Reading From Multiple Documents: The Role of Text Availability and Question Type

Abstract

The current information society requires people to handle information from different sources, which entails specific skills beyond those needed to comprehend and use information from a single text. Given the relevance of becoming a competent reader in functional reading scenarios, it is crucial to examine how contextual‐, task‐, and individual‐related factors may influence multiple‐documents question‐answering activities, a key issue for assessment and instruction. In this study, we examined the influence of text availability and question type in students’ question‐answering performance and the moderator effect of students’ reading skill. Seventy secondary school students read three expository texts about a history topic. Next, they performed a concurrent question‐answering task consisting of a set of intra‐ and intertext questions they answered either with or without the texts available. Finally, participants performed a free‐recall task after a 24‐hour delay without access to the learning materials. Results showed higher performance scores in the intratext questions when the text was available than when it was not. However, the superiority of text availability disappeared in the delayed recall task. Additionally, skilled readers who had the texts available scored higher in the concurrent question‐answering task and, moreover, recalled more ideas in the recall task. These findings shed light on how contextual‐ (i.e., text availability), task‐ (i.e., question type), and student‐related (i.e., reading skill) factors may influence both adolescents’ question answering from multiple documents and their recall. The implications of these findings for the science of reading and the educational practice are discussed.

What research is important today in human development, learning and education? JSED Editors’ reflections and research calls (¿Qué investigación es importante hoy día en desarrollo humano, aprendizaje y educación? Reflexiones y llamamientos de investigación de los Editores de JSED)

“…Indeed, describing students’ digital reading skills (e.g., impact of tasks, reading contexts and individual differences) is of most interest for researchers, practitioners and policymakers. I think it is essential for researchers to carry out in-depth analyses of how students with various skill levels process different types of textual documents and perform corresponding learning tasks (Cerdán et al, 2021). Since the beginning of COVID-19, the digitalization of reading and learning has significantly accelerated due to the need to teach and learn from home.…”

“…De hecho, describir las habilidades de lectura digital de los estudiantes (e.g., impacto de las tareas, contextos de lectura, diferencias individuales) es de gran interés para investigadores, profesionales educativos y responsables políticos. En mi opinión, es esencial que los investigadores realicen análisis detallados de cómo estudiantes con distintos niveles de aptitud procesan distintos tipos de documentos textuales y cómo llevan a cabo las correspondientes tareas de aprendizaje (Cerdán et al, 2021). Desde el inicio de COVID-19, la digitalización de la lectura y el aprendizaje se ha acelerado significativamente debido a la necesidad de enseñar y aprender en el hogar.…”