Students' spontaneous use of diagrams in written communication: Understanding variations according to purpose and cognitive cost entailed

Emmanuel Manalo, Yuri Uesaka

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study examined the amounts of information that students represented in diagrams compared to text when taking notes (self-directed communication) and when constructing explanations for others (others-directed communication). The participants were 98 Japanese university students who read one of two passages (differing in imageability) in Japanese (L1) and in English (L2). While reading, they could take notes, and were subsequently requested to produce an explanation of the passage using L1 or L2. The students represented more information in diagrams in notes they took from the passage of higher imageability in L1. However, in their explanation of that same passage for others - still using L1 - they represented more information in text. This finding suggests perceptual differences about the functions of diagrams in self- and others-directed communication. Results also confirmed that passage imageability and students' language proficiency affect cognitive processing cost, which in turn influences the extent to which diagrams are used.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
PublisherSpringer Verlag
Pages78-92
Number of pages15
Volume8578 LNAI
ISBN (Print)9783662440421
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014
Event8th International Conference on the Theory and Application of Diagrams, Diagrams 2014 - Melbourne, VIC
Duration: 2014 Jul 282014 Aug 1

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume8578 LNAI
ISSN (Print)03029743
ISSN (Electronic)16113349

Other

Other8th International Conference on the Theory and Application of Diagrams, Diagrams 2014
CityMelbourne, VIC
Period14/7/2814/8/1

Keywords

  • cognitive processing cost
  • spontaneous diagram production
  • strategy use perceptions and beliefs
  • text and diagrammatic representations
  • written communication

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Science(all)
  • Theoretical Computer Science

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