Hypertext comprehension of deaf and hard-of-hearing students and students with specific language impairment.

This paper provides insight into the reading comprehension of hierarchically structured hypertexts within D/HH students and students with SLI. To our knowledge, it is the first study on hypertext comprehension in D/HH students and students with SLI, and it also considers the role of working memory. We compared hypertext versus linear text comprehension in D/HH students and students with SLI versus younger students without language problems who had a similar level of decoding and vocabulary. The results demonstrated no difference in text comprehension between the hierarchically structured hypertext and the linear text. Text comprehension of D/HH students and students with SLI was comparable to that of the students without language problems. In addition, there was a similar positive predictive value of visuospatial and not verbal working memory on hypertext comprehension for all three groups. The findings implicate that educational settings can make use of hierarchically structured hypertexts as well as linear texts and that children can navigate in the digital world from young age on, even if language or working memory problems are present.

Simultaneous communication supports learning in noise by cochlear implant users.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate the potential of using spoken language and signing together (simultaneous communication, SimCom, sign-supported speech) as a means of improving speech recognition, comprehension, and learning by cochlear implant (CI) users in noisy contexts. METHODS: Forty eight college students who were active CI users, watched videos of three short presentations, the text versions of which were standardized at the 8th-grade reading level. One passage was presented in spoken language only, one was presented in spoken language with multi-talker babble background noise, and one was presented via simultaneous communication with the same background noise. Following each passage, participants responded to 10 (standardized) open-ended questions designed to assess comprehension. Indicators of participants' spoken language and sign language skills were obtained via self-reports and objective assessments. RESULTS: When spoken materials were accompanied by signs, scores were significantly higher than when materials were spoken in noise without signs. Participants' receptive spoken language skills significantly predicted scores in all three conditions; neither their receptive sign skills nor age of implantation predicted performance. DISCUSSION: Students who are CI users typically rely solely on spoken language in the classroom. The present results, however, suggest that there are potential benefits of simultaneous communication for such learners in noisy settings. For those CI users who know sign language, the redundancy of speech and signs potentially can offset the reduced fidelity of spoken language in noise. CONCLUSION: Accompanying spoken language with signs can benefit learners who are CI users in noisy situations such as classroom settings. Factors associated with such benefits, such as receptive skills in signed and spoken modalities, classroom acoustics, and material difficulty need to be empirically examined.

Simultaneous Communication and Cochlear Implants in the Classroom?

This study was designed to evaluate the potential of simultaneous communication (sign and speech together) to support classroom learning by college students who use cochlear implants (CIs). Metacognitive awareness of learning also was evaluated. A within-subjects design involving 40 implant users indicated that the student participants learned significantly more when material was presented via simultaneous communication than spoken language overall, but a statistical interaction indicated that the difference held only with more difficult material. Learning in the speech-only condition was positively related to the students' spoken language skills, their confidence with spoken language, and their receptive simultaneous communication skills. Learning in that condition was negatively related to the age at which the participants learned to sign. Findings were interpreted to indicate that simultaneous communication can be beneficial for classroom learning by college students with CIs, at least with more complex material or when information redundancy is otherwise important. Further research is needed to determine who is likely to benefit in what settings.

Parental co-viewing and susceptibility for smoking and drinking in adolescents: an experimental pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The current pilot study is the first experiment to examine whether parents are able to diminish the adverse influences of smoking and drinking depicted in movies through co-viewing. METHODS: For this study, 99 adolescents (M = 12.82 years old; SD = .95; 38.8% boys) watched the 3D version of Titanic in the cinema. Through randomization, adolescents were invited to come with either a parent or a friend. After watching the movie, adolescents filled out a questionnaire that assessed their susceptibility for smoking and drinking and their social images concerning these behaviors. RESULTS: The findings revealed that adolescents who co-viewed the movie with their parents, compared to with their friends, were at the same or an even higher risk for future smoking or drinking after watching the movie. The findings also indicated that only a few parents communicated about smoking and drinking while watching the movie. CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: Simply co-viewing might not be an effective way for parents to blunt the effect of smoking and drinking in movies. In addition to ensuring more caution when advising parents to simply co-view movies, the present findings encourage additional research on the impact of instructive mediation strategies.

Finding friends online: online activities by deaf students and their well-being.

Generally, deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) children have fewer friends than hearing peers and their friendships are of a lower quality. The research hypothesis was that using the computer to communicate with new online friends through social network sites or playing games with offline friends is associated with D/HH friendship qualities, because it removes certain communication barriers D/HH face in offline communication settings. With online questionnaires the relation between computer use and online, mixed (offline friend who you also speak in online settings), and offline friendship quality of D/HH and hearing students (18-25 years) was compared in both the Netherlands (n = 100) and the United States (n = 122). In addition, the study examined whether the different friendship qualities were related to the participants' well-being. Results showed that, in general, D/HH students' friendship qualities and levels of well-being were similar to their hearing peers. The quality of the mixed friendships was positively related to well-being. Furthermore, the frequency of pc use with both online and offline friends was positively related to friendships qualities in both hearing and D/HH students. A combination of the online and offline friendship seems to be the most important friendship type for both hearing and D/HH students and it is worthwhile to encourage this friendship type.

Participation and support in intensive care as experienced by close relatives of patients: a phenomenological study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to explore participation and support as experienced by close relatives of patients at an intensive care unit (ICU). METHOD: This study used the phenomenological approach as developed by Dahlberg et al. (2008) as a method for reflective lifeworld research. Seven close relatives of critically ill patients cared for at an ICU were interviewed. The data were analysed with a focus on meanings. RESULTS: Being allowed to participate in the care of critically ill patients at an ICU is important for close relatives to the patients. Their experiences can be described as having four constituents: participation in the care of and being close to the patient; confidence in the care the patient receives; support needed for involvement in caregiving; and vulnerability. CONCLUSION: Participation with and support from health-care professionals are important for the relatives' well-being and their ability to contribute to the patients' care. Health-care professionals, especially critical care nurses, need to create an atmosphere that invites relatives to participate in the care provided at an ICU.