Supported eText: Literacy Scaffolding for Students with Disabilities

Abstract

The National Center for Supported eText (NCSeT) has a research agenda designed to investigate the effects of supported electronic text on the ability of students with disabilities to read and learn from text. This article introduces four studies conducted by research teams who have collaborated with NCSeT to implement that agenda. It describes each of the studies briefly, followed by observations about similarities and differences in the student populations, the interventions studied, the curriculum materials, and the diversity of educational settings. Concluding remarks address four key topics: (a) the value of conducting and reporting research strands, (b) research designs that are especially appropriate for investigating supported eText interventions, (c) the need to study student use of specific eText supports, and (d) the importance of student perceptions.