The Impact of Digital Environment vs. Traditional Method on Literacy Skills; Reading and Writing of Emirati Fourth Graders

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the extent to which fourth-grade students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are able to develop their reading comprehension and creative writing abilities. The study used a quasi-experimental approach to achieve the study objectives, and the sample included (120) male and female students, who were divided equally into two groups: a control group and an experimental group. As a result of the differences observed between the tribal and remote measurements, favoring the dimensional measurements of the experimental group, the results of the study indicated that the use of digital learning platforms (Teams, platform LMS, Nahla and Nahil) led to an improvement in the students’ levels of achievement in reading and writing. The results showed statistically significant differences in the students’ performance in literacy skills, reading and writing, between students learning via digital environment and those learning using traditional methods, with these differences favoring the digital environment. It is recommended that students’ needs and learning styles be met by shifting towards a digital environment, but gradually and cautiously.