Using an Eye Tracker to Capture Reading Skills as Measured by a Digital Adaptation of TOWRE-2
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| Title: | Using an Eye Tracker to Capture Reading Skills as Measured by a Digital Adaptation of TOWRE-2 |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Maria Cutumisu (ORCID |
| Source: | Education and Information Technologies. 2026 31(1):1-36. |
| Availability: | Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 36 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Undergraduate Students, Reading Fluency, Reading Skills, Reading Ability, Eye Movements, Task Analysis, Time on Task, Reading Tests, Scores, Psychological Testing, Physiology, Computer Assisted Testing, Reading Processes |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Test of Word Reading Efficiency |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10639-025-13796-y |
| ISSN: | 1360-2357 1573-7608 |
| Abstract: | Reading fluency is a foundational skill in succeeding academically, yet several university students exhibit poor reading abilities or deficits that are not always diagnosed. Deficits in many components of reading (e.g., word reading and phonological awareness) have been found for individuals with reading difficulties. Thus, examining foundational reading skills can help identify and better support these individuals. This study examines undergraduate students' eye movements during a computer-administered standardized word reading task to ascertain whether time spent reading the words and nonwords as measured by an eye tracker is associated with standardized reading scores. A behavioral instrument, the computerized TOWRE-2 standardized psychological reading test, and a physiological (i.e., biometric) instrument, the EyeLink 1000 Plus eye tracker, were employed to measure word-reading fluency and eye movements, including the pupil sizes, of n = 112 undergraduate students from a large research-intensive North American university. Findings show that a physiological method, eye tracking, can be used to significantly predict the results of a computer-administrated standardized behavioral test of reading. Time spent reading words inversely predicted the standardized subtest scores, with the second and the last columns of each subtest being the strongest predictors of these scores. This study shows that eye tracking complements and aligns with behavioral methods by offering deeper insights into how students process words during a reading task, it can reduce by 50% the time needed to administer the TOWRE-2 test while preserving test results, it can be easily integrated with other digital tests, and it does not require a trained psychologist to deliver it. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1504448 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Reading fluency is a foundational skill in succeeding academically, yet several university students exhibit poor reading abilities or deficits that are not always diagnosed. Deficits in many components of reading (e.g., word reading and phonological awareness) have been found for individuals with reading difficulties. Thus, examining foundational reading skills can help identify and better support these individuals. This study examines undergraduate students' eye movements during a computer-administered standardized word reading task to ascertain whether time spent reading the words and nonwords as measured by an eye tracker is associated with standardized reading scores. A behavioral instrument, the computerized TOWRE-2 standardized psychological reading test, and a physiological (i.e., biometric) instrument, the EyeLink 1000 Plus eye tracker, were employed to measure word-reading fluency and eye movements, including the pupil sizes, of n = 112 undergraduate students from a large research-intensive North American university. Findings show that a physiological method, eye tracking, can be used to significantly predict the results of a computer-administrated standardized behavioral test of reading. Time spent reading words inversely predicted the standardized subtest scores, with the second and the last columns of each subtest being the strongest predictors of these scores. This study shows that eye tracking complements and aligns with behavioral methods by offering deeper insights into how students process words during a reading task, it can reduce by 50% the time needed to administer the TOWRE-2 test while preserving test results, it can be easily integrated with other digital tests, and it does not require a trained psychologist to deliver it. |
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| ISSN: | 1360-2357 1573-7608 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10639-025-13796-y |
