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Marci Nelson ÖzerBilkent University School of English Language
(BUSEL)Ankara, Turkey
EALTA conferenceMay 24, 2013
The impact of using graphic organizers to test reading comprehension
The impact of using graphic organizers to test reading comprehension
Why graphic organizers?
Graphic organizers at BUSEL
The study
Implications
Further research
Reading ComprehensionConstruct: Reading
is the skill of comprehending and interpreting directly stated and/or inferred information from a written text. This involves employing reading strategies as well as grammatical, lexical and discoursal knowledge.
BUSEL syllabusKoda (2005)
Group 1 Group 2
Graphic Organizers
Classification Cause & Effect Hierarchy
Flow Chart
Why graphic organizers?
Focus is on interrelationships of ideas rather than isolated ideas (Kinchin, Hay, & Adams, 2000)
Graphic organizers get away from the linearity of the text and approximate the macrostructure of the text (Chang, Sung, & Chen, 2002)
Texts are not listlike sequences—they have rhetorical structures that organize information and serve writers’ purposes (Grabe, 2009)
They allow a holistic understanding that words alone cannot convey (Jones, Pierce, & Hunter, 1988-1989 – in Jiang & Grabe 2007)
They have powerful construct validity (Grabe, 2009)
4-option multiple choice Graphic organizer
Graphic organizers at BUSEL
Class work: organizing notes from reading, organizing ideas before writing, awareness of text structure and idea structure
• At the B1 levelReading for information and argument: can
recognize significant points in straightforward newspaper articles on familiar subjects
Test: open-ended cause and effect table
Teacher feedbackPositive
The students needed to analyze the text, so they needed to comprehend the text
It shows students that they need to find other ways to understand the reading than just finding answers
Most students regard reading as an ability to answer a set of open-ended and multiple choice questions. With the new task type, these beliefs can begin to change…
Negative
Some students missed everything in Reading 2 (graphic organizer), although they did quite well on Reading 1. I’m afraid the task surprised them and affected them negatively.
Some students couldn’t do the task fully. There were more blank answers than wrong answers.
Some students were not able to match the reasons with their effects because they couldn’t figure out the function of the arrows on the chart.
Group A201 students
Group B203 students
Reading 1
Multiple choice questions
Graphic organizer
(cause & effect)
Reading 2
Graphic organizer
(hierarchy)
Multiple choice questions
Completed without the texts:•T/F/NM summary of Reading 1
•Multiple choice summary of Reading 2
THE STUDY
Multiple choice questionsExcerpt from Reading 2:
The Sumerians were also the first people to build vehicles with wooden wheels. The invention of the wheel greatly improved their daily lives. Before the invention of the wheel, people had to pull their goods and it was very difficult to do this. However, after they built vehicles with wooden wheels and attached them to horses or donkeys, they could transport goods more easily over long distances. The wheel also increased the speed and strength of Sumerian armies. During battles, drivers could stand on the top of the vehicle while driving and throw spears at enemies.
Sample questions:
What does “this” in paragraph 4 refer to?
A pulling their goodsB inventing the wheel.C daily lifeD building vehicles
The wheel benefitted Sumerians by helping them…
A treat their animals better.B develop their fighting techniques.C improve their relationshipsD hide from their enemies.
Graphic organizer questionsExcerpt from Reading 2:
The Sumerians were also the first people to build vehicles with wooden wheels. The invention of the wheel greatly improved their daily lives. Before the invention of the wheel, people had to pull their goods and it was very difficult to do this. However, after they built vehicles with wooden wheels and attached them to horses or donkeys, they could transport goods more easily over long distances. The wheel also increased the speed and strength of Sumerian armies. During battles, drivers could stand on the top of the vehicle while driving and throw spears at enemies.
Summary TaskSUMERIAN CULTUREComplete the summary based on what you remember from the text.
The Sumerians were an ancient culture that lived in Mesopotamia from 3500 to 1750 BC. They made many discoveries because of their _______(27). They invented the first system of writing, which helped them to develop _______(28) and _______(29). The Sumerians also invented _______(30), which helped them fight better against their enemies. They also developed a mathematical system based on the number _______(31). This helped them become better at _______(32). Today, Sumerians are known for their _______(33).
27 A) central location B) difficult environmentC) great leaders
28 A) poetry and songs B) relationships C) paper
29 A) lawsB) education C) health practices
30 A) weaponsB) the military C) the wheel
31 A) 80B) 60C) 10
32 A) farmingB) travellingC) learning
33 A) interesting cultureB) spoken languageC) useful developments
ResultsREADING 1
Questio n type
FacilityValue Mean
Point Biseria l Mean
Summary Task
Facility Value Mean
Point Biserial Mean
Group A M/C 77.3 21.2 67.7 23.8
Group B G/O 72.1 47.2 67.7 26.1
READING 2
Questio n type
FacilityValue Mean
Point Biseria l Mean
Summary Task
Facility Value Mean
Point Biserial Mean
Group A G/O 70.2 41.4 85.9 32
Group B M/C 70.8 33.1 85.7 21.3
T-test – Reading 1 and Reading 2Group A
N Mean Std. Deviation
Std. Err Mean
Reading 1 MC 201 4.6318 1.09260 .07707Reading 2 GO 201 4.2119 1.30367 .09195
Group BN Mean Std.
DeviationStd. Err Mean
Reading 1 GO 203 4.7438 1.59622 .11203Reading 2 MC 203 4.0764 1.06037 .07442
T-test – Summary 1 and Summary 2Group A
N Mean Std. Deviation
Std. Err Mean
Summary R1
MC 201 4.7463 1.26107 .08895
Summary R2
GO 201 6.0299 1.15287 .08132
Group BN Mean Std.
DeviationStd. Err Mean
Summary R1
GO 203 4.7438 1.22410 .08591
Summary R2
MC 203 5.9951 .98251 .06896
Tentative conclusion
Graphic organizers as a reading exam task seem to discriminate better between weak and strong readers
For further considerationGraphic organizers…
can help raise awareness of discourse structure
may be a good way to test reading fluency
seem to require readers to confront the text for information rather than relying on a series of questions to guide them
Issues & Further Research
Cognitive overload?
Training for teachers and students
Experimenting with format to ensure validity and reliability
How to continue and develop GO use at higher levels (B1+ / B2)
Future studies will involve…
Student interviews
Think aloud protocols
Teachers’ perceptions
References
Chang, K., Sung, Y., and Chen, I. (2002) “ The effect of concept mapping to enhance text comprehension and summarization,” The Journal of Experimental Education, 71(1), 5-23
Grabe, W. (2009) Reading in a Second Language, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Jiang, X. and Grabe, W. (2007) “Graphic organizers in reading instruction: Reading findings and issues” Reading in a Foreign Language, Volume19, Number 1, April 2007
Kinchin, I., Hay, D., and Adams, A. (2000) How a qualitatative approach to concept map analysis can be used to aid learning by illustrating patterns of conceptual development” Educational Research, Vol. 42 No. 1, Spring 2000 43- 57
Koda, K. (2005) Insights into Second Language Reading, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
