Typing Performance and Technique of Higher Education Students with Specific Learning Disorders |
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| Authors: | Sharon Abecassis Hagit Magen Naomi Weintraub |
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| Institution: | 1. The Neuro-Developmental Disabilities and Writing Research Laboratory, School of Occupational Therapy, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel;2. School of Occupational Therapy, 3. the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel |
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| Abstract: | Higher education students with specific learning disorders (SLD) often experience difficulties in basic learning skills, including typing on computers, which has become the most common writing mode for academic purposes. This may affect their academic performance. We compared the typing performance, product, and technique (screen gaze, finger use) of 35 SLD and 30 typically developing (TD) students using keylogging software. Compared to TD peers, students with SLD typed more slowly and less accurately, and gazed less at the screen, suggesting a less effective typing technique. They typed slower even after controlling for screen gaze, implying that additional factors may account for their lower typing speed such as language processing. Hence, students with SLD may benefit from typing instruction alongside test accommodations during computer-based exams. |
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