Comparing Spoken Versus iPad-Administered Versions of a Narrative Retell Assessment Tool in a Practice-Based Research...

Area of Science:

• Speech-language pathology
• Educational technology
• Child development

Background:

• Digital service delivery is increasing, necessitating evaluation of its impact on educational assessments.
• Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) developed a narrative retell assessment tool, requiring validation of its presentation methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effects of presentation modality (spoken vs. digital) on narrative retell assessment.
• To examine the validity of a school-based SLP-created narrative retell assessment tool.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-one children (K-2nd grade) participated in a narrative retell task using two digital (iPad) and one spoken condition.
• Comprehension was assessed via 10 questions, and concurrent validity was examined using the Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills (TILLS).

Main Results:

• Children recalled significantly more story events in iPad conditions compared to the spoken condition.
• Presentation modality and speaking rate did not significantly affect comprehension question performance.
• Correlations between retell measures and TILLS subtests indicated moderate to strong concurrent validity.

Conclusions:

• iPad delivery of narrative retell tasks may enhance event recall compared to spoken delivery.
• The assessment tool shows initial validity for measuring narrative event recall, but further research is needed for narrative comprehension.
• Digital presentation offers a viable alternative for narrative retell assessments in school settings.