Abstract:

This study aimed at investigating the advantages of using floor educational robot (Bee-Bot), while training phonological skills using two types of grid mats (with marked vs. unmarked path), on visual discrimination and mental rotation abilities. Sixty preschoolers with Developmental Language Disorder were randomly assigned into two intervention groups. Each group was engaged with different types of mats along eight weekly sessions of intervention. The participants' visual discrimination and mental rotation abilities were measured pre- and post-intervention. The results obtained for visual discrimination scores demonstrated greater gain following an intervention with marked path mats in comparison to unmarked mats. As for mental rotation, our results did not find a significant interaction between group X time. This study results can be explained by a decreased cognitive load when using marked path mats. In addition, we hypothesize that differences in the way in which Bee-Bot is being programmed (all the way from the beginning to the end square with- vs. without stopping points on the way) has its influence too.

Keywords:

Developmental Language Disorder, preschool, visual discrimination, mental rotation, technological intervention.