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Reading comprehension is one of the weak points of the educational system. However, as opposed to solving this problem as students continue with their academic preparation, problems associated with reading comprehension are actually <a data-cke-saved-href="extending into adult life.

As part of the research tied to educational technology, the BISITE group has spent the last three years working on the development of a reading comprehension tool for children as part of the TERENCE project. They have worked as a member of an international consortium of 12 universities and research centers working together on a project for the VII Framework Programme for Research and Development.

TERENCE is an application designed to assist children aged 7 – 11 years with reading comprehension problems and/or those with auditory problems to improve their reading skills through the use of stories and games incorporated in the stories through the representation of temporary causal relationships. Designed for use in an academic environment, TERENCE is structured around three levels (data storage, data management, and user interaction), and uses a software package developed with the collaboration of psychologists and educators, which incorporates images and animation that facilitates and stimulates reading comprehension.

The result is a software that can manage different stories organized in books, gather information to track progress, and incorporate audiovisual elements, all of which support the learning process and the ability to relate new concepts with other concepts that the user already recognizes.

The international consortium is led by the Universidad de L’Aquila, and today, Wednesday November 27, the final project review will take place in the city of L’Aquila, Italy. The meeting includes BISITE members who were the leaders of one of the workpackages in the project.

Educator GUI:

Learner GUI: