title: Computerizing reading training: evaluation of a latent semantic analysis space for science text.
abstract: The effectiveness of a domain-specific latent semantic analysis (LSA) in assessing reading strategies was examined. Students were given self-explanation reading training (SERT) and asked to think aloud after each sentence in a science text. Novice and expert human raters and two LSA spaces (general reading, science) rated the similarity of each think-aloud protocol to benchmarks representing three different reading strategies (minimal, local, and global). The science LSA space correlated highly with human judgments, and more highly than did the general reading space. Also, cosines from the science LSA spaces can distinguish between different levels of semantic similarity, but may have trouble in distinguishing local processing protocols. Thus, a domain-specific LSA space is advantageous regardless of the size of the space. The results are discussed in the context of applying the science LSA to a computer-based version of SERT that gives online feedback based on LSA cosines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115, USA. ckurby@niu.edu
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kurby
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wiemer-Hastings
authors.forename: Nagasai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ganduri
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Magliano
authors.forename: Keith K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Millis
authors.forename: Danielle S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: McNamara
mesh_terms: D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008606:Mental Processes; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011932:Reading; D012586:Science; D012660:Semantics; D012986:Software Validation