This thesis describes an experimental study with a between-subjects and within-subjects design on the possibility to train inferential skills by using expository video. Over the past years the...Show moreThis thesis describes an experimental study with a between-subjects and within-subjects design on the possibility to train inferential skills by using expository video. Over the past years the level of reading comprehension among Dutch students decreases. A low motivation may perhaps explain this downward trend. One way to increase the motivation of Dutch students could be by using digital resources. Inferential skills are crucial during reading to create a mental representation of the text. This is an important part of reading comprehension. This research focusses on the progression in inferential skills of students, when these skills are taught using expository video. The progression made is compared to the progression in inferential skills of students who were taught inferential skills using expository text, and students in the control condition. Furthermore, the relation between this progression and the level of reading fluency was studied. Participants were 105 Dutch student (age 8 to 11 years) in grade six from four different primary schools. They were randomly assigned to one of the conditions, namely video condition, text condition and control condition, where they received either eight trainings with expository video or text, or no training at all. The inferential skills of all participants were tested using a pretest and a posttest, before and after the training was given. Results show that the training, either with expository video or text, is not effective in teaching inferential skills to Dutch students in grade six. In addition was the level of reading fluency not related to the effectivity of the training with expository video or text.Show less
This study aimed to enhance students general reading ability by training inferences through video. Inference making is an important factor in reading comprehension, it is also a factor Dutch...Show moreThis study aimed to enhance students general reading ability by training inferences through video. Inference making is an important factor in reading comprehension, it is also a factor Dutch students have great difficulty with compared to other important factors in reading comprehension. Therefore a new inference making training was conducted in which students in grade 4 learned these skills through either video or text. In this training looking for clues and the use of graphic organizers was used to teach students inference making skills in eight sessions of 30 minutes. Each week two sessions took place. One for instruction and one for practice. The study used a pre- posttest design with two test groups and a control group. The growth in general reading ability was measured through a maze task. Results indicated that even though the results in general reading ability increased between the pre- and posttest, there was no difference between the intervention groups and the controlgroup. Therefore it was concluded that this training was not effective for both conditions; video and text. When looking at the difference in growth for students with low and high reading motivation there was found no difference in growth for the different conditions. The attitude of the students towards the training was examined as well. These findings indicated that there was no different attitude towards the text training or the video training. When looking at the influence of reading motivation on these results there was a significant effect where students with higher reading motivation had a better attitude towards the training. Students motivation did not differ in text or video condition. This study is a good starting point for further research into inference making training.Show less
The purpose of the current study was to examine whether being interested in a particular text topic affects reading comprehension processes and products of skilled and less-skilled comprehenders...Show moreThe purpose of the current study was to examine whether being interested in a particular text topic affects reading comprehension processes and products of skilled and less-skilled comprehenders differently. Fifty-two upper elementary school children read six expository texts, three of which the topic of the text was rated as interesting and three of which the topic was rated as uninteresting. Eye-tracking was used to monitor the processes while reading. Reading comprehension products were assessed by two types of questions (i.e., literal and inferential), each designed to reflect a different level of comprehension. Students were also asked about how much knowledge they already had about each of the topics. The results indicated that being interested in a topic does not change reading comprehension processes of both skilled and less-skilled comprehenders, suggesting that they do not benefit from interesting topics compared to noninteresting topics. In addition, topic interest affected the amount of literal questions answered correctly. However, no such results were shown for inferential questions. With skilled comprehenders scoring better on both types of questions, and no interest topic x reading comprehension skill interaction being observed, this indicates that less-skilled comprehenders also do not benefit enough from an interesting topic regarding reading comprehension products. The results are discussed in the light of standards of coherence, cognitive abilities, and background knowledge.Show less
A quarter of students is not able to read reasonably well at the end of elementary school. The number of students that voluntarily read in their spare time is also decreasing. However, reading is...Show moreA quarter of students is not able to read reasonably well at the end of elementary school. The number of students that voluntarily read in their spare time is also decreasing. However, reading is an important presentation mode in order to understand information. The ability to process information is important in order to function in society. The purpose of this thesis is to research which factors influence story comprehension. The effect of presentation mode, child-specific-factors and reading skills on the ability to understand information was investigated. For instance, the influence of a reading comprehension-test and the class-level on the comprehension scores for each presentation mode was examined. Furthermore, the effect of the level of intrinsic reading-motivation and the frequency of reading in spare time on the scores of comprehension for reading was investigated. An experiment was carried out in which 82 students from grade 4, 5 and 6 answered comprehension questions about three stories that they have read, listened to and viewed. The participants also filled in questionnaires about reading, listening and viewing frequency and about intrinsic motivation. The analysis of the results showed that scores for comprehension differed between text and video, but not between audio and the other presentation modes. The highest scores are reached by viewing a story. The results showed also that the effect of presentation mode on the level of story comprehension is not different for various reading comprehension-test scores and class-levels. Eventually, only a small part of the comprehension score can be explained by intrinsic reading-motivation and the amount of reading in spare time. Intrinsic reading-motivation is the best explainer for this relationship. Implications for theory and practice were also discussed. Follow-up research could for example focus on different aspects of story comprehension, like retelling a story or predicting how a story will continue.Show less
Reading comprehension is a vital skill. It is important for a reader to make inferences between story elements while integrating background information. In addition, it is important that the reader...Show moreReading comprehension is a vital skill. It is important for a reader to make inferences between story elements while integrating background information. In addition, it is important that the reader can apply metacognition in which the reader monitors and regulates his/her own understanding about the text. These cognitive processes ensure that the reader forms and maintains a coherent mental representation about the story and these processes may be similar across different media. Research results from PISA shows a decrease in grades for reading comprehension, reading enjoyment, and competence perception among Dutch 15-year-old students. Following these results and the possible relationship between comprehension skills across different media, such as written text, auditory and visual presentations, this study has been conducted. This study investigated whether the narrative comprehension differed between these media and if the application of story-based and knowledge-based inferences, and metacognition to a story affects narrative comprehension in 8-12 year old children. Three stories in written text, auditory, and visual presentation modes, comprehension questions about these stories, and the think-aloud protocol were used. Narrative comprehension was measured using comprehension questions. Using the think aloud protocol, the relationship between comprehension skills and narrative comprehension was examined. The results indicate a difference between narrative comprehension in written text and visual presentation, with narrative comprehension in visual presentation being higher. Furthermore, the number of story-based inferences is a significant predictor for narrative comprehension in written text presentation and story-based and knowledge-based inferences for narrative comprehension in auditory presentation. Although further research is needed, these findings suggest the importance of using narrative texts across different media. Also these findings may be used for developing interventions in which children practice making inferences and use their metacognition across different media.Show less
Nowadays children read less and less. They spent more time on other media, such as audio and animation video. Therefore it is important to know how children can learn through these media. This...Show moreNowadays children read less and less. They spent more time on other media, such as audio and animation video. Therefore it is important to know how children can learn through these media. This study examines differences in online and offline comprehension between text, audio and animation video. So far research about this subject is scarce. Eighty-three children between eight and twelve years old participated in the study. A within-subjects design was used with three stories. A think-aloud protocol was used and after each part of the story participants were asked to say out loud what they were thinking. Children’s statements were categorized into different types of inferences. Online comprehension was measured using three types of inferences: connecting, reinstatement and knowledge-based inferences. Offline comprehension was measured with comprehension questions. Results indicated that there was no difference between the amount of connecting-, reinstatement- and knowledge-based inferences made in the different media. Regarding the second research question children answered significantly more comprehension questions correctly after watching an animation video than after reading a text. In addition, no differences were found in offline comprehension between text and audio and audio and animation video. This study supports the idea that children develop a general inference skill that is similar in different media. This suggests that they can practice making inferences via animation videos and being read to by someone. Regarding offline comprehension, additional research is needed on the effectiveness of using animation videos in the classroom to improve comprehension strategies. These inference skills and comprehension strategies can later be applied in reading comprehension.Show less
Reading comprehension is an important skill to be able to perform well in school. The different kinds of media that can be used to present a story might influence children’s comprehension. The...Show moreReading comprehension is an important skill to be able to perform well in school. The different kinds of media that can be used to present a story might influence children’s comprehension. The current study analyzes the possible influence different media could have on children’s online comprehension. This online comprehension includes the number of bridging inferences and the different forms of bridging inferences; the connecting and reinstatement inferences. The current study also analyzes children’s offline comprehension after reading the story. The 83 participants each read, listened to, and watched a story and were asked to think aloud in between reading, hearing or watching parts of the story. The thinking aloud showed the number of inferences they made. Also the participants were asked to answer some questions about the story after they read, heard or watched it fully. These questions showed the degree of comprehension. The results indicated that there was no difference in the number of bridging inferences children make while reading, hearing or watching a story. The results also indicated that there was no difference within the different kinds of bridging inferences; the connecting and reinstatement inferences. Concerning the offline comprehension after reading the story, the results indicated that children showed more comprehension of the story when it was presented in video format compared to the text format. No other significant differences were found between the different formats. These results can help to present new information to kids in a way that will make them understand best. More research is needed to confirm the current outcomes.Show less
Tegenwoordig zijn verhalen in de tekst, audio en video presentatievorm dankzij digitale media veelvuldig beschikbaar. Deze verhalen variëren in kwaliteit, juistheid en betrouwbaarheid, dus is het...Show moreTegenwoordig zijn verhalen in de tekst, audio en video presentatievorm dankzij digitale media veelvuldig beschikbaar. Deze verhalen variëren in kwaliteit, juistheid en betrouwbaarheid, dus is het belangrijk om na te gaan welke presentatievorm zorgt voor het beste verhaalbegrip bij kinderen. In het huidige onderzoek is de invloed van de presentatievorm op het verhaalbegrip onderzocht bij kinderen tussen de 8 en 12 jaar. Tevens werd gekeken of het verhaalbegrip anders was voor kinderen jonger en ouder dan 10 jaar en of de presentatievorm van invloed was op de zelfgerapporteerde aandacht van het kind. In een within-subjects experimentele studie hebben 83 kinderen drie verhalen in drie verschillende presentatievormen (tekst, audio, video) aangeboden gekregen. Het verhaalbegrip werd gemeten aan de hand van begripsvragen na afloop van het verhaal en de kinderen beoordeelden hun aandacht tijdens het verhaal. Het bleek dat kinderen het verhaal in de video presentatievorm beter begrepen dan in de tekst presentatievorm. Tussen de video presentatievorm en audio presentatievorm, en de audio presentatievorm en tekst presentatievorm zat geen verschil. Bovendien bleek leeftijd geen invloed te hebben op de verschillen in het verhaalbegrip tussen de presentatievormen. Tot slot was de zelfgerapporteerde aandacht bij de video presentatievorm hoger dan bij de tekst en audio presentatievormen. Tussen de audio en tekst presentatievormen was geen verschil. Het gebruik van video’s in het onderwijs zou de motivatie en de prestaties van leerlingen kunnen vergroten. Vervolg onderzoek kan zich richten op de integratie van de video presentatievorm met geschreven tekst of audio.Show less
