title: [Role of a graph in constructing situation models during learning from expository text: why do graphic aids facilitate learning?].
abstract: This study investigated how graphic aids facilitate learning from text by examining what kinds of representations might be constructed when readers read either a text containing a line graph or the text only. Undergraduates (n=106) read a text concerning digitization. Then, they were asked what they had thought about while reading in order to examine whether they constructed graphical mental representations. Next, a comprehension test was administrated (pre-test). Next, they were shown either part of the text contained a line graph (graph group) or part of the text only (text group). Finally, the same test was administrated again (post-test). The results showed that when the readers had insufficient graphical representations, the graph group performed better on the post-test than on the pre-test, but text group did not. In contrast, when readers had elaborate graphical representations, there were no differences between the pre-test and the post-test for both groups. These findings suggest that graphic aids help readers to construct graphical representations, which might comprise the situation models that readers build for learning from text.
authors: Faculty of Education, Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University, Takakuwanishi, Yanaizu-cho, Gifu 501-6194, Japan. iwatsuki@ha.shotoku.ac.jp
authors: Keiko
authors: K
authors: Iwatsuki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation