Teaching Text Design

A growing body of literature defines a rhetoric of visible text based on page layout, typography, and the various design features afforded by page composition tools buitt into word processors and page design programs. Little has been written, however, about what a wriier needs to know about design and in what order. This article describes and demonstrates a scope and sequence of learning that encourages writers to develop their skills as text designers. It introduces relevant liierature that is helpful for such learning and it does so in an evolving format that displays visually what the essay discusses verbally.     

Effect of screen size on multimedia vocabulary learning

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of three different screen sizes (small, medium and large) and two types of multimedia instruction (text only and text with pictorial annotation) on vocabulary learning. One hundred thirty‐five Korean middle school students learning English as a foreign language were randomly distributed into six groups and were given a pretest, a self‐study multimedia instruction, a posttest and a retention test online. The pretest, posttest and retention test were identical and included 30 vocabulary questions. Results show that the large screen multimedia instruction helped the students to learn English vocabulary more effectively than the small screen instruction as demonstrated on both the posttest and retention test. However, there was little difference in vocabulary learning between the text‐only and text‐with‐pictorial annotation instructions. Although visual perception can be influenced by each learner's expectations and knowledge, using a smaller screen for instruction causes more challenges for learners to perceive and comprehend vocabulary learning.     

Textual and graphical refutations: Effects on conceptual change learning

Refutation text is potentially more effective than standard text for conceptual change. Learning from text and graphic is also potentially superior to learning from text alone. In two studies, we investigated the effectiveness of both a refutation text and a refutation graphic for promoting high school students’ conceptual change learning about season change, as well as their metacognitive awareness of conceptual conflict and knowledge revision. In both studies, participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (1) standard text with standard graphic, (2) standard text with refutation graphic, (3) refutation text with standard graphic, or (4) refutation text with refutation graphic. Both studies had a pretest, immediate post-test, and delayed post-test design and involved students with an initial common misconception about the causes of season change. In Study 2, explicit relevance instructions to observe the important illustration were given to the participants. In both studies, refutation text with refutation graphic was not more beneficial than other instructional materials, either at immediate or delayed post-test. In Study 1, more stable conceptual change learning emerged in readers of the refutation text with standard graphic compared to readers in the control condition. In Study 2, readers of the standard text with refutation graphic performed as well as readers of the refutation text with standard graphic. In addition, more readers of the refutation text with either graphic showed metacognitive awareness of their knowledge change compared to readers in the control condition. Educational implications underline the importance of relevance instructions for guiding readers toward the graphic and of the design of text-graphic pairing to sustain knowledge revision.     

基于平板电脑的学习资源设计框架和要点分析

平板电脑是近几年兴起的一种便携式移动设备,相对于手机,具有屏幕大、操控性好、沉浸性好的优势。随着平板电脑的普及,基于平板电脑的学习资源的设计和开发也成为移动学习的关注重点之一。研究从文献分析入手,调查了平板电脑上学习资源设计和开发的现状,分析了手机、平板电脑和桌面电脑在硬件特征、使用习惯和用户体验上的差异,介绍了平板电脑在移动学习中的应用场景。还通过两个实际案例剖析了平板电脑上内容类应用程序的特点,并总结了基于平板电脑的资源设计的框架和设计要点,以期为以后同类研究提供指导原则和决策参考。     

Mirror, mirror, on my screen≡ Exploring online reflections

This paper suggests that, through the provision of opportunities for reflection–in–action at critical learning stages and with the support of a trained e–moderator, the participants in computer mediated conferencing (CMC) can be encouraged to engage in reflecting about their onscreen experiences. Such reflection aids the building of a productive online community of practice. In addition, by encouraging participants to reflect on later stages of their online training experiences, a reflection–on–action record can be built up. Participants' reflective processes can be captured through analysis of their on screen text messages and so be available for research purposes. Examples of conference text message reflections are given throughout the paper, drawn from the on screen reflections of Open University Business School (OUBS) Associate Lecturers who were working online through the medium of computer mediated conferencing for the first time. The conclusion is that reflection–on–practice in the online environment is beneficial for helping the participants to learn from online conferencing and can provide an excellent tool for qualitative research. Opportunities for reflection need to be built into the design of online conferences and facilitated by a trained e–moderator.     

Logical pages: revolutionising the use of print for teaching?

"Edutainment" publishers have begun to deploy an alternative to traditional physical artefacts such as videos, books and cartridges, namely "logical pages", stored electronically and able to be selected from, to provide content in various physical forms, including multimedia, hypertext and hypermedia. Educational texts can be created using the paradigm of logical pages, which is notionally equivalent to treating a course as if it were a database of learning resources. In the case of a study text, those notional databases can contain more study guidance and raw information than conventional educational texts. Each user can select differently from the notional database, and post-process the retrieved information. Thus, some users can choose to view, on screen, a teaching text whose content and layout are identical to a conventional text, then can print a single copy, "on demand". Other users can select other page layouts or content, then transform their selection to suit their individual learning style and learning needs. This paper considers the implications of logical pages for teachers and learners. As yet, there is relatively little research into the educational uses of logical pages, so the paper extrapolates from the literature on reading and writing physical pages, including hypertext pages.     

Print versus digital reading comprehension tests: does the congruency of study and test medium matter?

The use of digital environments for both learning and assessment is becoming prevalent. This often leads to incongruent situations, in which the study medium (eg, printed textbook) is different from the testing medium (eg, online multiple-choice exams). Despite some evidence that incongruent study-test situations are associated with inferior achievements, the effect of study-test congruency has not been investigated systematically. Here, we examine this question in the context of digitally displayed versus printed text comprehension using a full-factorial experimental design. One hundred and twelve university students participated in the study. They studied an expository text in one medium (print or digital) and then, comprehension was assessed in either the same (congruent) or the different (incongruent) medium. No significant differences in performance were found between the congruent and incongruent study-test conditions. However, consistent with findings reported in the literature, comprehension of the digital text was inferior to that of the printed text. Results show that this screen inferiority occurred irrespective of the testing medium. These findings suggest that studying in one medium and taking the test in another does not affect comprehension, but the medium in which one studies does influence test outcomes.     

Mobile microlearning design and effects on learning efficacy and learner experience

Mobile microlearning platforms have increased over the years. Literature shows that platforms use specific instructions or media, such as videos or multiformat materials (e.g., text, audio, quizzes, hands-on exercises). However, few studies investigate whether or how specific design principles used on these platforms contribute to learning efficacy. A mobile microlearning course for journalism education was developed using the design principles and instructional flow reported in literature. The goal of this formative research was to study the mobile microcourse’s learning efficacy, defined as effectiveness, efficiency, and appeal. Learners’ knowledge before and after the mobile microcourse was analyzed using semistructured questionnaires as well as pretests and posttests to measure differences. The results indicate that learners of this mobile microcourse had an increase in knowledge, more certainty in decisions about practical applications, and an increase in confidence in performing skills. However, automated feedback, timed gamified exercises, and interactive real-world content indicate room for improvement to enhance effective learning.

     

Interactive and non-interactive pictures in multimedia learning environments: Effects on learning outcomes and learning efficiency

New technologies enable flexible combinations of text and interactive or non-interactive pictures. The aim of the present study was to investigate (a) whether adding pictures to texts is generally beneficial for learning or whether it can also have detrimental effects, (b) how interactivity of pictures affects learning, (c) whether the visualization format of pictures affects the structure of the learner's mental model, and (d) whether the visualization format modifies the effects of interactivity. One hundred university students were randomly assigned to five groups. In four groups, a text about the different daytimes and days on the earth was combined with interactive or non-interactive pictures of different visualization formats. In the fifth group, the text was presented without pictures. According to the results, adding pictures to text was neither beneficial nor harmful for learning. In terms of learning efficiency, however, learning from text only was more successful than learning from text and pictures. Interactivity was beneficial for one learning task, but not for the other task. The visualization format affected participants’ interaction with pictures, but not the learning outcomes; however this effect was not influenced by interactivity. Implications for multimedia design and for further research are pointed out.     

The Effect of CRT Screen Design on Learning and Time

Two CAI programs tested the effects of plain and enhanced screen designs, with or without information about the designs, and task-type on learning time and achievement. The enhanced versions used headings, directive cues, running heads, and graphic devices to organize and structure the content, Information about the screens described the purposes of the enhanced features and instructed the students to use those features while studying. One program required learners to perform a memorization task; the second program required concept acquisition and application. Plain-screen versions were equal to the enhanced versions in the effects on learning. Information about text enhancements reduced lesson time when the enhancements provided the learner with program control options.     

Exploring the effects of multimedia learning on pre-service teachers’ perceived and actual learning performance: the use of embedded summarized texts in educational media

In light of the increased usage of instructional media for teaching and learning, the design of these media as aids to convey the content for learning can be crucial for effective learning outcomes. In this vein, the literature has given attention to how concurrent on-screen text can be designed using these media to enhance learning performance. The present study sought to examine whether utilizing concurrent on-screen summarized text (CST) could improve students’ learning performance while estimating their perception of performance when learning with educational multimedia content. Although the findings did not show a significant improvement in students’ performance on the retention test among the CST groups, students exhibited a considerable higher level of confidence toward their performance. The findings suggest that students who learned with CST educational media may have overestimated their performance. Further analysis and discussion are included.     

The Book Versus the Screen: Educational Media in the Digital Age

Compared to the book, the electronic screen has had a very brief history as an educational aid, but its development and use in educational contexts has generated considerable comment in the few decades of its existence. It is therefore possible for historians of education to consider the statements and claims which have been made for the merits of screen‐based learning, as against more traditional modes of education.

This paper analyses differing strands of the discourse on screen based learning in the United Kingdom over the past two decades, and contrasts the claims and views of politicians and educationalists on the benefits and potential of screen based learning. Analysis of what has been written and said over the past two decades casts doubt on the Department of Education and Employment's claim that “there is no room for scepticism” about the promotion of screen based learning, and reveals differing conceptions about what learning is and how it takes place. Consideration of these differences might help to inform the ongoing debate about the role of new technology in education.     

Tools for Knowledge Analysis, Synthesis, and Sharing

Change and complexity are creating a need for increasing levels of literacy in science and technology. Presently, we are beginning to provide students with clear contexts in which to learn, including clearly written text, visual displays and maps, and more effective instruction. We are also beginning to give students tools that promote their own literacy by helping them to interact with the learning context. These tools include peer-group skills as well as strategies to analyze text and to indicate comprehension by way of text summaries and concept maps. Even with these tools, more appears to be needed. Disparate backgrounds and languages interfere with the comprehension and the sharing of knowledge. To meet this need, two new tools are proposed. The first tool fractures language ontologically, giving all learners who use it a language to talk about what has, and what has not, been uttered in text or talk about the world. The second fractures language epistemologically, giving those involved in working with text or on the world around them a way to talk about what they have done and what remains to be done. Together, these tools operate as a two- tiered knowledge representation of knowledge. This representation promotes both an individual meta-cognitive and a social meta-cognitive approach to what is known and to what is not known, both ontologically and epistemologically. Two hypotheses guide the presentation: If the tools are taught during early childhood, children will be prepared to master science and technology content. If the tools are used by both students and those who design and deliver instruction, the learning of such content will be accelerated.     

“宝塔体”练习在对外汉语教学中的运用——以美国南卡罗来纳州为例

“宝塔体”是中国传统文学的一种游戏性文体,由于体现了中国文字、文学、文化的独特性而受到人们的喜爱。“宝塔体”练习以“宝塔诗”为原型,不仅是汉字、词语,而且可以是语法、语用的有效教学工具。对于对外汉语教师来说,“宝塔体”练习具有较强的实用性和可操作性。对于学生来说,它又具有较强的游戏性——在学习汉语的同时,学生可以获得游戏的快乐,体验中国文字、文学、文化的独特魅力。     

微信移动学习的支持功能与设计原则分析

微信是一款具有通讯、社交、平台化功能的移动性应用软件。在大学生群体中使用广泛,构建了移动互联网环境下一种新型的学习支持环境。在已有文献梳理的基础上,研究了微信的移动学习支持功能,从语音文本交互、微信群、自动回复响应、订阅推送和内容分享等角度进行了分析;对微信、QQ、微博主要社会媒体的学习支持特征进行了比较,并分析了微信与学习者个人学习环境要素间的协同关系。在移动学习通用设计准则的指导下．从定位、功能、内容、交互、学习方式、网络服务的层面,探讨了微信移动学习的设计原则。最后,从不同情境下讨论了微信移动学习的具体应用案例。通过对微信移动学习支持功能与设计原则的探索．旨在对本领域的研究与实践提供理论上的借鉴和参考。     

CONCEPTUAL CHANGE TEXTS IN CHEMISTRY TEACHING: A STUDY ON THE PARTICLE MODEL OF MATTER

This study explores the effect of a conceptual change text on students?? awareness of common misconceptions on the particle model of matter. The conceptual change text was designed based on principles of text comprehensibility, of conceptual change instruction and of instructional approaches how to introduce the particle model. It was evaluated in an empirical study with 214 students. Students?? learning was measured with a pre?Cpost-test design. Item response theory was used for analysing students?? answers. We found that reading the criteria-based text fostered students?? awareness of common misconceptions about the particle model and yielded overall improved results as compared to reading a traditional text.     

Beliefs about Learning in Children's Understanding of Science Texts

This study examined elementary school children's beliefs about learning and assessed the influences of such beliefs on their understanding of science texts. Eighty-three children, 46 from Grade 4 and 37 from Grade 6, were administered a questionnaire on children's implicit notions of learning. Children were also asked to read a science text and complete several tasks that assessed their understanding of text information. Results indicated that older children were more likely to hold constructivist views of learning, and they also performed better than younger children on the text-processing tasks. As well, children's views of learning were significantly related to depth of text understanding when age effects were controlled. This study extends current research on epistemological beliefs of university and high school students. Implications of children's beliefs about learning and their roles in knowledge construction are discussed. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Welche Rolle spielt neben Merkmalen des Instruktionsdesigns die fachspezifische und aufgabenspezifische Motivation beim Lernen mit Multimedia im naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht?

The present paper reports on an empirical study which investigated learning with text and animations in the science classroom. In a 2?×?2 design the presence of multimedia learning material instruction (text only vs. text + animations) as well as the modality of the explanatory text (spoken vs. written) were tested. Prior to learning, students’ motivation to learn was assessed as a continuous factor. Recall and transfer were assessed immediately after learning. The results show better recall of information for learners with multimedia materials, providing the animations were accompanied by spoken text. However, in contrast to the positive effects of domain-specific motivation this multimedia effect was not evident for transfer. The effects of multimedia design were independent of motivation. Implications for future studies are discussed.     

Genre effects on higher education students' text reading for understanding

This study provides empirical support for the proposalthat student learning in higher education is affectednot only by prior subject knowledge and by approachesto learning but also by ability to deal with textgenre. It first explores how 22 higher degreestudents on a course in education understood selectedtext extracts from different genres when reading attheir own pace under conditions expected to promotethorough understanding. After reading a text eachstudent wrote answers to a set of questions abouttheir reading and understanding of the text. Intape-recorded discussion with another reader of thesame text they then looked for similarities anddifferences between their responses. They laterreported on their feelings about the task and text. Understandings were found to vary between readers ofthe same text, difference being largely attributed bythe students to difficulty with the language andstructure of the texts in terms which pointed to thegenre. Considerable anxiety about difficulty anddifference in understanding was partly allayed throughdiscussion, but understanding was not much furthered. Most students felt that more work on the texts wouldbe fruitful.In a second part of the study a further 39 studentsfrom a new intake to the same course were asked abouttext types in their recommended and actual coursereading. The types they reported as most frequentlyrecommended were also felt to be the most difficultfor reasons to do with text genre. They were alsothose from which the earlier text extracts had beendrawn. Theoretical and practical issues arediscussed.