Efforts to improve civic education face a conundrum. On the one hand, students report that they are more likely to learn about democracy and citizenship through reading textbooks than through any other activity and according to the National Education Association, reading is the gateway to learning in all content areas. However, reviews of textbook…

Discussion of learner preferences for text densities on computer screen displays highlights two studies of college students that compared preferences for multiple or single screen presentations with high-, medium-, or low-density screens from an actual course using computer-assisted instruction. Results are analyzed, and further research needs are…

Examines the differences between divided and alternating patterns of comparison-contrast text structures and reports on the effects these patterns exert on the performance of college developmental readers. Concludes that the type of comparison-contrast structure does not significantly effect comprehension and that, overall, developmental readers…

Notes that three groups of fifth graders either read an original social studies text, read a revised version, or were asked questions while reading the original text. Finds no differences among the three groups in amount of information recalled and the number of questions answered correctly, but students who were asked questions tended to recall…

Compares recall and transfer performance of subjects receiving an extended instructional analogy or elaboration in a science text. Finds no differences between groups on explanative or nonexplanative recall. Finds differing amounts of far and immediate transfer for both groups in some instances. Suggests implications for the design of transfer…

A study investigated college students' reactions to a news story written in the traditional "inverted pyramid" format and the same story rearranged into a "mapped" format (where similar information is gathered under heads and subheads). Seventy students were given the story in either the "mapped" or the traditional…

Compares Spanish and English essays written by bilingual writers. Describes each writer's discourse-organizational and clausal-combining strategies. Suggests that organization on the discourse level is reflected in the type of clausal combinations chosen by the writers at the sentence level. (TB)

An approach to French literature appreciation uses two versions of a de Maupassant story. The approach provided students an opportunity to examine text structure and language usage, explore the process of revision, and compare the first and second versions of the author's efforts. (MSE)

Finds that low ability and average ability students benefit more from reading plays than reading stories. Finds that the performance of low ability readers equalled high ability readers when both participated in group oral readings of plays. (RS)

Compares the effects of three different methods of improving reading comprehension: text-structure instruction, reading practice, and guided reading. Finds that standardized tests showed no one method to be more effective than another, but that all three methods had measurable effects on reading comprehension. (SR)

A study compared six midwestern United States campus newspapers with their respective general circulation newspapers. A content analysis of these publications was designed to determine whether local news stories in daily student newspapers are as readable, interesting, and thorough as those found in general circulation daily newspapers. The daily…

Two variables that designers should consider when developing computer-based instruction (CBI) text screens are text density, which manipulates the context of the information presented, and screen density, which is a measurement of the amount of information presented at one time on the screen. A study on text density was designed to identify…

Defines Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), a format for electronic documents that provides documentary information for efficient accessibility, dissemination, and preservation. Compares SGML to Open Document Architecture (ODA) based on standards by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and describes the principles and…

Investigates the phenomenon of topic shift (sentences initiating a new topic are given additional processing time by skilled readers). Finds adults showed a proportionately greater effect than fifth graders when more difficult expository texts were used but not with easy narratives. Finds that paragraph marking did not influence the processing of…

This research compared high-load and low-load versions of a text by manipulating text presentation, text organization, and example context on measures of fact and concept learning. The low-load text presentation variable enhanced fact and concept learning and post-reading ease of comprehension ratings. The low-load text organization variable led…