Application Knowledge Assessment Comprehension III

This post and the next two posts focus on application-knowledge objectives that are somewhat different than the application knowledge of subject-specific generalizations presented in prior posts. These objectives are for comprehension, either reading or listening. Application-knowledge objectives are for reading comprehension when students read the information presented, and listening comprehension when the information is presented orally, such as in a lecture or television program. Comprehension objectives can be used in almost any subject, ranging from literature to physics.

Assessment Tasks for application knowledge of comprehension objectives are intended to have students manifest the cognitive process of (a) cueing the retrieval of information about a relevant comprehension generalization from long-term memory, and then (b) transferring that information when recognizing novel objects and actions that are examples of the comprehension generalization. Categories of comprehension are commonly determined by the categories of questions asked. For instance, students' reading comprehension ability is measured by asking them questions about a selection they read [1]. An illustrative categorization of objectives is shown below.

1. Categories of questions, such as Interpretation-Conclusion

2. Discourse structure of selection, such as narrative or expository

3. Readability level of selection, such as fifth-grade level or college level

The six categories of questions students are asked are shown in the Comprehension chart, above. The other two variables refer to critical characteristics of the selection students read before being asked questions. All of the illustrations of Assessment Tasks shown here for reading comprehension are based on two written selections. One is a narrative-discourse literature story at a fifth-grade readability level entitled, "The Old Fashioned Ice Cream Freezer." The other is an expository-discourse science article at a fifth-grade readability level entitled, "The Penguin People." The two selections are not shown here. Students read a selection they have not seen before, and then are asked questions about it. They are not allowed to look back at the selection while answering questions. As with all Assessment Tasks for application knowledge, students are asked to justify their answers.

INTERPRETATION QUESTIONS

Interpretation questions are intended to require students to use specific items of information from the selection in order to identify both major and underlying ideas in a selection.

INTERPRETATION-SUMMARIZATION

Questions for interpretation-summarization ask students to identify the major idea presented in the entire selection or in a designated section of it. The questions are intended to require students to use the implicit cognitive process of retrieving from memory relevant items of encoded information and then synthesizing them into one concise statement covering all those items. Synthesizing requires transfer of information just read. Their summaries should usually be no longer than one sentence. They should be asked to justify their summarizations.

INTERPRETATION-CONCLUSION

Questions for interpretation-conclusion ask students to identify ideas in an unstated cause-effect relationship that can be logically inferred from items directly stated in the selection. These questions usually present a cause-effect relationship that is not directly stated in the selection, although both the cause items and effect items are directly stated in the selection. The questions are intended to require students to use the implicit cognitive process of retrieving from long-term memory information about the relevant context in which the cause and effect items occurred in the selection, and then using that information to logically relate the two items as cause and effect. Logically relating the items requires transfer of information just read. Students should be asked to justify their conclusions.

__________________

1. Tuinman, J.I. (1972). Understanding comprehension: Aspects of its measurement. In L.A. Harris, & C.B. Smith (Eds.), Indivildualizing reading instruction: A reader. New York: Rinehart and Winston.

2. National Assessment of Educational Progress. (1972, May). Report 02-R-00. Reading summary.Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States.

3. (For example). Ryan, F.J. (1973). Differentiated effects of levels of questioning on student achievement. Journal of Experimental Education, 41, 63-67.

4. Ruddell, R.B., & Williams, A.C. (1972). A research investigation of a literacy teaching model: Project delta (EPDA Project No. 00526). Washington, DC: U.S. Office of Education.

5. Mueller, D.F. (1972). Teacher questioning practices in reading. Reading World, 12, 136-145.

6. (For example). Wolf, W., King, M.L., & Huck, C.S. (1968). Teaching critical reading to elementary school children. Reading Research Quarterly, 3, 435-438.