Implications of Cognitive Implications of Cognitive Load Theory to the Load Theory to the

assessmentassessmentof English language of English language

comprehensioncomprehension

Slava KalyugaSlava Kalyuga

School of EducationSchool of EducationUniversity of New South Wales University of New South Wales

Constructing mental representations of a situation or task

Long-Term Memory Knowledge base

Working Memory

Sensory Memory: Incoming information

Cognitive studies of Cognitive studies of expertise: expertise:

knowledge base in LTM is knowledge base in LTM is central to cognitive central to cognitive processingprocessing

Knowledge base in Long-Knowledge base in Long-Term Memory affects the Term Memory affects the way we process information way we process information in Working Memory: in Working Memory:

WM is very limited when dealing WM is very limited when dealing with novel information with novel information

WM has no known limits when WM has no known limits when dealing with information that has dealing with information that has been organized and stored in LTMbeen organized and stored in LTM

Schemas:

Reading a text: schemas for letters, words, phrases, sentence structures, genres

Textbase: a mental representation of propositions

Situation model: textbase integrated with knowledge base

Long-term working memory (LT-WM): sufficiently durable and interference proof(Ericsson & Kintsch, 1995)

Reading comprehension Reading comprehension

(linguistic schemas)(linguistic schemas)

This was the course that the

student, whom the school that was criticized by the newspaper expelled, failed.

This was the course that the student

whom the school

that was criticized by the newspaper

expelled

failed

The theory:The theory:

If knowledge structures in If knowledge structures in LTM alter the characteristics LTM alter the characteristics of WM effectively of WM effectively transforming it into LT-WM, transforming it into LT-WM, then tests of its content would then tests of its content would provide a measure of levels of provide a measure of levels of expertise. expertise.

Rapid verification Rapid verification techniquetechnique

Presenting learners with a series Presenting learners with a series of possible solution steps of possible solution steps (statements) for a limited time (statements) for a limited time and asking them to rapidly verify and asking them to rapidly verify the suggested steps (statements)the suggested steps (statements)

Reading comprehensionReading comprehension

The artist, who performed for the crowd that gathered to enjoy the show, left.

1 local thematic violation

3 sentence nodes to parse at one time

Working memory capacity allows no more than 4 local violations (Gibson, 1998) or 2 sentence nodes or clauses to be attended at one time (Kimball, 1973).

Cognitive difficulty D = max {local thematic

violations; sentence nodes or clauses to parse simultaneously}

On each of the following pages, you will see On each of the following pages, you will see a sentence. You will be allowed a limited a sentence. You will be allowed a limited time to read it. time to read it.

Following each sentence, several related Following each sentence, several related brief statements will be presented. For brief statements will be presented. For each statement, you have to presseach statement, you have to press immediately a green key (on your right) if immediately a green key (on your right) if the statement is correct or a red key (on the statement is correct or a red key (on your left) if the statement is incorrect.your left) if the statement is incorrect.

The artist left.

The artist enjoyed the show.

The crowd gathered for the show.

The crowd left.

The artist, who performed for the crowd that gathered to enjoy the show, left.

This was the course that the student, whom the school that was criticized by the newspaper expelled, failed.

D = max {7; 4}

seven local thematic violations: seven local thematic violations: the course, the course, that, the student, whom, the school, that, that, the student, whom, the school, that, andand the newspaper the newspaper

four sentence nodes to parse at one time: four sentence nodes to parse at one time: the the course was, the student failed, the school course was, the student failed, the school expelled, expelled, andand the newspaper criticized the newspaper criticized..

The school was criticized by the student. The school expelled the student.

The course was criticized by the newspaper.

The newspaper criticized the school.

Validation studyValidation study

rapid test:rapid test: 18 sentences/72 18 sentences/72 responses responses

traditional testtraditional test: 8 passages, 42 : 8 passages, 42 multiple choice questions multiple choice questions

Y 7, N= 19: Y 7, N= 19:

test time reduced by a factor of 3.7 test time reduced by a factor of 3.7 correlation with a traditional correlation with a traditional test .63test .63

reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) .71reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) .71