Signaling in expository hypertexts compensates for deficits in reading skill.

Abstract

Expository hypertexts may contain specific types of signals such as navigable topical overviews and hyperlinks that map conceptual relationships between text contents. Two experiments with German university students (N ϭ 130, 75% female, mean age 25 years) were conducted to test the hypothesis that hypertext-specific signals particularly support learners with badly routinized reading skills in organizing and integrating complex learning materials. The experiments were based on naturalistic texts and essay-writing tasks typical for exam preparation. Learning outcomes were measured by characteristics of participants' essays (amount of knowledge, knowledge focusing, knowledge integration). In both experiments, a hypertext with a high amount of signaling yielded better learning outcomes than did a linear text for readers with a low level of skill, whereas there were no differences for readers with a high level of skill (⌬R 2 from .03 to .08 for the interaction). In Experiment 2, the same interaction pattern was found for hypertext with a high versus a low amount of hypertext-specific signals (⌬R 2 from .04 to .10). Moreover, a lack of signals led to less efficient navigation behavior. These results demonstrate that hypertexts equipped with hypertext-specific signals may compensate for deficits in reading skill.

Does Navigation Always Predict Performance? Effects of Navigation on Digital Reading are Moderated by Comprehension Skills

“…First, while it was one crucial property of navigation that was investigated in the study reported here, the selection of relevant (and irrelevant) text materials, this is by no means the only important property of a navigational path. For instance, coherence of the navigational path has been established as another variable that is predictive of comprehension and learning outcomes in reading and comprehending digital text (Amadieu & Tricot, 2008;Naumann et al, 2007;Richter et al, 2005;Salmerón et al, 2005;Salmerón, Kintsch, & Cañas, 2006), as has the use of navigation help devices such as topical overviews (Dias & Sousa, 1997;Salmerón & García, 2011;Su & Klein, 2006). For these properties of navigation, for the time being, we do not know whether, and how, their impact on performance is moderated by students' skills.…”

“…Second, while we analyzed data from high school students in this research, open and distance learning is frequently, and in the future will be, aimed at adults (e.g., Muñoz, Redecker, Vourikari, & Punie, 2014). While there appears to be some evidence that in adults comprehension skills interact with navigation support (Naumann et al, 2007), little is known though about possible interactions between comprehension skill in navigation behavior in adult distance learners. Cleary, future research will have to shed light on this issue.…”

“…in distance education programmes, students frequently need to progress on their task by navigating through a network of linked materials (or nodes). Specifically, during navigation they have to assess the relevance of prepare a summary (Richter, Naumann, & Noller, 2003;Naumann, Richter, Flender, Christmann, & Groeben, 2007), or performing a science inquiry task (Goldman, Braasch, Wiley, Graesser, & Brodowinksa, 2012). In addition, OECD (2011) showed that students with good offline comprehension skills, as measured by a paper and pencil reading comprehension test, employed better navigation paths, which in turn improved even more their online performance.…”

¿Son realmente tan buenos los nativos digitales? Relación entre las habilidades digitales y la lectura digital

“…Por último, la correlación positiva entre las habilidades digitales y el número de visitas y tiempo promedio a páginas relevantes sugieren que aquellas podrían favorecer la navegación selectiva por páginas relevantes para la tarea, lo que de por sí tiene un efecto positivo en la lectura digital tanto en estudiantes de educación secundaria (OECD, 2011) como en universitarios (Naumann, Richter, Flender, Christmann, & Groeben, 2007;Naumann, Richter, Christmann, & Groeben, 2008). Nuestros resultados replican y extienden este efecto en una muestra de estudiantes más jóvenes (5º de Primaria).…”

Effect of hypertextual reading on academic success and comprehension skills

“…The results obtained in the present study are similar to the results of other studies on hypertextual education (Reinking., 1988;Horney and Anderson-Inman, 1994;Miall and Dobson, 1998;Dillon and Gabbard, 1998;Liu, 2004;Naumann et al, 2007;Çakmak and Altun, 2008). Besides it has been seen that some studies are also related to language arts and their results are similar to the results of our studies.…”