A validation study of the Keyboard Personal Computer Style instrument (K-PeCS) for use with children

Published Date
Applied Ergonomics
November 2012, Vol.43(6):985–992, doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2012.01.008

• Abstract 

• Dido Green ^a,b,,
• Anat Meroz ^a
• Adi Edit Margalit ^a
• Navah Z. Ratzon ^a

• aDepartment of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Professions, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel
• bFaculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Marston Road Campus, Jack Straw’s Lane, Oxford 0X3 3FL, UK

Received 4 April 2011. Accepted 30 January 2012. Available online 3 March 2012. 

Abstract

This study examines a potential instrument for measurement of typing postures of children. This paper describes inter-rater, test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the Keyboard Personal Computer Style instrument (K-PeCS), an observational measurement of postures and movements during keyboarding, for use with children. Two trained raters independently rated videos of 24 children (aged 7–10 years). Six children returned one week later for identifying test-retest reliability. Concurrent validity was assessed by comparing ratings obtained using the K-PECS to scores from a 3D motion analysis system. Inter-rater reliability was moderate to high for 12 out of 16 items (Kappa: 0.46 to 1.00; correlation coefficients: 0.77–0.95) and test-retest reliability varied across items (Kappa: 0.25 to 0.67; correlation coefficients: r = 0.20 to r = 0.95). Concurrent validity compared favourably across arm pathlength, wrist extension and ulnar deviation. In light of the limitations of other tools the K-PeCS offers a fairly affordable, reliable and valid instrument to address the gap for measurement of typing styles of children, despite the shortcomings of some items. However further research is required to refine the instrument for use in evaluating typing among children.

Highlights

► Reliable methods for measurement of keyboard postures of children are needed. ► We compared the K-PECS to 3D motion analysis of children’s typing. ► Fair to good reliability and validity was found for use of the K-PeCS with children.

Keywords

Assessment

Children

Keyboarding

Abbreviations

K-PECS, keyboarding personal computer style instrument

MSD-UE, musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremity

QTM, Qualisys Track Manager

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• ∗ 
  Corresponding author. Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Marston Road Campus, Jack Straw’s Lane, Oxford 0X3 3FL, UK. Tel.: +44 1865485277; fax: +44 865485297.

Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

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