Case Studies Using Technology-Integrated Learning in Context

#### **Chapter 5**

## Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots Increase Early Literacy Rates

*Jessica Redcay*

#### **Abstract**

The research study aimed to examine the influence of a new model for reading instruction combining Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots on first-grade students' phonics skills and attitudes toward reading. Ludus Reading phonics instruction involves explicit and systematic lessons with underpinnings in play-based, technology, and multisensory techniques.  The RoboKind™ Robots were programmed to act as teaching assistants and help the teacher during the Ludus Reading phonic lesson. A quasi-experimental pre-post design was used to examine three research questions comparing the differences between pre-and post-scores when using Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots in terms of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELSⓇ) Correct Letter Sound (CLS), DIBELSⓇ Whole Words Read (WWR), and Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) scores between the group receiving Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots instruction and the control group. The null hypotheses for Research Questions 1–3 were rejected. The results supported the use of Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots to teach phonics because the experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in their ability to decode and a positive attitude toward reading.

**Keywords:** early literacy, humanoid robots, science of reading, phonics, decoding, multisensory learning, early intervention, play-based learning

#### **1. Introduction**

Visualize this … a first-grade teacher brings five first-graders with the lowest reading scores in her class to the cafeteria to receive a new kind of reading tutoring. Each student is greeted by a pre-service teacher with a table set up with hands-on learning materials and a humanoid robot as a teaching assistant throughout the lesson. The student receives explicit, systematic, and one-on-one phonics instruction for the next half-hour. At one table, a student, Sophie, is looking at the image of a mouth on the chest screen of the robot and listening to the robot state, "The letter a is a vowel, and the short sound is /ă/.  Now you try it." At another table, a student, Davin, is writing closed-syllable words with an invisible ink pen and shining the light

on the letters to decode the different phonemes. As the half-hour unfolds, students practice their phonics skills using various multisensory strategies across the various learning modalities, also known as I-VAKT (Interactive Technology, Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, and Tactile) strategies. Students are eager to participate in the lesson as they self-select materials from a choice menu to practice the targeted skill for the lesson. Students giggle as they receive rewards and praise from the robots throughout the lesson. Students activate the four literacy domains (speaking, listening, writing, and reading) as they complete various interactive activities. After practicing sound and word recognition in isolation, students apply it as they write their own dictated sentences and decode a passage. Instead of appealing to the teacher, as they read the passage, students attend to the words and tap out the sounds in them until they figure it out on their own. After reading a passage, a student smiles confidently and states, "Wait? I didn't know that I could read." Then the teacher returns to take the students back to class, and the students sigh and ask if they can stay longer because they are enjoying learning to read.

The previous scenario occurred 11 times at an elementary school in Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States. Pre-service teachers at Methodist University enrolled in a reading foundation course and helped facilitate the tutoring. The pre-service teachers learned to bridge the Science of Reading (body of research about how students learn to read) and practice. The students learned how Ludus Reading is aligned with the Science of Reading and how to use RoboKind™ Robots as teaching assistants. Ludus Reading was developed by the instructor of the course, Dr. Jessica D. Redcay. Ludus is a Latin word that means play; subsequently, students learn phonics through explicit and systematic lessons using technology, play-based, and multisensory strategies. Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ partnered to create an app used by the pre-service teacher that prompts the robots to deliver content and rewards 10 times throughout the half-hour lessons.

#### **2. Literature review**

#### **2.1 Illiteracy and alliteracy issues**

In 1955, Rudolph Flesch explained the crisis of illiterate Americans stemmed from a lack of phonics instruction in schools [1]. Thirty years later, Jonathan Kozol continued recognizing the problem by publishing "Illiterate America" [2]. Seventeen years later, The Reading First Initiative provided \$1 billion to schools to teach phonics, and 5 years later, a research study demonstrated that regardless of funding, students did not improve in learning to read [3]. Sixty-seven years after Flesch identified an illiteracy crisis in America, 65 percent of U.S. fourth graders scored below grade level in reading [4], and more than 43 million adults in the United States cannot read or write above a third-grade level [5].

Further, of the 43 million adults in the U.S. who are literate, only 23% read a book or a part of a book over the last year [6]. In addition to having a culture of illiteracy (an illiterate person is unable to read), the U.S. has an issue with aliteracy (an aliterate person can read but does not select to read). Illiteracy rates span beyond the United States. In the world, 781 million people are illiterate (cannot read a single word) or functionally illiterate (with a basic or below basic ability to read) [7].

The high illiteracy rates in adults still need to reflect the impact COVID-19 in 2020 will have on future adult literacy rates. A Stanford study found that second and

#### *Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots Increase Early Literacy Rates DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110603*

third graders in the United States are 30 percent behind the expected typical year of learning due to the pandemic. The researchers explained that teachers need to find practices that will accelerate learning for the students who have fallen behind [8].

A new approach to teaching phonics is needed to accelerate students' learning. The effectiveness of new reading programs needs to be examined. The research study explored the effectiveness of the new reading approach that combined Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots in terms of the students' phonics scores before and after the intervention between an experimental and control group. In addition to creating literate students, students need to develop positive attitudes toward reading, so the students' attitudes were also considered.

#### *2.1.1 Early intervention*

Early Interventions need to be implemented because research has demonstrated that 75% of third graders who struggled with reading continued to struggle in the subsequent years in schools [9]. Research has shown that children need intervention (systematic, structured, and explicit teaching focusing on a targeted area of need) early (first 2 years of school). Essentially, students need explicit, systematic phonics instruction before age six because 95% of students will learn to read by the end of first grade with proper instruction. The remaining 5% of students will need additional reading support in the future [10]. Out of the students identified with learning disabilities, 80% have reading disabilities [11]. With effective Early Intervention, most reading problems could have been prevented [12]. The research study focused on supporting first-grade students identified by the teacher as having the greatest reading need. If students are provided with targeted, Early Intervention before the end of first grade, it is possible to offset future reading problems for the student.

#### *2.1.2 Neuroplasticity and improving reading performance*

The risk of future reading struggles decreases when students receive effective instruction in kindergarten and first grade. The good news exists for struggling readers, regardless of age, because the brain is pliable. Neuroplasticity is the idea that explains that students' brains can change for the better or worse. The brain can be re-wired when an effective teacher can create new neuropathways that help change students' attitudes and knowledge about reading [13].

Reading research demonstrates that reading performance increases for students when students are provided with an increase in books and opportunities to read. In addition, reading performance increases when students receive quality reading instruction from a well-trained teacher and a quality program [14]. According to the National Reading Panel Report reading instruction needs to include the five pillars of reading: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension. Further, research has demonstrated that programs are effective when the phonics instruction is taught in a systematic (sequential) and explicit (direct) manner [15]. The findings are consistent with the recommendations by the International Dyslexia Association that students need to participate in programs based on Structured Literacy. Structured Literacy involves teaching students to decode words explicitly and systematically. Students learn systematically, so the content follows a logical order that builds from the easiest and most basic concepts and builds based on the previous concepts learned. Explicit instruction involves directly teaching concepts between the student-teacher instead of naturally learning concepts [16].

#### *Technology in Learning*

School leaders sometimes equate explicit, systematic phonics instruction with the need to adopt a scripted reading program. However, research has demonstrated that scripted reading programs have a negative impact on teachers because it often undermines their ability to teach. Further, studies have shown that students who received instruction from scripted programs lagged behind their peers who did not use a scripted program [17]. A need exists for a program to provide teachers with guidelines and prompts systematically and explicitly without telling teachers what to say and without taking away differentiated learning opportunities for students. Further, the program needs to provide clear directions to be implemented with fidelity. Ludus Reading is crafted to provide teachers with clear guidelines to ensure that the instruction is delivered explicitly, and the program is sequential or systematic. The lesson plans are structured using a Gradual Release of Responsibility Model for teachers because scaffolds (supports) are provided if the teacher needs the information. Still, the teachers are not told what to say. Even though the program is not scripted, there are a couple of embedded scripts for the robot or teacher to ensure the instruction is taught with fidelity and accuracy. When Ludus Reading was used in combination with RoboKind™ Robots, then explicit instruction was provided by the teacher and robot. Whereas the robot was programmed with a script, the teachers were treated as professionals who were provided with targets and guidance but not told what to say.

#### **2.2 Science of reading and Ludus reading**

Ludus Reading has underpinnings in the Science of Reading. The Science of Reading (SoR) refers to the body of research about students learning to read. The research consists of thousands of studies, billions of dollars, and at least five decades of research. The research helps informs teachers about the best practices for helping students learn to read. The researchers have developed similar ideas about how students learn and do not learn to read. Even though thousands of studies can inform teaching practices, students are still not learning to read. Therefore, the goal of Ludus Reading is to use existing research and implement it in better ways to help students learn to read and enjoy learning to read.

#### *2.2.1 Reading theory and research*

Various Functional MRIs of the brain have demonstrated how students are learning to read. People naturally learn to speak but reading has to be taught. Reading occurs within the Four-Part Processor on the left hemisphere of the brain. The Phonological Processor and Orthographic Processor work together for students to decode words. The phonological Processor uses sounds (phonemes) to process words. Orthography refers to the writing system. Orthographic Processors involve recognizing the letters and combinations of letters within the written language. After decoding the word, the word moves to the meaning and context processors [18]. Tolman's Hourglass further explains the two processors (phonology and orthography from the Four-Part Processor. The top of Tolman's Hourglass is referred to as phonological awareness. The levels range from early (syllable, alliteration, onset-rime), basic (segmenting, blending), and advanced (deleting, substituting, and reversing). Phonological Awareness directly connects to phonics and transitions learning into orthographic processing (the ability to understand the spelling system) [19].

In 1986, Gough and Tunmer introduced The Simple View of Reading (SVR) formula. The formula is used to explain the two basic components of reading. The SVR

#### *Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots Increase Early Literacy Rates DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110603*

is word reading (decoding) x language comprehension = reading comprehension. If one part of the equation is zero when you multiply, you will not successfully have a student comprehend the text [20]. Scarborough's Reading Rope is a visual representation that expands upon The Simple View of Reading. Scarborough's Reading Rope states that reading consists of language comprehension (background knowledge, vocabulary, language structure, verbal reasoning, literacy knowledge) and word recognition (phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition). The two parts come together to help develop skilled readers [21].

In 1995, Linnea Ehri introduced the concept that students' progress through four phases of language development. The Pre-Alphabetic Phase involves students understanding the general concepts of print and incidental visual cues. The Partial-Alphabetic Phase involves students developing phonological and phonemic awareness skills. Students recognize syllables, onsets-rimes, initial phoneme matching, letter names, and some letters. The Full-Alphabetic Phase involves students segmenting and blending 3–4 phonemes. Students understand an initial set of phonemegrapheme correspondences and start to recognize words automatically. During the Consolidated-Alphabetic Phase, students develop advanced phonemic awareness skills. In addition, students focus on orthographic mapping of words, phonemegrapheme links, phonograms (word families), syllable patterns, and morphemes, and increase automatic word recognition [18]. Ludus Reading has a systematic approach, and the lessons help students progress through Ehri's Phases.

#### *2.2.2 Phonics*

Orthography means writing system. English uses a deep morphophonemic (opaque) orthographic system. English includes morphemes (meaningful parts) and speech sounds (phonemes). The English writing system has evolved over time. It started with the earliest form of writing (pictograms) from the Egyptians (5000 BCE). It developed with the Phoenician Alphabet in 2000 BCE; 19 of our 26 letters are from it. Over time the language evolved with the Greek (800 BCE), Ancient Roman (600 BCE), and Modern Roman (1840 CE) [22]. Since English uses a deep morphophonemic orthographic system, it takes readers time to develop skills to read sentences like: "It can be understood through tough thorough thought though."

There are 26 letters in the English language alphabet and 44 different phonemes (sounds). A grapheme is the smallest writing unit to represent phonemes [23]. Phonics instruction involves matching phonemes and graphemes. Approximately 84% of English language words follow phonetic patterns [24]. There are two types of letters: Vowels and Consonants. Vowels are open, unobstructed speech sounds. There are 18 vowel phonemes. The vowels are a, e, i, o, and u. Sometimes y and w. The schwa is a lazy, unstressed sound commonly occurring in unstressed syllables. Examples of a schwa include a, the, of, and away. Students learn the vowels best when they are organized within the Vowel Valley. The Vowel Valley refers to the arrangement of vowels to match the formation of the mouth and jawline [25]. Vowels are short or long based on the type of syllable. Short vowel sounds are denoted with a curve above them. This symbol is called a breve. The long line above the vowel is referred to as a macron and represents a long vowel sound. A consonant is an obstructed sound with teeth, tongues, or lips. When two consonants keep their sound but blend together, we refer to this as a consonant blend (ex., bl, cr). When two consonants come together to make a new sound, called a consonant digraph, and three letters together are called a trigraph. Ludus Reading involves explicitly teaching the students the different phonemes and

graphemes. Students focus on their mouth and jaw positioning when pronouncing the sounds. Further, Ludus Reading includes the Vowel Valley technique to help students pronounce the sounds. The RoboKind™ Robots were used throughout the lesson to display images of how the mouth looks connected to the different sounds.

Students learn best when the six syllable types are introduced. Closed Syllables end in a Consonant (C), and the Vowel (V) is short (CVC, VC). Open syllable words end in a vowel, which is long (CV). The silent e makes the vowel long (CVCe). A vowel team makes the long vowel sound in the word (CVVC). R-Controlled vowels do not allow the vowel sound to be heard in the word. The [le] comes after a consonant for the final syllable type. Teachers start with closed syllable types and short vowel sounds before moving on to long ones [26]. Students learn the concept best when a closed door represents the consonant at the end of a word. The consonant closes the door, and the vowel is short in the word. The vowel makes a long sound when the door opens (no consonant). Ludus Reading involves teaching the different syllable types, and the students learn the closed and open-door techniques. The RoboKind™ Robots displayed different syllable types on the chest screen and explained them further to the students.

#### *2.2.3 Play-based learning*

The idea for "Ludus" emerged from Huizinga's Homo Ludens: A Study of Play Element in Culture. Huizinga described play (Ludus is Latin for play) as essential to human life [27]. Research has demonstrated that guided play yields superior learning retention and academic achievement in young children [28]. Meaningful play opportunities are spontaneous and not scripted, and students find that play is enjoyable [29]. Ludus Reading includes a focus for the lesson, and students use play-based activities to practice the content. Play-based activities should help students retain information.

#### *2.2.4 Gradual release of responsibility model*

In 2008, Fisher and Frey developed the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) Instructional Framework that involves shifting the responsibility from the teacher to the student throughout a lesson. The GRR model was developed further from the work of Pearson and Gallagher in 1983. There are four components of the GRR model. This first component is often called "I do." Explicit skills are taught during the first component of the lesson. Guided Instruction includes the teacher and student's responsibility, and the component is referred to as "We do." The next component involves Collaborative Work, and the final component involves Independent Work or "You do it alone." The lesson transitions from the teacher's responsibility to the student's responsibility [30]. Students benefit from using the GRR model because they develop control and ownership over their work, and scaffolds are provided to help students transition into independent learners [31]. The lesson plans for Ludus Reading use the GRR Instructional Framework. The lessons start with the teacher and RoboKind™ Robots explicitly teaching the targeted phonics skill. The teacher interacts with and guides the students through activities to practice the lesson's focus. The students transition into practicing the skill independently using different self-selected, play-based activities.

#### *2.2.5 Student choice*

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to create a classroom environment that accommodates the needs and abilities of all learners. Teachers present

#### *Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots Increase Early Literacy Rates DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110603*

information in multiple ways, and students are provided with numerous ways to demonstrate their learning [32]. A Choice Menu is an approach that aligns with the UDL framework. Teachers organize learning activities in rows and columns. The students are given choices about which activities they want to complete to practice the targeted skill or demonstrate their learning in different ways. A Choice Menu gives students more ownership over their work, and students are more intrinsically motivated [33]. Ludus Reading is centered upon the UDL framework, and a choice menu is used for students when self-selecting play-based activities during independent practice. The RoboKind™ Robots displayed the targeted words on the chest screen and described the different options on the choice menu to the students during the lesson.

#### *2.2.6 Repetition of practice*

Repetition is needed to strengthen neuropathways. Synaptic connections occur when a person learns something. Practice needs to happen to transfer learning from short-term to long-term memory. Everyone needs a different number of opportunities to practice something before retaining new knowledge. Gifted students can learn a new letter or sound after 1–4 repetitions. Typical students can learn a new letter or sound after 4–14 repetitions. Students struggling can learn a new letter or sound after 14–40 repetitions. Students with dyslexia or learning disabilities can learn a new letter or sound after 40–200 repetitions [34]. Ludus Reading considers the importance of repetition in learning new letters and sounds. Each phonics lesson includes 40 opportunities for students to practice different letters and sounds. Additional practice is provided to students if needed as well. In addition, when Ludus Reading was combined with the RoboKind™ Robots, students could practice the letters, sounds, and syllable types more often because the robot could continue to repeat the instruction.

#### *2.2.7 Multisensory input*

As previously stated, Various Functional MRIs of the brain have demonstrated how students learn to read using Four-Part Processor within the brain's left hemisphere [18]. Students need to strengthen various brain areas to activate the left hemisphere for reading. Students benefit from active participation [35] and the use of VAKT (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, and Tactile) strategies [36]. In 2014, Dr. Jessica Redcay coined the term I-VAKT and expanded further upon the VAKT strategies. The letter I placed in front of VAKT represents Interactive Technology. Students do not use technology in passive ways; instead, students interact within the lesson [37]. The I-VAKT strategies are integrated throughout the lessons. Throughout the lesson, students interact with embedded features in the slides, and they interact with the RoboKind™ Robots. During each lesson, the students practice across the various modalities as they: 1. See It 2. Hear It 3. Do It 4. Touch It. Specifically, during the independent practice, the students self-select from a choice menu one of the play-based I-VAKT strategies to practice the target skills. For example, the students might select a Kinesthetic Activity that involves bouncing a ball to the different words. Another student might choose a Tactile Activity of making the syllable type out of Play Dough.

#### *2.2.8 Assessment and effective feedback*

Research has demonstrated that students benefit when feedback is provided to a learner throughout a lesson. The student should use the feedback to improve performance [38]. In the Ludus Reading lesson plans, instructional coaching notes are provided to offer suggestions to teachers on what to say when students demonstrate different common articulation errors. The comments were added as pre-service teachers asked questions when working with students. For example, if a student makes the /f/ sound instead /th/, then you prompt the students to look in the mirror to see that their tongue pushes slightly through your teeth when you make the /th/ sound.  These instructional coaching notes help teachers provide specific and clear feedback throughout the lessons.

Research has demonstrated that clear learning targets aligned with the assessments help determine if students have shown mastery before moving on to the following target skills [38]. Assessment is included after each lesson within Ludus Reading. If students still need to demonstrate mastery, additional lessons are provided so the student can continue to practice the targeted skill. However, only 11 sessions were included in the research study, so remediation was unavailable. However, feedback throughout the lessons was used.

#### *2.2.9 Previous research supporting Ludus reading*

In 2014, a research study with 75 kindergarten students demonstrated that students in the experimental group scored higher on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELSⓇ), Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF), Correct Letter Sounds (CLS) with a mean of 53 compared to the control with a mean of 32. Essentially, the students in the control group could identify 32 letter sounds per minute, and the students in the experimental group could identify 53 letter sounds per minute. In addition, the students in the experimental group increased their overall reading level score to a mean of nine compared to the control group, with a mean of five on the Developmental Reading Assessment, Second Edition (DRA-2Ⓡ). Further, the students in the experimental group retained the reading scores at the beginning of first grade. The embedded qualitative analysis of the study demonstrated that students in the experimental group showed higher levels of enjoyment in reading compared to the control group [37]. In the subsequent years, two additional teachers used the program to provide feedback about enhancing and improving it.

#### **2.3 Ludus reading and RoboKind™ robots**

In 2022, Ludus Reading partnered with RoboKind™ to create an app allowing teachers to prompt the robots to act as teaching assistants with 11 existing Ludus Reading lessons. Richard Margolin created the RoboKind™ Robots. RoboKind™ is an educational technology company that creates assistive, facially expressive humanoid robots used as teaching assistants to engage students in new ways while delivering research-based and quality lessons. The RoboKind™ Robots include four facially expressive humanoids (Milo, Veda, Carver, and Jemi), and the assistive robots help students learn. The humanoids can smile, laugh, walk, speak, and display images on a chest screen [39].

RoboKind™ has a CASEⓇ-Endorsed Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum that addresses four key areas (Emotional, Conversational, Situational, and Calm Down). Refer to **Figure 1** for a picture of the RoboKind™ Robots. The curriculum helps students (1) tune in on emotions; (2) express empathy; (3) act more appropriately in social situations; (4) self-motivate; (5) generalize in the population. Research

#### **Figure 1.**

*RoboKind™ robots. The image is published with permission from Methodist University and Christian Naranjo (photographer).*

has demonstrated that students using the program achieve mastery of the concepts and generalize those skills to human interactions at a 90% rate [40]. One research study demonstrated that children on the Autism Spectrum engaged with Milo 87.5% of the time compared to 2–3% of the time with a human therapist alone [39]. In addition, to the research studies demonstrating increased outcomes for students and higher levels of student engagement, RoboKind™ has received various awards, including the Super Choice SEL Program of the Year by the Institute for Education Innovation [40].

Since previous research supported the effectiveness of using Ludus Reading [37] and RoboKind™ Robots [39, 40], the two programs collaborated to determine if the combination of both would help improve early literacy scores for students and influence students' perceptions of reading. Eleven lessons from Ludus Reading were combined with 10 prompts from the RoboKind™ Robots. Five of the prompts related to the instructional content. The robot would display an image on the chest screen and talk—five of the prompts related to rewards. Different images of rewards were displayed on the chest screen, and the robot would provide specific praise to the student. A total of 55 RoboKind™ Robots prompts were developed within an app to be used in combination with 11 Ludus Reading lessons.

#### **2.4 Measures of reading**

After receiving signed permission from the school, parents of the students, and approval from the IRB, the researcher for the current study obtained the achieved Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy (DIBELSⓇ) and The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) data from the fall of 2022. Five pre-service teachers implemented Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots tutoring sessions. The pre-service

teachers completed assessments for the students receiving tutoring and five students who were staying in the classroom who were randomly selected by the classroom teacher. The archived data were not analyzed to determine the effectiveness of tutoring. Archived quantitative data were available and necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of a new way to teach phonics. The researcher used pre-existing, archived data. The researcher did not want to interfere with what had already naturally occurred within the classroom setting. Further, the assumption is made that the pre-service teachers used the correct techniques to administer and score the archived data.

#### *2.4.1 DIBELSⓇ*

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS*Ⓡ*) is a standardized assessment tool to monitor kindergarten through third-grade students' progression in becoming a reader. The tests are timed and last about 1 minute each [41]. The DIBELSⓇ used standardized administration and scoring procedures. The pre-service teachers read directions from scripted directions and used the directions in the manual to score the results. The research study used DIBELS*Ⓡ* NEXT, which has been renamed to Acadience*Ⓡ*. However, for the research study, the test will be referred to as DIBELS*Ⓡ*.

The raw scores fell within a corresponding score range that reflected a recommendation category: intensive, strategic, or benchmark. Students were considered at risk if they scored within the lowest 20th percentile of the norm across the country; these students were categorized as intensive. Students were considered at some risk if they performed between the 20th percentile and 40th percentile of the norm across the country; these students were categorized as strategic. Students were considered at low risk if they performed above the 40th percentile of the norm across the country; these students were categorized as benchmark or core [41].

The DIBELS*Ⓡ* Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) Correct Letter Sound (CLS) measures student ability to recognize letter sounds within 1 minute [41]. The students were allotted 1 minute to read as many letters sounds as possible. The raw score consisted of the total number of sounds correctly produced within 1 minute. The researcher for the current study used DIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF CLS scores recommended benchmarks for the beginning of Grade 1. Students scoring 0–17 were considered below the norm; students scoring 18–26 were considered equivalent to the norm, and students scoring 27+ were considered above the norm [41]. The pre-post data on DIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF CLS between the experimental and control group provides information about students' ability to sound out individual phonemes (sounds) automatically and accurately within 1 minute.

The DIBELS*Ⓡ* Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) Whole Words Read (WWR) measures student ability to read an entire Vowel-Consonant (VC) and CVC nonsense words, make-believe words within 1 minute [41]. Nonsense words were used instead of real words because it measures students' ability to decode an unknown word [42]. The students were presented with a paper with Vowel-Consonant (VC) and CVC nonsense words. The students were allotted 1 minute to read as many whole words as possible. The raw score consisted of the total number of whole words read correctly within 1 minute. The researcher for the current study used DIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF WWR scores recommended benchmarks for the beginning of Grade 1. Students scoring 0 were considered below the norm; students scoring 0 were deemed equivalent to the norm, and students scoring 1+ were considered above the norm [41]. The pre-post data on DIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF WWR between the experimental and control group provides information about students' ability to decode and read whole words with closed syllable (VC and CVC) patterns automatically and accurately within 1 minute.

#### *2.4.2 ERAS*

Dennis J. Kear developed the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) in 1989. In 1990, McKenna and Kear completed a research study of 18,000 students across the United States to establish percentile ranks at each grade level to be converted from the raw data. The ERAS is a reading attitude survey that includes pictures for students to self-report their feelings toward recreational and academic reading. Twenty questions are included on the survey that starts with "How do you feel …" Jim Davis and Paws IncorporatedⓇ approved the use of Garfield*Ⓡ* within the survey. The students select a very upset through a very happy Garfield*Ⓡ* in response to the question. Very happy is scored with four points, each with a consecutive declining number. The highest raw score a student can earn is a total of 80 points [43]. When the pre-service teachers administered the test, they read aloud the questions to the students, and the students selected the different pictures. The pre-service teachers reported the raw data scores.

According to McKenna and Kear, the developers of percentile scores, when analyzing the data, the raw scores should be used and converted into percentiles later. Further, for any pre-post score difference to be considered a real change for students, the change must be at least seven points when data is in the raw form [43]. After analyzing the raw data, convert the scores to percentiles. Percentile ranks range from 1 to 99, and 50 is considered average. The results can be interpreted from a normreferenced test that the percentile demonstrates that the student performed better than the total percental of their peers. For example, a student who scores in the 85 percentile performed better than 87% of their peers [44]. Research has demonstrated that attitudes toward reading influence the reading performance of students [44]. The pre-post data on the ERAS between the experimental and control group provides information about students' attitudes toward reading.

#### **3. Research questions and hypotheses**

**RQ1:** What, if any, is the difference in the pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) CLS (Correct Letter Sound) scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group?

**H10:** There is no difference in the Pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* CLS scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group.

**H1a:** There is a difference in the Pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* CLS scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group.

**RQ2:** What, if any, is the difference in the pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) WWR (Whole Words Read) scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group?

**H20:** There is no difference in the Pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* WWR scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group.

**H2a:** There is a difference in the Pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* WWR scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind Robots™ and the control group.

**RQ3**: What, if any, is the difference in the pre-and post-Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind Robots™ and the control group?

**H30:** There is no difference in the pre-and post-ERAS scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group.

**H3a:** There is a difference in the pre-and post-ERAS scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group.

#### **4. Research design and procedures**

The research study used a convenience sample of 10 first-grade students. It is assumed that the sample can be generalized to all other first-grade students within the United States, with certain limitations. The researcher for the current study did not use anything specific to North Carolina; instead, the research study involved using nationally-normed DIBLES*Ⓡ* and ERAS tests. A sample size of 10 participants was used. The test would demonstrate statistically significant results with an alpha score of .05. In social science research, an alpha of .05 is a common standard score, meaning that the risk of being wrong is five times out of 100 [45]. The researcher only had access to four robots during the study; two students shared a robot. Further, only five pre-service teachers were in the class to participate in the assessment and tutoring sessions during the fall of 2022. The 11 tutoring sessions were administered one-on-one for a half-hour 11 different times. The tutoring sessions occurred during the same time that the teacher was teaching phonics in the classroom to the whole class.

The quasi-experimental pre-post retrospective design used archived data from 10 first-grade students in the fall of 2022. The research design is depicted in **Figure 2**. The research study contained one independent variable with two levels (control and experimental group) across three dependent variables (PostDIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF-CLS, PostDIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF-WWR, and ERAS). The covariates (PreDIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF-CLS, PreDIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF-WWR, and Pre ERAS Score) controlled for the natural differences between the control and experimental groups. A quasi-experimental pre-post design is the most appropriate design to use in an educational setting to test the

**Figure 2.** *Quasi-experimental pre-post design.*

#### *Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots Increase Early Literacy Rates DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110603*

effectiveness of a new program [45]. The best way to compensate for a convenience sample is to include a pre-post assessment, control, and experiential group [46].

Five pre-service teachers were enrolled in a reading foundations course at Methodist University. The pre-service teachers went to a local elementary school to tutor five first graders identified by the teacher as having the greatest need in reading. The five pre-service teachers completed pre-post assessments for five students who the teacher randomly selected who remained in the classroom for reading instruction; these students represented the control group in the study.

The five pre-service teachers completed pre-post assessments for five students in the experimental group. In addition, the students in the experimental group completed 11 tutoring sessions with the pre-service teachers using Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots. The 11 lessons focused on short vowel sounds and closed syllable words (2 Lessons-Short A, 2 Lessons-Short E, 2 Lessons-Short I, 2 Lessons-Short O, 2 Lessons Short U, and 1 Review). Every student was absent from at least one of the 11 lessons. The assumption is that every student in the experimental group received at least 10 full lessons. When a student was absent, the pre-service teacher did a quick review before starting the new lesson.

The research study included three quantitative research questions. Each research question had a supporting null and alternative hypothesis. After analyzing the data, the research accepted or rejected the null hypothesis. If the null hypotheses were rejected, then the Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots improved the reading performance of the experimental group. If the null hypotheses were accepted, then the Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots program did not improve the reading performance of the experimental group.

#### **5. Data analysis**

The quantitative data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to examine three dependent variables (DIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF-CLS, DIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF-WWR, ERAS Scores) between the independent variables (control and experimental groups). The ANCOVA tests were used to examine Hypotheses 1–3. The ANCOVA was analyzed through a computer statistical software program called Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 28 (SPSS).

Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used for the control and treatment participants on their post-test scores after adjusting their pretest achievement level. Adjusted means with 95% confidence intervals were reported and interpreted for each ANCOVA analysis. The assumptions of normality, homogeneity of variance, linearity, and homogeneity of regression slopes were assessed before model interpretation. Partial eta-squared was reported as a measure of effect size, and post hoc statistical power was also reported for each test.

#### **6. Data results**

There was a statistically significant difference between the treatment groups in terms of the adjusted means and 95% confidence intervals for DIBELS*Ⓡ* CLS, *F*(1,7) = 6.93, *p* = 0.034, partial eta-squared = 0.50, power = 0.62. For DIBELS*Ⓡ* WWR, another significant difference was detected between the groups on their adjusted values, *F*(1,7) = 78.97, *p* < 0.001, partial eta-squared = 0.92, power = 1.00. Finally, for the

#### **Table 1.**

*Adjusted values for each comparison.*

ERAS, a significant difference was found between the control and treatment arms on the adjusted values, *F*(1,7) = 45.64, *p* < 0.001, partial eta-squared = 0.87, power = 1.00. The adjusted values for each comparison can be found in **Table 1**.

#### **6.1 Hypothesis 1 results using ANCOVA**

**H10:** There is no difference in the Pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* CLS scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group.

**H1a:** There is a difference in the Pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* CLS scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group.

The ANCOVA yielded a main effect for the control and experimental group, *F*(1,7) = 6.93, *p* = 0.0341, such that the average mean was significantly higher post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* CLS mean score for the experimental group (M = 46) than the control group (M = 31), after controlling for pretest scores (partial eta-squared = .17, power = 0.62). After analysis, the raw data can be compared to the national norms. The students in the control group had an average of 31, and the cutoff score was 27, so the students were considered low risk for reading struggles. The students in the experimental group had a mean of 45, and the cutoff score was considered 27, so the students were regarded as having a low risk for reading struggles. The results for Hypothesis 1 are reflected in **Tables 2** and **3**. Accordingly, the null hypothesis for Research Question 1 was rejected.

#### **6.2 Hypothesis 2 results using ANCOVA**

**H20:** There is no difference in the Pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* WWR scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group.

#### **Table 2.**

*Hypothesis 1: DIBELSⓇ CLS posttest.*

#### **Table 3.**

*Hypothesis 1: Tests of between-subjects effects DIBELSⓇ CLS posttest.*

**H2a:** There is a difference in the Pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* WWR scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group.

The ANCOVA yielded a main effect for the control and experimental group, *F*(1,7) = 78.97, *p* < 0.001, such that the average mean was significantly higher post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* WWR mean score for the experimental group (M = 15) than the control group (M = 2), after controlling for pretest scores (partial eta-squared = .92, power = 1.00). After analyzing the raw data, the scores were compared to the normreferenced criteria. The norm-referenced criteria are for students to benchmark if they can read one whole word, so both groups benchmarked. The results for Hypothesis 2 are reflected in **Tables 4** and **5**. Accordingly, the null hypothesis for Research Question 2 was rejected.

#### **6.3 Hypothesis 3 results using ANCOVA**

**H30:** There is no difference in the pre-and post-ERAS scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group.

**H3a:** There is a difference in the pre-and post-ERAS scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group.

#### **Table 4.**

*Hypothesis 2: DIBELSⓇ WWR posttest.*

#### **Table 5.**

*Hypothesis 2: Tests of between-subjects effects DIBELSⓇ WWR posttest.*

#### **Estimates**

#### **Table 6.**

*Hypothesis 3: ERAS posttest.*

#### **Table 7.**

*Hypothesis 3: Tests of between-subjects effects ERAS.*

#### *Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots Increase Early Literacy Rates DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110603*

The ANCOVA yielded a main effect for the control and experimental group, *F*(1,7) = 45.64, *p* < 0.001, such that the average mean was significantly higher post-ERAS mean score for the experimental group (M = 73) than the control group (M = 58), after controlling for pretest scores (partial eta-squared = .87, power = 1.00). After analyzing the raw data, it was converted to percentiles. The experimental group mean was 73, increasing by 16 points. A change is notable when the increase is at least seven points [43]. The raw score of 73 is converted to the 84th percentile. The treatment group mean was 58, increasing by two points. The change is not notable because a notable difference is at least seven points [43]. The raw score of 58 is converted to the 40th percentile. The results for Hypothesis 2 are reflected in **Tables 6** and **7**. Accordingly, the null hypothesis for Research Question 3 was rejected.

#### **7. Discussion**

The research study results added to the existing body of knowledge in the area of reading, phonics instruction, assistive humanoids, and the Science of Reading. Previous research demonstrated that Ludus Reading increased kindergarten students' reading scores and perceptions of reading [37]. Previous research studies have shown that RoboKind™ Robots increase students' engagement and transferability of academic skills [39, 40]. However, previous research did not exist on the impact of using assistive humanoids as teaching assistants to help students learn essential phonics skills. The effectiveness of combining Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots needed to be examined. The three null hypotheses for the research study were rejected, demonstrating that when Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots were combined, first-grade students could identify more letters and decode words better in 1 minute. Further, the students in the experimental group demonstrated higher levels of enjoyment with reading. Both of these aspects attempt to address issues in America with illiteracy and aliteracy. Further, early intervention provided before the end of first grade can help offset further reading difficulties for students.

Several key aspects of Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots appeared to be helpful for students in the research study, and the aspects and findings are consistent with previous research studies. Students benefit from programs that use the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model [30, 31]. Students benefit from explicit and systematic instruction [15. 16] with embedded play-based centers [28, 29], multisensory strategies [35, 36], and student choice [32, 33]. Repetition helps students retain information [34], and Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots provided students with at least 40 opportunities to practice the target letter sounds or syllable type. Throughout the lessons, teacher tips are provided to help teachers provide improved and immediate feedback to students [38].

#### **7.1 Discussion of Hypothesis 1**

The null hypothesis for Research Question 1 for DIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF-CLS was rejected. The DIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF-CLS is a sub-test of reading used to measure students' ability to recognize letter sounds within 1 minute [41]. The students in the experimental group scored an average (M = 46) that was higher than the average (M = 31) of the students in the control group. The results indicated that the students in the experimental group were better able to recognize letter sounds than the students in the control

group. Both groups were above the cutoff score of 27, so both groups are considered low-risk and performed above the 40th percentile of the norm across the country [41]. Notably, the experimental scores met the goal for the beginning of first grade and surpassed the goal for the middle of first grade with a goal of 43. In addition, the mean pre-test score was 21, so the experimental more than doubled their score with a post-test mean score of 45.

#### **7.2 Discussion of Hypothesis 2**

The null hypothesis for Research Question 2 for DIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF-WWR was rejected. The DIBELS*Ⓡ* NWF-WWR is a sub-test of reading used to measure students' ability to read an entire Vowel-Consonant (VC) and CVC nonsense words, makebelieve words within 1 minute [41]. The students in the experimental group scored an average (M = 15) that was higher than the average (M = 2) of the students in the control group. The results indicated that the students in the experimental group were better able to decode words than the students in the control group. Both groups were above the cutoff score of one, so both groups are considered low-risk and performed above the 40th percentile of the norm across the country [41]. Notably, the experimental scores surpassed the goal for the beginning of first grade with a goal of 13. So, the students in the experimental had scores that jumped to the next grade level. In addition, the mean pre-test score was 1, so the experimental group progressed to being able to read 15 words, whereas the control group only increased by one word.

#### **7.3 Discussion of Hypothesis 3**

The null hypothesis for Research Question 3 for ERAS was rejected. The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) is a reading attitude survey that includes pictures for students to self-report their feelings toward recreational and academic reading [43]. The students in the experimental group scored an average (M = 73 and 40th percentile) that was higher than the average (M = 58 and 84th percentile) of the students in the control group. The results indicated that the students in the experimental group developed better attitudes toward reading than the control group. Notably, the original researchers of norm-referenced criteria explained that a minimum of seven points differences in the raw score between the pre-post data signify a change in perception of reading [43]. Accordingly, the control group showed a change with two points, which is not considered notable. However, the experimental group increased by 16 points, signifying the students in the experimental group shifted their attitudes and perceptions of reading. Further, the students in the control group scored within the 40th percentile or below the average. The experimental group scored above 84% of their peers across the nation. The students in the experimental group demonstrated better attitudes toward reading.

#### **8. Future research**

The results were significant, but the study was limited because it only included 10 students and 11 lessons. The students in the experimental group demonstrated a lot of growth in a short amount of time. Future studies are needed that include more students from various schools. In addition, additional lessons (beyond 11) should be explored to develop a complete picture of the effectiveness of combing Ludus Reading and Reading and RoboKindⓇ. Other reading assessments or Various Functional MRIs of the brain are different aspects to explore in future studies. In addition, a qualitative researcher might look for emerging themes to describe students' experiences learning to read. Additional studies might expand beyond kindergarten and first grade to see if the program is effective for students in older grades with dyslexia or learning disabilities.

#### **9. Conclusion**

The quasi-experimental pre-post research study added to the existing body of reading and humanoid research because it tested the effectiveness of combining Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots. Ludus Reading phonics instruction involves explicit and systematic lessons that include play-based, technology, and multisensory techniques. RoboKind™ Robots are facially expressive, assistive humanoid robots, and the robots were programmed to act as teaching assistants and help the teacher during the Ludus Reading phonic lesson. Previous research demonstrated that Ludus Reading increased kindergarten students' reading scores and perceptions of reading [37]. Previous research studies have shown that RoboKind™ Robots increase students' engagement and transferability of academic skills [39, 40]. However, previous research did not exist on the impact of using assistive humanoids as teaching assistants to help students learn critical phonics skills. Three research questions were explored, and the null hypotheses were rejected, demonstrating that students in the experimental were able to identify sounds and decode words better than the control group. Further, the students in the experimental showed higher levels of enjoyment toward reading.

Null Hypothesis 1 was rejected: **H10:** There is no difference in the Pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* CLS scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group. The ANCOVA yielded a main effect for the control and experimental group, *F*(1,7) = 6.93, *p* = 0.0341, such that the average mean was significantly higher post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* CLS mean score for the experimental group (M = 46) than the control group (M = 31), after controlling for pretest scores (partial eta-squared = .17, power = 0.62). The students in the experimental group more than doubled their score with a post score of 45 and a pretest score of 21. Further, the experimental scores met the goal for the beginning of first grade and surpassed the goal for the middle of first grade with a goal of 43.

Null Hypothesis 2 was rejected: **H20:** There is no difference in the Pre-and post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* WWR scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group. The ANCOVA yielded a main effect for the control and experimental group, *F*(1,7) = 78.97, *p* < 0.001, such that the average mean was significantly higher post-DIBELS*Ⓡ* WWR mean score for the experimental group (M = 15) than the control group (M = 2), after controlling for pretest scores (partial eta-squared = .92, power = 1.00). The mean pre-test score was 1, so the experimental group progressed to being able to read 15 words, whereas the control group only increased by one word. The experimental scores surpassed the goal for the beginning of first grade with a goal of 13. So, the students in the experimental had scores that jumped to the next grade level.

Null Hypothesis 3 was rejected: **H30:** There is no difference in the pre-and post-ERAS scores between the group who used Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots and the control group. The ANCOVA yielded a main effect for the control and

experimental group, *F*(1,7) = 45.64, *p* < 0.001, such that the average mean was significantly higher post-ERAS mean score for the experimental group (M = 73 and 40th percentile) than the control group (M = 58 and 84th percentile), after controlling for pretest scores (partial eta-squared = .87, power = 1.00). The students in the control group scored within the 40th percentile or below the average. The experimental group scored above 84% of their peers across the nation. The students in the experimental group demonstrated better attitudes toward reading.

#### **Acknowledgements**

I acknowledge using the following resources for the tutoring sessions: Ludus Reading and RoboKind™. I acknowledge using the following assessments: Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS), DIBELS*Ⓡ* NEXT Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) Correct Letter Sound (CLS), and DIBELS*Ⓡ* NEXT Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) Whole Words Read (WWR). The pre-service teachers for the studies were from Methodist University, and the first-grade students were from Cumberland County Schools in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

#### **Notes/thanks/other declarations**

I would like to thank my supportive family: My mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, Uncle Jim, Aunt Anna, and children (Sophie and Davin). Sophie and Davin-I hope you never give up and pursue your passions. Live your life fully and fill the chapters with a fantastic story. I would like to thank Alexis Baxter, Mrs. Conrad, and Mrs. Poore, who encouraged me to live my best life. I would like to thank the school staff and teachers who helped us implement the tutoring sessions. I would like to thank Maryanne Hickson and the ROTC for helping transport materials between the university and the school setting. The pre-service students who implemented the tutoring session, and I hope they continue to impact their students positively. I would like to thank the amazing RoboKind™ team who collaborated and supported the research, especially Richard Margolin, Joshua Jach, Jimmy Delaney, Jack Morrison, and Dwayne Koonce. Further, it was incredible collaborating with the talented engineer from RoboKind™, Joshua Jach, who helped translate my vision into a reality, helped troubleshoot, set up platforms, and provided on-site support. Jimmy Delaney helped create the app to connect the robots and lessons. Jimmy Delaney and Jack Morrison helped with the speech articulation of the robots and troubleshooting throughout the process. Dwayne Koonce helped organize the images to be displayed on the robot's chest. In addition, Richard Margolin took countless hours to meet with me to help me create a plan for my research study and reading program. In addition, I appreciated the motivation and support from Brian Baggs, Marissa Moyer, Souphia Leng, Rocky Barajas, and all of the RoboKinders. RoboKind™ is filled with passionate and outstanding people, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to collaborate with everyone. I appreciate the support from KTI Family, especially Scott Snyder, Ann Noonen, Tom Tancin, Laura Fragassi, Sue Allen, Hollie Woodard, and so many more. In addition, I would like to dedicate this study in memory of Rosie Parmigiani, who said, "This is the work you are meant to do. No one is doing this yet, and you need to go for it. The kids and teachers need this." Most importantly, I hope this research helps teachers teach reading in better ways and helps students learn to read and love reading!

*Ludus Reading and RoboKind™ Robots Increase Early Literacy Rates DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110603*

#### **Author details**

Jessica Redcay Methodist University, Fayetteville, North Carolina

\*Address all correspondence to<EMAIL_ADDRESS>
© 2023 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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#### **Chapter 6**

## Using Information and Communication Technology and Developing the Creative Abilities of Social Work Students

*Emad Saleh and Magdy Mostafa*

#### **Abstract**

The research problem is to identify the impact of using information and communication technology (ICT) on developing the creative abilities of social work students. The research employed a descriptive-analytical approach in which a sample of social work students was surveyed. Field data was collected using a scale developed by the researchers to measure the impact of students' use of ICT on developing their creative abilities. After establishing the validity and reliability of the scale, data collection began in December 2022 when an electronic link was sent to all social work students *via* the official university mail. After processing the data using SPSS, the results were extracted, and a final research report was written. The results confirmed the students' high readiness to use ICT, while their reliance on ICT improved their academic and personal performance. In addition, the research results confirmed that students' use of ICT effectively influenced the development of their creative abilities. As a result, the study recommends that universities should focus on adequately training students and faculty members in the use of various types of ICT and encourage them to use them.

**Keywords:** social work, students, information communication technology (ICT), readiness, creative abilities

#### **1. Introduction**

The current era has witnessed an enormous knowledge and information revolution in all fields of science that significantly contributed to stimulating many essential developments in all aspects of life. Technological advancement, among other key aspects, has developed at an astonishing pace, from which societal institutions, especially in the educational field, should benefit. As a result, universities have rushed to capitalize on this tangible technological advancement by setting up establishing computer laboratories and connecting them to the Internet, making use of various programs, applications, and e-learning systems. Specialized laboratories have also been set up to provide training opportunities for students studying psychology,

geography, languages, or social work. Technological advances have also been used in equipping and preparing classrooms for the educational process by providing computers, data display devices, and audio and video systems that enable students in all disciplines to make the most of the educational opportunities available. Advanced technology is no longer limited to developing hardware and technical and electronic equipment, nonetheless; it has been achieved in the field of software and applications. Consequently, most universities are rapidly incorporating computer-related courses into the study plans of students in all disciplines so that they can benefit from this significant progress. Furthermore, one cannot ignore the unprecedented growth of the Internet in the 1980s, as its rate of spread had the greatest impact across all scientific fields at the daily and institutional levels. It also influenced the rate of technological progress across all sectors, including education [1].

In addition to scientific knowledge, higher education institutions seek to impart students with specialized and life skills, as well as creative abilities. Hence, the current research seeks to identify the benefit of students majoring in social work to information and communication technologies, as one of the methods of obtaining professional and life knowledge and skills, and employing them in developing their creative abilities. This raises a number of questions related to students' readiness to use information and communication technologies and the extent to which they benefit from them.

#### **2. Research problem**

Social work, as a profession, is relatively new. Despite its modernity, it has established a professional and value framework, allowing it to continue and flourish while delivering professional services at all levels of professional activity (micro, medium, and macro) with high efficiency and adequacy. Consequently, it gained societal recognition as an essential profession among professions operating in human societies, which enabled it to expand at the levels of social work education institutions and professional practice organizations in all areas of life and work, while the emergence of professional federations and unions have represented and enabled them to coexist with program planning and design at local, national, and international levels [2]. As a result, many institutions focused on social work education and aimed to monitor and support developments, topped by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) calls for the integration of computer technology into social work education, but there are no explicit standards for integration or student learning [3].

ICT and the Internet have advanced rapidly, to be not only more efficient, faster, and of higher quality but also easily accessible at any time and from any location for a low cost. As a result, education programs and applications in general, and e-learning in particular, have advanced rapidly. Programs and applications have made it easier for teachers and students to complete many educational tasks and assignments without difficulty or stress, providing them with excellent opportunities for excitement and attraction. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are electronic tools used to transmit, process, and store information [4]. Not long ago, academic research, including social work research, turned its interest to discuss the relationship between new technologies and their use in the education of social work students. According to a study by Faux and Black-Hughes (2000), social

#### *Using Information and Communication Technology and Developing the Creative Abilities… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110604*

work students prefer traditional teaching methods, as their performance improved when they were taught face-to-face rather than using Internet-based technologies [5]. With the spread of ICT, positive attitudes toward its use in social work education have increased. The findings of some recent studies differ from those of earlier studies. For example, in a study conducted in Trinidad and Tobago, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight social work educators from four tertiary institutions in Trinidad and Tobago that offer degrees in social work. Results indicate that previous experience with Internet-based technologies influenced the perspectives of social work educators and ultimately the range and mode of technologies used. Although the debate on the role of such technologies in social work education in Trinidad and Tobago has not been resolved, the aforementioned research found that there is a movement toward consensus about the utility of Internet-based technologies [6]. Although ICTs and the growth of the Internet are not without problems, the fact remains that both will continue to shape the global community. Other disciplines have recognized the importance of ICT and consider it a key part of professional development [4].

ICT and the Internet are two of the most significant products of human creativity that have a significant positive impact on all social sciences, academic fields, and professions. The creative abilities of students in all disciplines are expected to develop and improve as technology becomes more prevalent in education. As a result, the social work profession has prioritized the development of the creative abilities of its students. Social work is concerned with the gifted creators and innovators, an interest that frequently extends to the work of social workers in educational institutions, particularly basic education institutions. Social work aims at discovering creators and innovators, identifying their needs, assisting them in achieving psychological compatibility and social adjustment, enabling them to face difficulties and problems, and implementing enrichment programs that develop their capabilities. Furthermore, the interest in creators is not limited to the social work profession, as this category is of great interest and care in both developing and underdeveloped societies. This could be due to the high-quality achievements of this category in a variety of social, economic, technical, artistic, literary, and political fields.

A society loses the most valuable resources of its renaissance if it does not find exceptional creators and innovators and provide them with the tools they need to grow and use their energies in a variety of spheres of existence. Consequently, professional development programs must foster social work's interest in innovation. These programs shall be based on multidimensional education that emphasizes memorability, comprehension, analysis, application, evaluation, and creativity. In professional practice, the social worker's approach to various problems and situations of individuals, families, institutions, and societies depends on professional processes. These processes include understanding the situation, analyzing and evaluating its various dimensions, and evaluating available alternatives, all of which must be creative because the cases and situations the social worker deals with are not typical but unique.

Finally, to adequately prepare future social workers, social work education needs to place greater emphasis on developing students' creative abilities. ICT is one of the main factors that can help students develop their creative abilities. Based on the above, the researchers define the research problem as determining the impact of social work students' use of ICT on the development of their creative abilities.

### **3. Research goals**

The main objective of the research is to determine the impact of social work students' use of ICT on their creative abilities. This objective is divided into the following sub-objectives:

#### **4. Research questions**

The research aims to answer the following main question: What impact does social work students' use of ICT have on developing their creative abilities? This question is divided into the following sub-questions:

#### **5. Main research concepts**

#### **5.1 Creativity**

Although creativity, as a term, is commonly used in our lives today, it is still one of the problematic terms. In its simplest definition, creativity is the individual's transferable and developable ability to think freely, to examine complex problems and situations, and to reformulate the elements of experience into new patterns by presenting the greatest possible number of alternatives for reformulating this experience, using a variety of appropriate methods for the situation that the individual faces, so that these new patterns are characterized by modernity in relation to the individual and the society in which he/ she lives. Creativity can also be described as the capacity to reason to achieve a diverse and new item that can be implemented, whether in science, arts, literature, or other fields [7].

On the other hand, Barker defined creativity as the mental processes and skills that result in an original product of value or quality, which includes thinking that goes beyond what is already known and results in original ideas and novel solutions to

#### *Using Information and Communication Technology and Developing the Creative Abilities… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110604*

existing problems [8]. Tierney and Lanford pointed out that creativity and innovation are two terms that are closely related, and carry multiple and overlapping meanings. Creativity is the ability to develop a new idea, while innovation is the application of the new idea or solution to the problem; innovation relates to the material part associated with the implementation or transformation from idea to product. They also emphasized that innovation, like creativity, is one of the key components of HEIs, achieved against the background of a creative environment that stimulates the creation of innovative works. They added that the axes for the development of education in the twenty-first century must include the development of innovation across three main axes: innovation in scientific research, innovative educational methods in the educational process, and innovative administrative structures in academic institutions [9].

Higher education development experts refer to creativity as the key to effective learning at undergraduate and postgraduate levels (Nissim, Weissblueth, Scott-Webber, & Amar, 2016), (Jahnke, Haertel, & Wildt, 2017), and (Rampersad & Patel, 2014) [10–12]. Livingston confirmed the above argument and considered creativity as a key skill that benefits a person throughout his or her life and is also relevant for students in higher education. He added that creativity is directly related to the development of students' ability to acquire knowledge and skills in a global cultural reality rich in new levels of study, research and investigation, cooperation, interdependence, and integration of knowledge and skills, and incorporation of information into new creative systems [13]. Jackson & Show emphasize that creativity is one of the daily educational requirements in universities, as the educational process aims to: "generate ideas and alternatives, find ways to investigate complex problems, institutions, systems and patterns, think innovatively, integrate ideas and objects in new ways, and find innovative solutions that result from using creative ways of thinking and acting" ([14], p. 105). Hence, Sheridan-Rabideau, an education expert for academic institutions, describes creativity as "the cultural wealth of the twenty-first century" ([15], p. 54).

#### **5.2 Information and communication technology**

ICT has become an integral part of our daily lives as most people use it, including researchers and experts, professionals, politicians and economists, pupils and students, and even the general public. They are also used for various purposes, for example, scientific, social, economic, political, and recreational. However, there is no universal valid definition of ICT. Various definitions define ICT as the sum of all devices, networking components, applications and systems that combined allow people and organizations (i.e., businesses, nonprofit organizations, governments, and criminal enterprises) to interact in the digital world [16].

ICT can be defined as the convergence of electronics, computing, and telecommunications. It has unleashed a tidal wave of technological innovation in the collecting, storing, processing, transmission, and presentation of information that has not only transformed the information technology sector itself into a highly dynamic and expanding field of activity-creating new markets and generating new investment, income, and jobs but also provided other sectors with more rapid and efficient mechanisms for responding to shifts in demand patterns and changes in international comparative advantage, through more efficient production processes and new and improved products and services.

UNISCO defines ICT as a set of technological tools and resources used to transmit, store, create, share, or exchange information. These technological tools and resources include computers, the Internet (website, blogs, and emails), live broadcasting

technologies (radio, television, and webcasting), recorded broadcasting technologies (podcasting, audio, and video players), and storage devices and technology (fixed or mobile, satellite, Visio/video-conferencing, etc) [17].

The term information and communication technology (ICT) is generally accepted to mean all technologies that, in combination, allow people and organizations to interact in the digital world. The importance of ICT for economic development and business growth has been so monumental, in fact, that it is seen as a precursor to what many call the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). ICT also underpins broad shifts in society, as individuals en masse are moving from personal, face-to-face interactions to ones in the digital space. This new era is frequently termed the digital age. Therefore, the ICT system includes the following components: hardware, software, data, the Internet, transactions, communication technologies, and cloud computing.

ICT is employed in many different areas, the most important of which are commerce, business, space, the government sector, daily life, and education. According to numerous studies, the use of ICT in education has contributed to providing a reasonable level of education for many students in developing societies. ICT-related tools and facilities include radio, television, computers, the Internet in classrooms and computer labs, external computer centers, smartphones, and tablets [18].

In the light of the above definitions, creative abilities of students can be summarized as follows:

1.Free and open thinking skills.

7.Better use of abilities to improve academic performance.

#### **6. Research importance**

The importance of the research is demonstrated by emphasizing the critical role of ICT in teaching and learning processes at the university level. Moreover, the results are expected to draw faculty members' attention to the positive impact of using ICT in developing students' creative abilities and their interest in encouraging students to use it. Finally, because of the positive impact of ICT on the educational process, the results will encourage faculty members to use ICT in teaching and research.

*Using Information and Communication Technology and Developing the Creative Abilities… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110604*

#### **7. Research methodology**

The research used a descriptive-analytic approach, applied in a comprehensive social survey method to all social work students (approximately 200 students) classified as pure social work, major social work, or minor social work. The researchers developed a scale to assess how ICT affects students' creative abilities. The scale was evaluated by presenting it to eight sociology and social work professors. From 13 December 2022 to 23 December 2022, all social work students received an electronic link to the scale *via* university mail. However, this number only represents the research sample because the researchers only received responses from 90 students. Students were reminded to fill out the scale three times during the ten days. After data processing, Cronbach's alpha internal consistency parameters were measured to ensure the reliability of the scale. The result was 0.95, indicating a high level of reliability. The researchers then proceeded to complete the analysis and draw conclusions.

#### **8. Field data analysis**

The researchers will attempt to answer the research's main questions through the analysis that follows. But first, in the following sections, an accurate description of the research sample will be given, as well as a demographic description in terms of gender distribution, distribution over the academic years, and distribution based on the nature of their social work specialization, and the average study rates of the research sample. The field data is then analyzed to answer the main questions, leading to the extraction of the relationship and nature of the impact of students' use of ICT on developing their creative abilities.

#### **8.1 Description of the research sample**

The research sample consisted of 58.9% females and 41.1% males, with an average age of 21.43 years and a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.89. The sample included students from all years of study. Fourth-year students had the highest percentage of participants (34.4%), followed by fifth-year students (32.2%), thirdyear students (17.8%), second-year students (10.0%), and finally, first-year students (10.0%). 5.6% only. The **Table 1** below shows the gender distribution of students by academic year.

The distribution of the research sample by area of study in social work is shown in the **Figure 1** below. It is evident that pure social work students formed up the largest percentage of the sample 44.4%, followed by minor social work students at 28.9%, and finally major social work students at 26.7%.

#### **8.2 Students' readiness to use ICT**

The first research question, that is, "what is the level of readiness of social work students to use ICT?" is answered in the following sections. It can be inferred from the results that the students mastered computer skills to a very high degree, as their skills scored an average of 4.43 out of 5, which confirms the high level of computer literacy as one of the most important techniques of ICT. The following **Table 2** also reflects the variation in the level of the students' proficiency in these skills.

#### **Table 1.**

*Gender distribution of students by academic year.*

**Figure 1.** *Distribution of students by social work specialization.*

The approximate estimate of the average daily number of hours spent using ICT tools to conduct academic tasks was 3.59 hours per day, while the highest number of hours of use reached 10 hours, and the lowest number of hours of use was only one hour per day.

Students were asked whether they had taken university courses to develop abilities and skills in using ICT. The majority of students (86.7%) confirmed that they had taken such courses, while 13.3% stated that they had not. The average number of courses taken by a student to develop their ability to use ICT was 1.73 courses. From our point of view, this average reflects the inadequacy of these courses. Hence, we recommend that the university provide more opportunities for students to take courses related to developing skills and abilities to use ICT. For the extent to which the university provides suitable laboratories for training students to use ICT, the majority of students (90.0%)

*Using Information and Communication Technology and Developing the Creative Abilities… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110604*

#### **Table 2.**

 *Student computer proficiency.*

reported that these types of laboratories are available at the university, while 10.0% believed that these laboratories are insufficient to fulfill their mandate role.

 The research team also enquired about the students' use of ICT programs and applications. The following **Figure 2** shows that the majority of students (96.7%) use these technologies, while a significantly low percentage of 3.3% indicated that they had never used them before. The remaining part of the analysis of the results, thus, will focus on those who have already used ICT during their courses, while those who have not used them are excluded, namely, the sample consists of only 87 respondents (N = 87).

 The questionnaire also queried whether students had participated in training courses to develop their ICT-related skills; a percentage of 81.6% confirmed that they had not participated in any such courses, while 18.4% reported that they had previously participated to develop their ICT-related skills. In terms of the type of courses students most benefit from in relation to ICT, the majority (82.8%) asserted that they benefit from all types of courses, while 10.3% stated that they only benefit from courses related to college requirements, and 4.6% confirmed that they benefit from courses related to university requirements. The rest of the results are included in the following **Table 3** .

 **Figure 2.**  *ICT usage.*

**Table 3.**

*Types of courses that students have benefited from ICT.*

**Table 4.**

*Level of development of the students' performance as a result of using ICT.*

The results of the field data analysis showed a positive effect of the students' collaboration with their colleagues on preparing assignments (presentations – research – reports) (N = 87), based on 88.5% of the students, a percentage that may be attributed to the students' realization of a significant growth in their ICT-related abilities and skills, and their impact on their performance in terms of the assignments in academic courses. The following **Table 4** also illustrates the level of improvement that has occurred in terms of the students' performance as a result of using ICT, as approximately half of the students (51.7%) emphasized that the effect of using ICT was strong, while 41.4% confirmed that there was a moderate effect, and a minority of 6.9% believed that the effect was limited.

#### **8.3 Level of development as a result of reliance on ICT**

Concerning aspects of the development of the students' performance in academic courses as a result of reliance on ICT, the results included in the following **Figure 3** reflect the quality and level of development, as the use of ICT led to the development of multiple skills among students, for the average of development reached 22.47, while the relative strength of development reached 94%. Therefore, development in terms of the students' skills is considered very strong. We can draw from the previous **Figure 2** that the highest level of development lies in research skills as it climbed to 83%, then thinking skills which scored 76%, while the lowest level was in the development of personal skills at 70%.

#### **8.4 ICT systems, programs, and applications**

In relation to the third question related to the nature of actual practices of ICT among social work students, the analysis showed the students' dependence on many ICT systems, programs, and applications for complete learning processes (presentations, implementation of reports, assignments, statistical analyses, etc.). *Using Information and Communication Technology and Developing the Creative Abilities… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110604*

#### **Figure 3.**

*Level of development as a result of reliance on ICT.*

#### **Table 5.**

*ICT systems, programs, and applications.*

The following **Table 5** shows these systems and applications and the degree1 of their use by students.

**Table 6** shows that the use of ICT systems, applications, and programs varies among the students. For example, programs such as Word, PowerPoint, Moodle, and PDF were "heavily" used, with a relatively average usage of more than 80%. Moreover,

<sup>1</sup> To determine the levels of relative strength or relative averages that will result from the analysis of field data for the current research, the researchers will use the following criterion: weak (less than 50%), acceptable (from 50% to less than 65%), strong (from 65% to less than 80%), and very strong (more than 80%) [19].

#### **Table 6.**

*Students' use of ICT devices in educational processes.*

some programs and applications, such as Zoom, Excel, SPSS, and Prezi, were moderately used, where the relative average of use was less than 65%. For more details, see **Table 6**. The researchers believe that the type of specialization has a significant impact on students' preference for certain applications and programs over others.

#### **8.5 Students' use of ICT devices in educational processes**

**Table 7** provides an overview of the ICT devices students use to undertake academic assignments, where the levels of use of technologies varied. For example, students relied on certain devices very strongly, such as multimedia laptops, notebooks, computers, smartphones, and the Internet, where the relative average of use was over 80%. The relative average of use for some devices of limited use was less than 65%. Examples of these devices are video conferences, digital/video cameras, diskettes, CDs, DVDs, and interactive TV and radio. The researchers explain that the low level of use of these devices may be attributed to several reasons, the most important of which is that ICT technology requires a high level of training and skills to benefit from its technological capabilities, in addition to the fact that the nature of specialization of social work may not require high levels of technological devices.

#### **8.6 The impact of ICT on developing creativity abilities**

Regarding the answer to the main question of the research concerned with identifying the impact of the students' use of ICT on developing their creative abilities.

*Using Information and Communication Technology and Developing the Creative Abilities… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110604*

#### **Table 7.**

*The impact of ICT on increasing creativity of social work students.*

The following **Table 7** reflects an effective positive effect of the students' use of ICT on developing their creative abilities, as the results confirm that the level of influence was very strong (as per the standard used in the aforementioned measurement), according to the degree of relative strength of this dimension, which amounted to 87%. The overall average of the mean was 95.24, bearing in mind that the maximum degree that can be reached is only 120 degrees (N = 87).

Despite the very strong effect of using ICT on increasing the creative abilities of students, statistical analysis of this dimension shows that this effect is variable among students, as shown in the following **Figure 4**, which shows the extent of the differences in developing their creative abilities.

**Figure 4** shows the difference in the level of impact of using ICT on the development of the students' creative abilities. The results show that 39% of the students scored 100

#### **Figure 4.**

*Various levels of impact of ICT use on the development of the students' creative abilities.*

#### **Figure 5.** *Different levels of impact of ICT use on the development of students' creative abilities.*

*Using Information and Communication Technology and Developing the Creative Abilities… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110604*

or more out of a total of 120 degrees, which is the maximum score for this dimension. Further analysis indicated that 90% of the students developed their creative abilities at a very strong level (scores: ≥ 80), while 8% had a medium level of development (scores: 65 ≥ 80), and only 2% had a very limited level of development (scores: < 65). The researchers presented the result of this effect graphically in **Figure 5**.

The final result that can be drawn is that the students' use of ICT had a very strong impact on the development of their creative abilities, taking into account that the extent of influence varies from one student to another according to many variables, including training, motivation, and individual differences among students.

#### **9. General results and conclusion**

The current research sought to answer several pivotal questions in order to accurately determine the extent of the impact of the use of ICT on the development of creative abilities among social work students. From the analysis of the field data of the answer to the first question, that is, "What is the level of readiness of social work students to use ICT?", it was inferred that the students show a high level of readiness, as they have high skills in using one of the most essential ICT tools used in the educational process in all academic disciplines—the computer. The results show several reasons that contributed to the students' proficiency in using ICT technologies, including the high average of daily use hours of ICT technologies, which was 3.59 hours per day on average. In addition, the majority of students placed importance on taking academic courses (average = 1.7 Course) aimed at developing their abilities to use ICT.

The analysis of the results also revealed, in terms of the actual use of ICT, that the majority of students used a considerable number of ICT programs and applications. However, a minority of students indicated that they had never used them when completing academic tasks and assignments, so, they were excluded from the analysis in the remaining part of the research (the research sample became 87 not 90). The analysis also showed that a significant percentage of students participated in training courses to develop their ICT-related skills. They have employed these skills in various courses, whether related to specialization or university and college requirements. Thus, the impact of this use is expected to develop their creative abilities in the future.

The results of the study also showed a positive relationship between cooperative education and the development of creative abilities among ICT students; the majority of the students confirmed that cooperation with their colleagues led to the exchange of many experiences and ideas, and thus the development of their abilities and skills in terms of the application and use of ICT when performing the assignments in courses, and access to a greater amount of knowledge and information.

For the answer to the second question related to the aspects and level of development in performance as a result of reliance on the use of ICT, the analysis showed that reliance on the use of ICT led to the development of performance, where the highest level of development was the development of research skills, then thinking skills, and the lowest level was of personal skills.

Concerning the third question related to the nature of the actual practices of using ICT among students of social work, the research tried to identify systems and programs of ICT that students use when performing academic assignments and tasks, where some of them were highly used, while others were moderately or little

used. Examples of the most frequently used programs and applications were Word, PowerPoint, Moodle, and PDF, while the least used applications were Zoom, Excel, SPSS, and Prezi. In order to use these programs and applications, students rely on the use of several ICT devices used in the educational process. Computers, laptops, notebooks, and smartphones are deemed the most frequently used devices by students, while interactive TV and radio were the least used. The researchers explain that the low level of use of these devices may be attributed to several reasons, the most important of which is that ICT technology requires a high-level training and skills to benefit from its technological capabilities, in addition to the fact that the nature of specialization of social work may not require high levels of technological devices.

For the answer to the main question of the research related to determining the impact of the students' use of ICT on developing their creative abilities, the results showed a strong positive effect of using ICT social work students on developing their creative abilities. The final conclusion that can be drawn is that the students' use of ICT when fulfilling the requirements related to the educational process has a very strong impact on the development of their creative abilities, taking into account that the extent of influence varies from one student to another according to many variables, including training, motivation, and individual differences among students.

### **10. Implications**

The results of the current research proved that there is an effective impact of the use of ICT by students on the development of their creative abilities. Hence, the recommendations of the current research are as follows:

*Using Information and Communication Technology and Developing the Creative Abilities… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110604*

#### **Author details**

Emad Saleh1,2\* and Magdy Mostafa2

1 Fayoum University, Egypt

2 Sultan Qaboos University, Oman Sultanate

\*Address all correspondence to<EMAIL_ADDRESS>
© 2023 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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[16] Pratt MK. ICT (Information and Communications Technology, or Technologies). TechTarget Network. 2019. [Online]. Available from: https:// www.techtarget.com/searchcio/ definition/ICT-information-andcommunications-technology-ortechnologies. [Accessed: November 25, 2022]

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### **Chapter 7**

## The Influence of Social Media Networking Platforms on Promoting EFL Learners' Lexical Competence Repertoire: An Exploratory Study

*Husam Mohammed Kareem Al-Khazaali*

#### **Abstract**

Language learning is significantly influenced by social media. The growth of social media has become an international phenomenon. People now spend the majority of their time on online services like social networking. These social media platforms give students access to effective learning tools including automated learning and visualisation techniques. Using social media to learn English is engaging and inspiring. This study focuses on how social media enables people to automatically or unintentionally learn English fluently. All second-year students at the AL-Maymona secondary schools for boys in Missan, Iraq, for the academic year 2017–2018 make up the population of this study. There are two courses at the college: A and B, each having 51 and 52 pupils, respectively. The experimental group, Class A, was selected at random. Facebook was the social media platform used to teach students at the EG. With regard to the CG, students were instructed utilising the methods suggested by the required textbook, English Grammar in Use. The researcher taught both the EG and the CG. The study results include that the EG has more achievement and better performance in English vocabulary than those who took the traditional method. It can be concluded that using social media platforms serves the educational and instructional settings for both teacher and learners. Those social media support and increase the performance of the study sample based on the current procedures. The researcher recommends using and adopting social media networking platforms in educational environments because they support and enhance the teaching and learning results and they are fruitful as teaching strategies in the educational process.

**Keywords:** language learning, social media, self-independence, Facebook, lexical competence repertoire

#### **1. Introduction**

For the most majority of people, it is fairly typical that the revolutionary advancements in technology, and the Internet in particular, make it feasible and easier to

receive things in a better method than it was previously. Technology is crucial for first language teaching and learning, and it is used in all educational situations to help facilities and governments accomplish their key objectives. Social media opened the door to discovering efficient and successful strategies for improving student learning. Students have unrestricted control over and settings for their learning environments because to social media, for example Facebook and Twitter supply learners with many sources in writing or learning to communicate well. Social media Facebook creates a platform through which teacher and students can form pages, as it will be discussed in details later. EFL students can benefit from the rich information such websites provide for their customers or students. Besides, they provide authentic and reliable manners of learning a language vocabulary. Many applications of learning vocabulary have been proven to be very effective and influential.

It is now widely acknowledged that using technology makes teaching and learning easier in linguistics classes. According to Nur and Syarifuddin [1], the instructor should when selecting any resource take into account certain factors to enhance the learning experience. The learning content should be able to effectively and intellectually engage the students to attain communication goals and expertise in language experience. Using the Social media has also developed with the advancement of technology. Social media has been very popular, popular among users of all ages, but especially young people, ever since their creation. Additionally, they are designed to be inspiring and demonstrate to students the real-world use of the target language.

Using social media fantastic qualities that English teachers and students may find to be very helpful would make the process of teaching and learning English easier, more colourful, endlessly fascinating. Social media usage and its advantages could be helpful. They should remain energetic, competent, effective, and prolific so that teaching English would be never monotonous.

#### **2. The statement of the problem**

Students' language skills are severely hindered by their inadequate vocabulary learning capacity. Therefore, a lot of work needs to go into discovering novel and efficient methods through which students can acquire knowledge and express themselves with ease. The researcher examines the effects of Facebook on students' vocabulary growth generally in terms of social media (because there are many applications in social media, the focus remains on Facebook).

#### **3. The aim of the study**

The purpose of this research is to determine if and how social media influences the vocabulary acquisition and retention of English language majors in their second year of college.

#### **4. Hypothesis of the study**

The null hypothesis proposed here is that there is no statistically significant difference between the mean score of students using the traditional teaching of vocabulary and that of the teaching adopted by the researcher or using social media Facebook.

*The Influence of Social Media Networking Platforms on Promoting EFL Learners' Lexical… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109543*

#### **5. The question of the study**

The following question has been adopted in this study: "Does social media have any significant on Iraqi EFL learners' vocabulary repertoire?"

#### **6. Definitions of social media**

Due to the rapid development and growth of social media, it is impossible to provide an accurate definition of the term. The application of social media in real-world settings alters how individuals think and act due to its significance and control over a significant amount of our everyday routine difficulties.

Social media is defined as "online media enabling users to interact with one another online through various web applications allowing users to create, distribute, share and manipulate a variety of contents including texts, pictures, video, songs, etc. to other net-users, and these contents can be accessible publicly. Social media investigated in this study include blogs, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram etc." ([2], p. 1).

Social media can provide students with several chances and activities that enable them to establish peer- or group-work activities through which vocabulary can be acquired naturally. Today, the world has shrunk to the size of a village, and students are able to communicate their ideas and opinions with their peers and friends without expending as much work or time as in the past. The platforms and services provided by social media make students more motivated and enthusiastic about acquiring vocabulary.

#### **7. Literature review**

#### **7.1 Definitions of vocabulary**

Vocabulary occupies a strong permanent position in language learning. There is no language without acquiring enough vocabulary, since any languages consist of words. Siriwan ([3], p. 19) suggests that "Vocabulary learning is referred to as learning a collection or the total stock of words in a language that are used in particular contexts." Additionally, vocabulary can be defined as "a set of lexemes, including single words, compound words and idioms" ([4], p. 629). Vocabulary knowledge is very essential for students to acquire because it enable them to interact naturally; hence, Nation ([5], p. 22) states that "vocabulary knowledge implies knowing a word in the spoken form of the word and the spoken form can be recognized and understood it in and out of context rather than guessed."

#### **7.2 The position of vocabulary in language learning**

The social media can provide students with several chances and activities that enable them to build peer- or group-work activities through which language can be learned naturally. Today, the globe has shrunk to the size of a village, and kids are able to communicate their ideas and opinions with their peers and friends in a short amount of time and with minimal effort. Social media platforms and the services they provide engage and excite students in their pursuit of language vocabulary acquisition.

It is quite difficult to communicate with our group without a wide vocabulary. People can express their interests, wants, and thoughts freely and autonomously through words. They can talk and write, comprehend the spoken language, and discriminate between the meanings of different sorts of writings. There are two principal types of language acquisition: direct and indirect or incidental. Chacon et al. [6] contend that incidental vocabulary learning is necessary for language development; however, this does not imply that deliberate instruction of vocabulary plays no function.

When speaking on the importance of vocabulary, Adrian and Mirabela ([7], p. 123) comment that "Vocabulary, the core of any language, is probably the most challenging and time consuming part of learning a foreign language. It takes time and flows like a continuous process, once you have settled the fundamentals of a language (pronunciation, orthography and basic grammar). Throughout this process, learners become familiarized with the words they come across."

#### **7.3 Social media forms**

As social media is well known, there are numerous social media websites or formats. This study will focus on Facebook because it is widely used, accessible, and user-friendly for students. Facebook's platforms provide students with several options and possibilities for language study and improvement. According to Dewing ([8], p. 5), "social media websites like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook" have grown increasingly popular among Internet users who seek to share their ideas, films, and other online activities. Social media encompasses numerous digital tools, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace. Email and SMS are also social media tools. This current technology employs a variety of efficient tools and solutions that help students to learn in depth in a variety of ways. **Figure 1** depicts the present application as assumed by Solis in 2012 [9].

**Figure 1.** *"Introducing the Conversation Prism," Adapted from Solis ([9], p. 24).* *The Influence of Social Media Networking Platforms on Promoting EFL Learners' Lexical… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109543*

#### **7.4 Facebook networking site**

Facebook is a big online programme that is regarded as one of the most renowned sites on the worldwide web, which was founded in 2004 by "Mark Zuckerberg". Rosen ([10], p. 17) explains that the name Facebook suggests from "the small photo albums that colleges once gave to incoming freshmen and faculty to help them cope with meeting so many new people." Facebook enables the students that registered to make profiles, upload photos and videos, send texts, or share ideas with groups, international groups or school group that should be scheduled by their teacher. Awl [11] states that "in a paper Facebook, you see photos and biographies of your classmates. On Facebook, you see your friend's latest photos and videos with, at times, an extensive biography." Hence, Facebook has become one of the most successful social media sites because of its feature platforms that set itself apart from other social media and that made the word "social media" become well known. This application provides an appropriate instructional environment through which students can learn English vocabulary naturally through chatting, sharing information with others, and creating Facebook pages, furthermore through skimming and scanning for the pages and posts available on Facebook; therefore, this application can develop and improve students' vocabulary knowledge. Adriana and Mirabelle ([7], p. 128) demonstrate that incorporating Facebook into classroom activities improves students' performance and vocabulary confidence.

#### **7.5 Learners and social media platforms**

Students can now use social media with relative ease and accessibility. Students should be equipped with computers, smart phones, or tablets for enhanced classroom learning because these technical gadgets give the best learning platforms necessary for their studies and enable access to social media websites. Despite what many claim, presenting social media in the classroom is not a simple undertaking.

However, Jones and Shao ([12], p. 87) find that "students positively respond to the incorporation of new technologies into the teaching and learning process provided that the technology usage is well-conceived, purposeful, and properly integrated into the learning process. Students spend as much (or more) time online in an informal learning environment--interacting with peers and receiving feedback--than they do with their teachers in the traditional classroom."

#### **7.6 The performance of social media in EFL classrooms**

Technologically speaking, current social media have superseded our previous way of thinking, since technology has become an integral part of our daily lives. In the previous year, people became accustomed to reading magazines and newspapers, but today, the majority of them are compelled to read the newest news *via* social media because it is a demand of modern life, technology being an integral component. The official demand for mandating the use of social media in educational EFL settings has developed significantly in recent years due to its utility and accessibility. According to Chen and Bryer ([13], p. 89), "social media have rapidly expanded for academic use and permeated the education sector."

Consequently, when technology is utilised efficiently in the classroom, the real world can be viewed and no limitations can be imposed on the teacher and pupils, such as distance, time, or problems. Accordingly, numerous researchers have adopted social media and class in their studies, such as the study presented by Gumport and

Chun, whose findings indicate that through the use of social media applications in the classroom, a strong relationship develops between the teacher and his students, and secondly, quality instruction emerges, which leads to effective outcomes ([14], p. 64).

Lewis and Candito ([15], p. 16) assert that "students use three top- used social media tools: Facebook, Wikipedia and YouTube, for social engagement, direct communication, speed of feedback, and relationship building." Aikten ([16], p. 93) argues that using social media improves teaching and makes communication among students better. Consequently, the students will learn vocabulary in an unplanned manner or indirectly by the use of these applications to communicate fluently with their peers.

#### **7.7 Social media and vocabulary promotion**

As previously noted, social media provides registered students and users with educational platforms that offer a variety of options and possibilities. When a student profile is shared with a number of Facebook pages, he or she is able to communicate with overseas students informally and benefit from their experiences and information. Formal teaching and learning are established and administered by the teacher, who also provides his students with broad instructions. Teachers provide students with usernames and passwords. They can see their grade on a Facebook page made by the teacher, as well as any additional drills or exercises they must do in addition to their assigned duties. In addition, further programmes and explanations are presented on the students' formal page.

As previously indicated, the researcher chooses Facebook due to its popularity, utility, and accessibility. It fills the kids with motivation and self-assurance, and they may freely express their thoughts. Such sharing is impractical and time consuming to implement in the classroom. From the following websites or connections, students can share or learn vocabulary:

*The Influence of Social Media Networking Platforms on Promoting EFL Learners' Lexical… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109543*

#### **7.8 Benefits of social media platforms in EFL classes**

Despite a few downsides, the vast majority of education specialists, practitioners, and theorists concur that current social media networks can have enormously positive effects on the performance and growth of language learners when

#### *Technology in Learning*

they are exploited and used correctly. Students can collaborate with classmates or peers on projects. They can also collaborate with other foreign groups and exchange ideas. Numerous and diverse links and websites have been developed and utilised by enrolled students in order to expand their vocabularies, as demonstrated above when students utilise the YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook platforms and pages.

These links and websites are essential and countless. Since global networking is free access, students should be incentivised to utilise, implement, and teach with new technologies. Students will also get knowledge of cultural diversity, other social traditions, and customs. This will aid in better comprehending the external world.

#### **8. Data collection and procedures**

#### **8.1 Design of the Study**

The study research design was then customised utilising a pre-test–post-test experiment and group framework to determine the impact of the Facebook educational programme on students' vocabulary achievements. The exam is made up of multiple-choice questions. Before the study began, the students' prior knowledge was tested *via* a pre-test given to both groups (control and experimental). The pre-test was designed to examine the pupils' prior knowledge of terms. The same pre-test was utilised as a post-test at the end of the study to assess the students' achievement on the issue, namely the acquisition of new vocabulary items. The post-test was designed to measure the impact of both instructional approaches (Facebook and traditional) on learners' achievement.

#### **8.2 Sampling of the study**

The population of this study consists of all second-year students at AL-Maymona secondary schools for boys in Missan, Iraq, during the 2021–2022 academic year. The college offers two courses, A and B, with 61 and 62 students in A and B, respectively. Class A was selected at random to serve as the experimental group (henceforth EG) and class B served as the control group (henceforth CG). All random decisions were determined by drawing lots. One student in Section A and two students in Section B were removed from the experiment because they were repeating the grade. During the duration of the trial, the repeaters were kept in their classes, but their performance on the post-tests was disregarded. Thus, the final number of sample subjects was 120 students, with 60 students in each group.

The experiment began on December 16, 2017 and concluded on March 15, 2018. The experiment lasted approximately 10 weeks. In this study, pupils had comparable educational possibilities. In other words, the two sets of students had identical conditions with the exception of the use of social media on EG. The researcher instructed both study groups.

Facebook, a social networking programme, was used to instruct EG students. Regarding the CG, students were instructed using the methods specified in the required textbook, English Grammar in Use. The researcher instructed the EG as well as the CG. A portion of the presentation focused on the applications of social media, in which students participated. In each lecture, one or more social media, such as Facebook, YouTube, and e-mail, were highlighted.

*The Influence of Social Media Networking Platforms on Promoting EFL Learners' Lexical… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109543*

#### **8.3 Ethics of the study**