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Project

Reading to learn: an in-depth look into how students learn from academic texts using eye-tracking.

In higher education, academic texts are the main medium through which students acquire scientific knowledge. Learning from academic texts is therefore one of the most essential academic related skills and an important key to success in higher education. However, research on reading comprehension has mainly focused on learning outcomes and far less is known on how students read to learn from academic texts including visualizations, and more specifically, which cognitive processing strategies are crucial for better academic text comprehension. Current research on cognitive processes uses predominantly self-report instruments such as interviews and questionnaires to uncover differences in students' general preferences towards processing strategies when studying. Although these self-report measures are claimed to be reliable and valid at a general level, many authors argue that the results are poor indicators of the actual processing taking place at a task specific level while studying. Furthermore, research on the relationship between self-reported processing strategies, such as surface and deep processing, and academic achievement remains inconclusive. Research on the relationship between students' task specific processing strategies, and task related learning outcomes, may provide more clarifying answers. In this research proposal we aim to (1) link theories of reading comprehension and student learning in empirical research to gain more insight in the cognitive processing component while learning from academic text, (2) adopt eye tracking as an innovative measure to map in-depth students' task specific processing strategies and (3) link task specific processing strategies to task specific learning outcomes. Gaining in-depth insight in the cognitive processing component of learning from academic texts and analysis of the relationship with academic achievement is important for further theory development within the SAL domain. Research can also be important for educational practice as it may point at essential information to develop feedback tools for students to gain more insight in the quality of own learning from academic texts.
Date:1 Oct 2017 →  30 Sep 2021
Keywords:HIGHER EDUCATION, EYE TRACKING RESEARCH, ACADEMIC READING, COGNITIVE PROCESSES
Disciplines:Education curriculum, Education systems, General pedagogical and educational sciences, Specialist studies in education, Other pedagogical and educational sciences