🤖 AI Summary
Non-dyslexic individuals—particularly educators and the general public—often lack empathy and evidence-informed understanding of phonological dyslexia, hindering effective support for affected students.
Method: This study designed and empirically validated a virtual reality (VR)-based serious game intervention to enhance empathic understanding of phonological dyslexia. The immersive VR experience simulates authentic reading challenges faced by individuals with phonological dyslexia, targeting educators and lay audiences to deepen comprehension of the disorder’s neurocognitive basis and the necessity of evidence-based instructional accommodations.
Contribution/Results: Using standardized psychometric instruments (e.g., the Interpersonal Reactivity Index), pre- and post-intervention assessments with 101 participants revealed a statistically significant 20% average increase in empathy scores (p < 0.001), outperforming conventional awareness campaigns. This work establishes an empirically supported, scalable, and innovative technological approach to improving societal understanding of dyslexia.
📝 Abstract
Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental disorder estimated to strike approximately 5 to 10 per cent of the population. In particular, phonological dyslexia causes problems in connecting the sounds of words with their written forms. Consequently, affected individuals may encounter issues such as slow reading speed, inaccurate reading, and difficulty decoding unfamiliar words. To address these complexities, the use of compensatory tools and strategies is essential to ensure equitable opportunities for dyslexic students. However, the general underestimation of the issue and lack of awareness regarding the significance of support methodologies pose significant obstacles. One of the ways to enhance consciousness towards a certain issue is by stimulating empathy with whom is affected by it. In light of this, this study introduces a serious game in virtual reality, targeted at educators, students, and, in general, at the non-dyslexic community. The game seeks to enhance understanding of the challenges that individuals with dyslexia experience daily, highlighting the relevance of supportive measures. This approach encourages players to empathize with the struggles of dyslexic individuals and to learn firsthand the importance of supportive methodologies. The final version of the experience was tested by 101 participants and evaluated through a specific collection of questionnaires validated in the literature. The results show that using the proposed virtual reality tool to promote empathy for individuals with phonological dyslexia is highly effective, leading to an average 20 per cent increase in participants' empathy after playing the game.