Multiple Text Comprehension for College-Level Readers: Instructions to Enhance Performance
Document Type
Presentation
Presentation Date
7-18-2014
Abstract or Description
The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal method for instructing college-level readers how to use a self-explanation strategy when comprehending multiple texts, which is a difficult task even for advanced readers. Self-explanation has been well documented to enhance single text comprehension. Three experimental conditions tested the degree of explicitness necessary for pre-reading instructions to make an impact: a control condition where readers were instructed to comprehend texts well; a definition only condition where readers were given a definition of a self-explanation strategy and urged to use it during reading; and a definition plus modeling condition where readers were given the self-explanation definition and then a researcher modeled how to use it during reading. The results showed that college-level readers performed better on reading comprehension and written essay tasks when in the definition only condition compared to the control condition. It is concluded that college-level readers need instructions to self-explain to enhance multiple text comprehension but instructions do not need to be overly explicit in terms of how to implement the strategy during reading.
Sponsorship/Conference/Institution
Society for the Scientific Studies of Reading Conference (SSSR)
Location
Santa Fe, NM
Recommended Citation
Linderholm, Tracy, Heekyung Kwon, David Therriault.
2014.
"Multiple Text Comprehension for College-Level Readers: Instructions to Enhance Performance."
Department of Curriculum, Foundations, & Reading Faculty Presentations.
Presentation 8.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/curriculum-facpres/8
