Task-Oriented Reading of Multiple Expository Texts

• In Event: Text Relevance and Task-Oriented Reading

Abstract

Objectives and Theoretical Framework
Reading is a task-oriented activity in which people try to understand text for a particular task. Research on learning from single texts has shown that readers focus more attention on text information considered to be relevant for completing the task and learn this information better than information they consider less relevant (for reviews, see McCrudden & Schraw, 2007; Pressley & Afflerbach, 1995). Recently, there has been increased interest in multiple-documents literacy (Bråten & Strømsø, in press) which has led to the development of process models that highlight the task-oriented nature of multiple-text comprehension (Goldman et al., 2010; Rouet & Britt, in press), as compared to single-text comprehension. According to these models, task-oriented reading exerts a profound influence on how readers process and comprehend multiple-texts. However, thus far, the empirical work on task-oriented reading for multiple-text comprehension is rather limited. The purposes of this paper are (a) to review prior research on the effects of different reading tasks on multiple-text comprehension and, (b) to discuss evidence that such effects may be moderated by reader characteristics.

Methods
Most work on this issue has involved asking students either to construct arguments from text content or to summarize text content derived from multiple documents and then comparing outcomes for students in each condition (e.g., Le Bigot & Rouet, 2007; Wiley & Voss, 1999; Wiley et al., 2009). In our prior and ongoing research, undergraduates have read multiple authentic documents that present conflicting views on controversial social-scientific issues (e.g., global warming) with instructions either to form an argument or summarize the content (e.g., Anmarkrud et al., 2011; Bråten & Strømsø, 2010; Gil et al., 2010). Comprehension has been assessed through questionnaires and essay performance.

Results
Some studies have shown that argument tasks can enhance comprehension when students study multiple texts (e.g, Wiley & Voss, 1999). However, other studies have shown no difference between conditions that receive argument or summary tasks, and some studies have shown that summary tasks are more beneficial. In a series of studies, we investigated whether readers’ epistemic beliefs and topic knowledge influenced the effectiveness of argument and summary tasks. These studies provided evidence that argument tasks may be more beneficial for readers who view knowledge as tentative and evolving, whereas summary tasks may be more beneficial for readers who view knowledge as absolute and static.

Conclusions and Significance
That the effects of reading tasks on the comprehension of multiple texts may depend on readers’ epistemic beliefs and topic knowledge may be explained within the framework of the documents model of multiple-text comprehension (Perfetti et al., 1999) and Bråten et al.’s (2011) extension of that model to incorporate epistemic beliefs. In addition to their theoretical significance, the results that we discuss may have significant education implications. Given the importance of mastering challenging argument tasks, both in and out of school, it is important that students are given scaffolded support to develop the epistemic beliefs and knowledge required to master such tasks.

Authors

• Ivar Braten, University of Oslo

• Laura Gil, University of Valencia

• Helge I. Stromso, University of Oslo