehension. Therefore, reading time does not provide a full picture of reading comprehension because one can quickly skim the text without understanding it. Therefore, measurement of understanding using the ability to answer questions after reading the text is important for the current study. For this reason, the initial research question was augmented by an additional research question as follows:
Is there a difference in the reading comprehension test scores when Melbourne undergrad student read a text from a lilac-colored paper and comparable text from a white paper?
Evans (1974) argues that human beings use five senses discover the world around us. Therefore, color is a direct reaction to the sense of sight. Irlen (1991) claims that some people have difficulty in reading with high contrasts like black print on a white background. He argues that the bright contradiction between black letters and white paper reduces the ability to concentrate on reading. Based on these arguments, this research aims to measure the effect of the use of lilac-colored paper on reading comprehension.
In addition to a Null hypothesis of testing reading time, another hypothesis will be considered in this paper:
Null hypothesis:
There is no difference in the reading and comprehension test scores when Melbourne undergrad student read a text from a lilac-colored paper and comparable text from a white paper.
H0: The reading and comprehension test scores mean when students read a text from a lilac-colored paper are the same as the test score mean when the students read comparable text from a white paper.
Alternative Hypothesis
There is a difference in the reading and comprehension test scores when Melbourne undergrad student read a text from a lilac-colored paper and comparable text from a white paper.
H1: The reading and comprehension test scores mean when students read a text from a lilac-colored paper is different from the test score mean when the students read comparable text from a white paper.
The implication is that if students can answer correctly more multiple-choice questions from the text in the lilac-colored paper than in white paper, Melbourne University should provide question sheet with lilac-colored paper in the examination to improve students’ academic performance.
In this research, the color paper is independent variable; reading time and test score are response variables.
Methodology
The study employed an experimental research design. Students were given two sets of comparable text: one in lilac colored paper and the other one in the white paper. The response variables were then recorded for each treatment.
Sampling/Setting
The population of interest was students in Melbourne University. The population size is the number of students at Melbourne University. The targeted sampling group was undergraduate students during the first half of the spring semester in 2015.
Sampling Strategy:
A random sample was collected by sending an invitation to undergraduate students from Melbourne University to participate in the experiment. A sample of 35 students was used for the study. The sample size was restricted due to the limitation of resources. Students involved were from different majors, ages, and socio-economic groups to ensure a representative sample.
Progress
The study is currently at this stage. The study participants have already been recruited. The selected participants have agreed to participate. They have already signed consent forms.
Experimental Design:
The research design will a repeated measures design. The same participants will be used in all the experimental conditions. In particular, the subjects’ reading comprehension and reading time will be assessed for both types of papers. At the beginning of the experiment, students will receive a certain amount of money to encourage participation.
There are three periods of the experiments. In the first period, students read a piece of text. Time is calculated from beginning until they finish reading and ask for question sheet. The first step is to measure reading time. In the second period, students are asked to answer several multiple-choices questions regarding the text under a certain amount of time. This step is to measure test scores. In the last period, students answer some survey questionnaires concerning the preference of using lilac-colored paper to white paper.
Strength and weaknesses of the experimental method:
First, it provides a well-controlled environment. Therefore, precise measurements of time are possible to obtain. Additionally, data can be collected at the same time, thus reducing the time of data collection. The repeated measure design allows the experimenter to use fewer subjects because of the fact that each subject is involved in multiple treatments. For instance, if an experiment requires 35 subjects, then only 35 subjects are required for the entire experiment.
The weaknesses of this methodology:
Firstly, it is quite expensive because participants are usually motivated to attend experiment by paying them. Moreover, there is a problem of experimenter effects. The presence of experimenter can accidentally affect the participants’ concentration. A key problem of repeated measure design is learning effect. Subjects may become better at predicting the answer during subsequent treatment: thus introducing a confounding variable. The observed results may be because the subjects got better with experience and not because of the treatment. To overcome the problem of learning effect, students are provided different pieces of text with a compatible level of difficulty in two treatments. The subjects may also get tired as the experiment progresses or on the second day, a few students do not participate the experiment. To encourage the participation, subjects are told that the amount of money they get at the end of the experiment is based on the test score of students.
Data Collection Procedures
Data will be collected by the use of questionnaires, test score and record of reading time. The participants are asked to fill the questionnaires at the end of the second-day experiment. The data collected include reading time, test scores and some indicators regarding preferences of reading the text with different color paper.
Statistical Tools for Data Analysis
Data collected is analyzed by using SPSS. Data analysis will be conducted in two-fold. First of all, descriptive statistics are applied to provide information about the preferences of the sample when reading the text with different color paper. Secondly, inferential statistics will be used to answer the research questions.
Descriptive Statistics
Data Analysis Plan for Study Variables
The means will be compared at 5% significance level. If the means are statistically different at the significance level of 5%, it can be concluded that the use of color has a certain impact on test score and reading time. However, if the means are statistically indifferent at 5% significance level, there is insufficient evidence that the use of different color paper has an influence on reading comprehension.
F-test is also used for the one-sided test to see whether the reading time dependent on the paper on which the text is written. The implication is that if the test score is higher in case of using lilac-colored paper, Melbourne University should introduce the color paper in examination to improve students’ reading comprehension.
Adjustment of timeline
Since one more dimension of measuring test score is introduced in the research to provide a better overview of the effect of lilac-colored paper on reading comprehension, the research plan needs additional two or three days to design multiple-choice questions and analyze data.
References
Duggan, M. S. (2009). “A Critical Examination of the Effects of Colored Paper on the Academic Achievement of Fourth Graders in Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary”. Auburn University. Alabama.
Evans, R. M. (1974). The perception of color. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Irlen, H. (1991). Reading by the colors: overcoming dyslexia and other reading disabilities through the irlen method. New York: Avery Publishing Group.
Jager-Adams, M. (1994). Learning to read: Modelling the reader versus modelling the learner. In C. Hulme, & M. Snowling (Eds.), Reading Development and Dyslexia (pp. 3-17). London: Whurr Publishers.
Ouellette, G. P. (2006). What’s meaning got to do with it: The role of vocabulary in word reading and reading comprehension? Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(3), 554-566.
