Maps, Mode of Text Presentation, and Children’s Prose Learning

Abstract

This study examined the effects of reference maps on what children remember from written and aurally presented discourse. Subjects were presented one of three maps that varied in feature configuration and spatial distribution, and were asked to study these maps before reading or listening to a related story. Results of tests across both prose and maps conflicted with previous research in which learners appeared unable to maintain visual images while reading. We found essentially no differences in recall due to mode of text presentation, but the type of map that was presented profoundly influenced recall from both the text and the map. Maps that had pictorial features logically organized according to passage content greatly increased the learning of text that was related directly to map content. This indicates that maps serve a mnemonic-like function for remembering prose.

Contextual Influences of Maps and Diagrams on Learning

“…Of further surprise was the absence of notable differences in story recall between the Map and List conditions, particularly given the numerous studies that have reported greater prose learning when map features are spatially distributed versus merely listed (Abel & Kulhavy, 1986;Mastropieri & Peters, 1987;Schwartz & Kulhavy, 1981). A reasonable explanation for this finding is that criterion measures on the post-test were unrelated to the keywords that constituted the map features.…”

“…of display components (Kulhavy & Schwartz, 1980;Winn, 1988;Winn & Sutherland, 1989). A good example of research in this area can be seen in several map studies conducted by Kulhavy and his colleagues (Abel & Kulhavy, 1986;Kulhavy & Schwartz, 1980;Kulhavy, Schwartz, & Shaha, 1983;Schwartz & Kulhavy, 1981) that found subjects were signifIcantly better at recalling map features and related text material when the components were depicted mimetically (visually mimicking the real-world objects to which they refer) rather than through the use of labels.…”

“…Maps have been shown to aid recall of text only when it is propositionally related to the features on the display (Abel & Kulhavy, 1986). However, no research has shown whether prose recall decreases in proportion to its distance from feature-related material.…”

“…In the first case, we anticipated better recall of a narrated story when an adjunct display was presented in a map-like context versus a diagrammatic one. This was based on the fairly robust finding that maps enhance memory for accompanying prose material that is thematically related to components shown on the map itself (Abel & Kulhavy, 1986;Amlund et al, 1985). Diagrams, on the other hand, have not been shown to be similarly effective in facilitating prose learning (Winn & Holiday, 1982).…”

Using maps to remember text: an instructional analysis

“…Students tend to recall more factual information from a text or lecture when they are also able to study a related map (e.g., Abel & Kulhavy, 1986;Gilmartin. 1982: Kulhavy, Lee & Caterino, 1985.…”