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Related Experiment Videos

Text comprehension, memory, and learning

W Kintsch1

  • 1Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309-0344.

The American Psychologist
|April 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Learning from text depends on reader knowledge. Simple texts aid novices, while challenging texts with gaps boost learning for those with existing knowledge.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Text Comprehension

Background:

  • Individuals can often recall text verbatim but struggle to apply the information.
  • Existing research focuses on text reproduction rather than knowledge application.
  • Understanding factors influencing text comprehension and knowledge transfer is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore methods enabling individuals to learn effectively from texts.
  • To identify factors influencing the transfer of textual information to new contexts.
  • To propose methods for assessing text suitability based on reader background knowledge.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated the role of content overlap between text and prior knowledge.
  • Analyzed the impact of text coherence and explicitness on learning.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examined the effect of coherence gaps on knowledge construction for readers with varying background knowledge.

    • Main Results:

    • Content overlap with prior knowledge is a key factor for learning.
    • For readers with low background knowledge, highly coherent and explicit texts facilitate learning.
    • For readers with adequate background knowledge, texts with coherence gaps enhance learning by stimulating active knowledge construction.

    Conclusions:

    • Text suitability for learning is contingent on the reader's existing knowledge base.
    • Instructional design should consider reader background to optimize text selection and presentation.
    • Coherence gaps can be beneficial for learning when readers possess sufficient prior knowledge to bridge them.