Headings Within Multiple‐choice Tests as Facilitators of Test Performance

Townsend, Mardie; Moore, Dennis W.; Tuck, Bryan; Wilton, Keri

doi:10.1111/j.2044-8279.1990.tb00932.x

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…In other words, researchers changed the content of texts in ways they thought might facilitate students’ knowledge activation and text comprehension. For example, text alteration was accomplished by manipulating the text to explain inconsistent information (Beker et al, 2019); using analogies in text (Braasch & Goldman, 2010); focusing on headings (Townsend et al, 1990); developing stories with emotion words (Gernbacher & Robertson, 1992); or including self-selected cases (Alvarez, 1993), thematic organizers (Alvarez, 1993; Alvarez & Risko, 1989; Risko & Alvarez, 1986), or advanced organizers (Gurlitt et al, 2012).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Leveraging What Students Know to Make Sense of Texts: What the Research Says About Prior Knowledge Activation

Hattan

Alexander

Lupo

2023

Review of Educational Research

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This systematic literature review examined the research on prior knowledge and its activation to ascertain how these terms are defined, what specific techniques have been empirically investigated, and the conditions under which prior knowledge activation facilitated students’ comprehension. Fifty-four articles met the inclusion criteria and revealed that the terms prior knowledge and prior knowledge activation were often vaguely defined. Further, 30 unique techniques for activating readers’ prior knowledge representing eight different categories were identified. Those categories were open-ended prompts, procedural or strategic supports during reading, visual representations, analogical reasoning, text alteration, augmented activation, extratextual activities, and spontaneous activation. Techniques meant to facilitate knowledge activation prior to reading were most common, although the prompting of students’ existing knowledge was beneficial during and after reading as well. Variability in the effectiveness of activation techniques was related, in part, to the amount, accuracy, and specificity of students’ knowledge. Based on the key findings identified in this review, recommendations for future inquiry are forwarded, including suggested definitions of prior knowledge and prior knowledge activation.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast to the overall trend for this category, one text alteration resulted in no appreciable change in comprehension performance. Specifically, embedding headings in the text to prompt knowledge activation did not improve undergraduates’ comprehension even though the students thought the headings helped (Townsend et al, 1990).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leveraging What Students Know to Make Sense of Texts: What the Research Says About Prior Knowledge Activation

Hattan

Alexander

Lupo

2023

Review of Educational Research

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“…A study by Townsend et al (1990) considered the effects of headings during testing on test performance. A sample of undergraduate students (N=287) enrolled in an introductory educational psychology course received a 41 -item multiple-choice examination during the first quarter of the course that was 20 per cent of their final course grade.…”

Section: Headings Within Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The performance effects of headings within multiple‐choice tests

Marcinkiewicz

Clariana²

1997

Brit J of Edu Psychol

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Background. It has been suggested that headings within multiple‐choice tests positively affect test performance; however, there is little research to date to either support or reject this hypothesis. Aims. Do headings within multiple‐choice tests facilitate test performance? Sample. The available sample for this study included employees of a large manufacturing plant in the western part of the United States (N=143). Participants ranged in age from 26 to 64 years old; the median age was 44 years old. Method. The experimental group received a multiple‐choice recertification test with headings included; the control group received the same test without headings. The data were analysed by analysis of covariance. Results. A significant difference was obtained for the treatment main effect, F (1,140) =4.33 (p<.04), with a calculated effect size for headings over no headings of es=0.33. Post hoc analysis of item difficulty data suggests that headings may have the greatest effect on less difficult test items and have little effect on difficult test items. Conclusions. The findings of the present study indicate that headings within multiple‐choice tests positively affect test performance. Perhaps more importantly, the findings indicate that headings may differentially impact test items of differing difficulty. Further research is recommended.

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Leveraging What Students Know to Make Sense of Texts: What the Research Says About Prior Knowledge Activation

Hattan¹,

Alexander²,

Lupo³

2023

Preprint

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This systematic literature review examined the research on prior knowledge and its activation to ascertain how these terms are defined; what specific techniques have been empirically investigated; and the conditions under which prior knowledge activation facilitated students’ comprehension. Fifty-four articles met the inclusion criteria and revealed that the terms prior knowledge and prior knowledge activation were often vaguely defined. Further, 30 unique techniques for activating readers’ prior knowledge representing eight different categories wereidentified. Those categories were open-ended prompts, procedural or strategic supports during reading, visual representations, analogical reasoning, text alteration, augmented activation, extratextual activities, and spontaneous activation. Techniques meant to facilitate knowledge activation prior to reading were most common, although the prompting of students’ existing knowledge was beneficial during and after reading as well. Variability in the effectiveness of activation techniques was related, in part, to the amount, accuracy, and specificity of students’ knowledge. Based on the key findings identified in this review, recommendations for future inquiry are forwarded including suggested definitions of prior knowledge and prior knowledge activation.

show abstract

Headings Within Multiple‐choice Tests as Facilitators of Test Performance

Cited by 3 publications

References 5 publications

Leveraging What Students Know to Make Sense of Texts: What the Research Says About Prior Knowledge Activation

Leveraging What Students Know to Make Sense of Texts: What the Research Says About Prior Knowledge Activation

The performance effects of headings within multiple‐choice tests

Leveraging What Students Know to Make Sense of Texts: What the Research Says About Prior Knowledge Activation

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