Ninth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

This experimental mixed-methods study explores what happens to student Lexile scores when they use closed captioning. Since the emergence of closed captioning tools in the 1980s, closed captioning has become more mainstream and easier to access today than at any other time in history. The quantitative data analysis procedures involved in this experimental study consisted of utilizing two-sample t-tests to compare the iReady Lexile scores of the participants [n=38] to that of the researched district students [n=810] that were not using closed captioning in this study. Participants were first required to complete a baseline iReady test to determine their preexisting Lexile levels. Then after the study, participants both in the researched district and in the study itself were required to complete an iReady posttest to determine their respective Lexile growth in the four areas of reading which are overall growth, vocabulary, comprehension of literary text, and comprehension of informational text. The independent variable in this study was the use of the enabled closed captioning tool found on the participants’ devices. The dependent variable was the Lexile scores that were computed using the iReady Lexile exam. The qualitative data were collected using a variety of observational logs, personal interviews, and pre-and post-surveys that were disseminated to students using the Qualtrics system. The implications of the research revealed the potential benefits for future students in helping to improve reading levels and text comprehension. Furthermore, the findings also suggest the need for vocabulary support is needed when utilizing CC as a learning approach.