The purpose of this research study is to examine the efficacy of a game-based learning platform (Dysolve) that is designed to help reduce language processing deficits in children with reading difficulties, including dyslexia. A randomized controlled trial is designed to evaluate Dysolve’s impact through analysis of student’s test scores in reading and English language arts (ELA) from state accountability tests and commercially developed assessments. Students in grades 3-8 who scored below the 30th percentile on the previous year’s state test are eligible to participate in the study. Recruitment for this study continues into the 2024-25 school year, with a goal of recruiting 480 students in total.

Description of Intervention Condition

Students randomly assigned to receive the Dysolve intervention will be asked to use the Dysolve Program on a computer, tablet, or Chromebook for 15-30 min./day in addition to any other educational activities routinely provided by their school. Dysolve is a computer program designed to address dyslexia and language-related disorders. Dysolve uses Artificial Intelligence to generate individually-tailored sequences of game-based training tasks that target each learner’s unique problems. As it probes the root causes of the problems found, Dysolve designs increasingly targeted activities to correct them for that particular learner. Dysolve is offered in the cloud, allowing members to log on at any time, any place through their PCs or mobile devices. Dysolve is a supplemental intervention; children who are selected to use Dysolve will not miss other instructional time.

Description of Control Condition

Students randomly assigned to the control condition will receive “business-as-usual” (BAU) instruction and intervention already provided by their school. Students in the control condition will be able to use the Dysolve program for free after posttest data are collected for this randomized trial.

Clinical Trial Protocol and Pre-Registration

This randomized clinical trial has been pre-registered with the Registry of Efficacy and Effectiveness Studies (REES).

Read the protocol here: https://sreereg.icpsr.umich.edu/sreereg/subEntry/21840/pdf

Study Results

Results from this first RCT of Dysolve provide rigorous evidence that the Dysolve program can improve reading outcomes. The gains made by students assigned to use Dysolve were positive and significant (+0.386s, p<.001). More importantly, the gains made by the Dysolve group were 33% larger than those of the control group; however, this difference was only marginally significant at the 90% confidence level (+0.095s, p<.10). Although this study does not provide clear insight into the impacts of a full dose of Dysolve, the finding of a positive impact from a small dose, along with the finding that larger dosage is associated with larger effects, suggests it is important to confirm whether a full dose of Dysolve has a proportionally large effect.

Read the abstract and download the full research report here.