Browsing by Author "Palilonis, Jennifer"

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    Active Reading Behaviors in Tablet-based Learning
    (AACE, 2015-07) Palilonis, Jennifer; Bolchini, Davide; Department of Human-Centered Computing, School of Informatics and Computing
    Active reading is fundamental to learning. However, there is little understanding about whether traditional active reading frameworks sufficiently characterize how learners study multimedia tablet textbooks. This paper explores the nature of active reading in the tablet environment through a qualitative study that engaged 30 students in an active reading experience with two tablet textbook modules. We discovered novel study behaviors learners enact that are key to the active reading experience with tablet textbooks. Results illustrate that existing active reading tools do little to support learners when they struggle to make sense of and subsequently remember content delivered in multiple media formats, are distracted by the mechanics of interactive content, and grapple with the transient nature of audiovisual material. We collected valuable user feedback and uncovered key deficiencies in existing active reading tools that hinder successful multimedia tablet textbook reading experiences. Our work can inform future designs of tools that support active reading in this environment.
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    InterActive Reading: Understanding Strategies Learners Use to Study Multimedia Content in Tablet-Based Textbooks
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Palilonis, Jennifer; Bolchini, Davide
    Active reading of educational textbooks is a complex meta-cognitive process. The traditional framework for active reading is conceptualized as the combination of three types of actions: annotation (e.g. highlighting and note taking), reorganization (e.g. outlining and summarizing) and browsing (e.g. studying annotations and outlines to prepare for future recall). However, as the traditional textbook paradigm evolves to include interactive, multimedia tablet-based products, dramatic changes are on the horizon for the ways in which educational content is delivered and consumed. Tablet devices allow textbook authors, publishers and developers to integrate multimedia content, such as video, audio, animations and interactive visualizations, with traditional expository text, designed as a browse-able book. However, existing tablet devices (i.e., iPad; Kindle Fire) only offer tools that support traditional active reading learning for text-based content. This research project reports findings of an exploratory qualitative study that examines what new active reading strategies emerge when learners engage with tablet-based multimedia textbooks. Participants were presented with one of two tablet textbooks developed using Apple’s iBook Author. The texts included a number of content forms, including traditional expository text, videos & animations, clickable keywords, image galleries, and interactive information graphics. Concept mapping tests were conducted to determine what students learned during their tablet study sessions, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine how easy or difficult it was for participants to actively study videos and animations. Early results suggest that the active learning tools developed for the tablet–namely, highlighting and bookmarking–are not sufficient for multimedia content and new tools must be developed to better support such activities. Future research and development are discussed.