Thinking-aloud Protocol Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Although low English reading test scores play an important role in long-term English learners (LTELs) continued classification as English learners (ELs), limited research exists on how these students actually construct meaning with... more
Although low English reading test scores play an important role in long-term English learners (LTELs) continued classification as English learners (ELs), limited research exists on how these students actually construct meaning with academic texts in English. This article uses a literacy-as-social-practice perspective to examine the reading practices that five high school LTELs vocalized during think-alouds with biology and English language arts texts. The findings document the focal students’ detailed understandings of the texts and identify four categories of meaning-making practices in which students engaged to differing extents during think-alouds: summarizing and identifying important information; making connections to background knowledge; going beyond the text; and recognizing limitations. These findings are significant because they provide a much-needed depiction of the actual reading practices of students who have remained classified as ELs for all or most of their academic trajectory.
After the cultural turn in social sciences in the 80’s, the translation paradigm shifted from form to culture. The present study focuses on revealing translation students’ cultural text processing strategies. To achieve this task, a... more
After the cultural turn in social sciences in the 80’s, the translation paradigm shifted from form to culture. The present study focuses on revealing translation students’ cultural text processing strategies. To achieve this task, a think-aloud protocol was administered to the volunteer participants and the transcriptions of the voice recordings were classified according to The Coding Scheme of Students’ Statements in the Think Aloud Transcripts by Janssen, Braaksma and Rijlaarsdam (2006:40). The results revealed that translation, retelling and association making were the most commonly used strategies. Effect size calculations showed that German Translation-Interpretation students resorted to strategy use more often than English Translation Interpretation students. Lastly, possible causes of the acquired results and the importance of cultural knowledge are dealt with in relation to the relevant literature.
The present study aimed to investigate the value of the teacher Think Aloud (TA) instructional technique in providing young readers with effective strategies to enhance the comprehension of online texts. Eighty-nine participants from 10... more
The present study aimed to investigate the value of the teacher Think Aloud (TA) instructional technique in providing young readers with effective strategies to enhance the comprehension of online texts. Eighty-nine participants from 10 to 14 years of age were sorted into two groups based on the type of training they had received: the experimental group (n = 47) had been taught with the TA strategies, while the control group (n = 42) had not received any specific training. Both the experimental and control groups were examined twice, before and after the period of training. Pupils had to find the correct answer to a specific question (Access) and to critically analyze online texts, expressing different opinions on a topic (Analysis). The findings indicate a positive effect of the TA technique, mainly in the transferal of strategies aimed at a more correct evaluation of the websites’ reliability. Indeed, while for the control group only a marginal, if any, improvement was recorded fr...
Despite the increasing globalization of the digital games market, differences in the way games are selected, experienced and evaluated exist across cultural borders, appearing most salient between East Asian and Western countries. This... more
Despite the increasing globalization of the digital games market, differences in the way games are selected, experienced and evaluated exist across cultural borders, appearing most salient between East Asian and Western countries. This paper reports the results of a case study, aimed at examining how localized Japanese games are received by German players. Using think-aloud protocol, we gathered and analyzed more than 25 hours of commented gameplay footage, by two German participants across four games. We identify and discuss game elements, that affected the participants' player experience.
The present study aimed to investigate the value of the teacher Think Aloud (TA) instructional technique in providing young readers with effective strategies to enhance the comprehension of online texts. Eighty-nine participants from 10... more
The present study aimed to investigate the value of the teacher Think Aloud (TA) instructional technique in providing young readers with effective strategies to enhance the comprehension of online texts. Eighty-nine participants from 10 to 14years of agewere sorted into two groups based on the type of training they had received: the experimental group (n = 47) had beentaught with the TA strategies, while the control group (n = 42) hadnot receivedany specific training. Both the experimental and control groupswere examined twice, before and after the period of training. Pupils had to find the correct answer to a specific question (Access)and to critically analyze online texts, expressing different opinions on a topic (Analysis).The findings indicate a positive effect of the TA technique, mainly inthe transferal ofstrategies aimed at a more correct evaluation of the websites’ reliability.Indeed, while for the control group only a marginal, if any, improvement was recorded from pre-test...
This paper reports on a study about the rhetoric, metacognitive, and cognitive strategies pre-service teachers use before and after a process-based writing intervention when completing an argumentative essay. The data were collected... more
This paper reports on a study about the rhetoric, metacognitive, and cognitive strategies pre-service teachers use before and after a process-based writing intervention when completing an argumentative essay. The data were collected through two think-aloud protocols while 21 Chilean English as a foreign language pre-service teachers completed an essay task. The findings show that strategies such as summarizing, reaffirming, and selecting ideas were only evidenced during the post intervention essay, without the use of communication and socio-affective strategies in either of the two essays. All in all, a process-based writing intervention does not only influence the number of times a strategy is used, but also the number of students who employs strategies when writing an essay—two key considerations for the devising of any writing program.
In addition to serving summative assessment purposes, testing has turned out to be a powerful learning tool. However, while the beneficial effect of testing on learning performances has been confirmed in a large body of literature, the... more
In addition to serving summative assessment purposes, testing has turned out to be a powerful learning tool. However, while the beneficial effect of testing on learning performances has been confirmed in a large body of literature, the question of exactly how testing influences cognitive and metacognitive processes remains unclear. We therefore set out to investigate the effect of testing on self-regulated learning (SRL) processes. We hypothesized that by recalibrating metacognitive monitoring, regular practice testing can trigger efficient SRL processes and, in turn, foster learning. To test this hypothesis, we exposed first-year undergraduates to a complex neurology module. Participants were randomly assigned to either the practice testing group or a control group. The testing group underwent multiple practice tests during the neurology module, whereas the control group only underwent the multiple practice tests after the course. To assess the impact of practice testing on SRL processes, we combined a think aloud protocol with a metacognitive monitoring self-report measure. Results showed that, compared with controls, participants in the practice testing group were significantly less overconfident in their ability to recall recently learned information and performed better on a posttest questionnaire. Furthermore, mediation analyses confirmed that enhanced learning performance was explained by the use of efficient SRL processes. Therefore, these results allow us to extend the testing effect to SRL, and empirically underscore the central role of monitoring in SRL. Contributions to the fields of practice testing and SRL are discussed.
This study extends previous reactivity research on the cognitive effects of think-alouds to include eye-tracking methodology. Unlike previous studies, we supplemented traditional superiority tests with equivalence tests, because only... more
This study extends previous reactivity research on the cognitive effects of think-alouds to
include eye-tracking methodology. Unlike previous studies, we supplemented traditional
superiority tests with equivalence tests, because only the latter are conceptually appropriate
for demonstrating non-reactivity. Advanced learners of English read short English texts
embedded with pseudo words in an eye-tracking (n = 28), a think-aloud (n = 28), or a silent
control condition (n = 46). Results indicated that neither eye-tracking nor thinking aloud
affected text comprehension. In terms of vocabulary recognition, thinking aloud had a small,
positive effect, and the results for eye-tracking were mixed. We discuss challenges and
opportunities of equivalence testing and explore ways to improve study quality more
generally in second language acquisition research.
The think-aloud protocol is one of the main techniques used by usability professionals when conducting usability studies. Two of the most common think-aloud protocols that usability practitioners use today are Concurrent Think-Aloud... more
The think-aloud protocol is one of the main techniques used by usability professionals when conducting usability studies. Two of the most common think-aloud protocols that usability practitioners use today are Concurrent Think-Aloud (CTA) and Retrospective Think Aloud (RTA). In this study, we analyzed whether think-aloud condition and age influenced usability measures of accuracy, efficiency, and satisfaction. We also assessed differences and similarities in verbalizations by age and by think-aloud condition.
At present, there has been little attention given to exploring the cognitive processes of athletes in Australian Rules football during self-paced tasks such as the set shot goal kick attempt. Therefore, this study used a Think Aloud (TA)... more
At present, there has been little attention given to exploring the cognitive processes of athletes in Australian Rules football during self-paced tasks such as the set shot goal kick attempt. Therefore, this study used a Think Aloud (TA) protocol analysis to explore the cognitions of Junior and Adult footballers undertaking the performance of a set shot goal kicking attempt in naturalistic conditions. This involved 64 male Australian Rules footballers, comprising 37 elite-level senior (adult) players (M age = 23.3 years) and 27 elite-level junior (M age = 14.6 years) players. Player's verbalisations were recorded during each performance of the goal kicking task, transcribed verbatim, and deductively and inductively analysed. The analyses revealed that planning, gathering information and description of outcome were the main three verbalised themes overall among junior and adult footballers. The analyses also indicated that as task difficulty increases, athlete cognitions relating to self-doubt increases and pre-performance routines decreases. In contrast to Adults, our results indicate that Junior footballers gather more information when undertaking close range set shot goal kicking attempts and also verbalise more diagnostic outcomes and comments relating to self-doubt when undertaking long range set shot goal kicking attempts. Adult footballers were also found to verbalise more reactive comments across all kick distances and verbalise more thoughts relating to mental readiness and pre-performance routine from close range compared long range distances. These findings have implications for the acquisition of skill in sport and draw on key perspectives from Dynamic Systems Theory to advance understanding of the cognitive processes underpinning set shot goal kicking performance in Australian Rules football.
The literacy narrative assignment is popular with composition instructors because of the reflection it encourages in students. Previously, scholars have claimed that students demonstrate reflection in literacy narratives when they... more
The literacy narrative assignment is popular with composition instructors because of the reflection it encourages in students. Previously, scholars have claimed that students demonstrate reflection in literacy narratives when they critique dominant ideologies. Largely absent, however, is research on what other elements might indicate reflection and thus inspire “instructor
uptake,” defined here as a positive response by an instructor to regard some part of the text as reflection. This essay therefore seeks to discover the core composition features that stimulate instructor uptake by examining what elements instructors identify as reflection in student literacy narratives. Think-aloud protocols were conducted with seven instructors and findings showed that three elements generate instructor uptake: analytical moves of cause-effect and evaluation (69%); vivid, metaphoric language (20%); and ideological critiques (11%). Findings also revealed that when instructors observed ideological critiques as reflection, they were more apt
to amplify the reflection for students. These data underscore the need for revamping our literacy narrative pedagogies to more adequately emphasize critical analysis and evaluation rather than ideological critique. By clarifying what composition instructors mean by reflection, we can design equitable writing assignments, begin to defend against our own biases, and foster more democratic classrooms.
This study investigates the opportunity to adopt the Think Aloud metacog-nitive technique to instruct students to become strategic and skilled readers in the online environments. After presenting the historical and theoretical roots of... more
This study investigates the opportunity to adopt the Think Aloud metacog-nitive technique to instruct students to become strategic and skilled readers in the online environments. After presenting the historical and theoretical roots of the Think Aloud and the methodological characteristics of this technique, the study proposes an instructional tool that could support late primary and secondary school teachers in planning online reading lessons with the Think Aloud. Finally, the main strengths and weaknesses in the application of this technique to the online reading, and the prospects and future developments of the research in this area are analyzed.
Nel presente lavoro è indagata l'opportunità di adattare alla lettura negli ambienti online la tecnica metacognitiva del Think Aloud, modello di istruzione già rivelatosi efficace nella comprensione del testo stampato. Dopo aver accennato alle radici storiche e teoriche, e descritto le caratteristiche metodologiche del Think Aloud come strumento di ricerca e come tecnica per modellare la comprensione del testo, vengono presentati percorsi gui-da per l'applicazione di questa tecnica alla lettura online. Nella parte finale, tenuto conto di una pur modesta base conoscitiva, sono illustrati i principa-li punti di forza e i limiti nell'applicazione di questa tecnica alla lettura on-line, nonché le prospettive e gli sviluppi futuri della ricerca in questo ambito.
Face aux difficultés des étudiants à réussir à l'université, les technologies d'apprentissage peuvent constituer d'intéressantes solutions. En effet, grâce à leurs capacités interactives, elles ont le potentiel de guider les étudiants à... more
Face aux difficultés des étudiants à réussir à l'université, les technologies d'apprentissage peuvent constituer d'intéressantes solutions. En effet, grâce à leurs capacités interactives, elles ont le potentiel de guider les étudiants à mieux apprendre. Toutefois, afin d'améliorer leur efficacité, ces solutions interactives doivent être conçues sur les bases d'une compréhension explicite du fonctionnement cognitif des étudiants à l'université. Cette recherche explore, à partir de deux études, l'effet des quiz interactifs sur l'activité cognitive et métacognitive. L'étude 1 montre qu'insérer régulièrement des quiz dans un environnent numérique de travail améliore les performances d'apprentissage des étudiants. Celles-ci sont expliquées par une baisse de la surestimation de leur performance ainsi que par la mise en oeuvre d'activités d'apprentissage plus efficaces. Toutefois, les résultats de l'étude 2 révèlent que les effets positifs des quiz peuvent disparaitre dans certaines conditions. En effet, en proposant des quiz trop simples, les étudiants ont maintenu d'une part une surestimation de la qualité de leur apprentissage et d'autre part une activité cognitive et métacognitive inadaptée à la tâche.
This study examines the views and experiences of the teaching staffs on the postgraduate course in dyslexia assessment teacher training. It attempts to investigate the contributions of the recently introduced software application... more
This study examines the views and experiences of the teaching staffs on the postgraduate course in dyslexia assessment teacher training. It attempts to investigate the contributions of the recently introduced software application 'AssessRite' in meeting curriculum goals. An exploratory qualitative study was carried out making use of semi-structured interviews with five teaching staff on the Special Learning Difficulties (SPLD) programme to determine the impact of the utilisation of this tool as a teaching aid in meeting curriculum goals. Findings indicate that the integration of the tutoring application has contributed to a great extent in meeting the curriculum goals of the programme and the success rate increased from 55% to 88% in the short term usage of 12 months. However, the tool has only been integrated into the delivery for just one year, and the sample group is small, so there is the need to be cautious about the contribution so far as.
i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f m e d i c a l i n f o r m a t i c s 8 0 (2 0 1 1) 341–350 a b s t r a c t Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of two usability evaluation methods, cognitive walk-through (CW) and think aloud... more
i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f m e d i c a l i n f o r m a t i c s 8 0 (2 0 1 1) 341–350 a b s t r a c t Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of two usability evaluation methods, cognitive walk-through (CW) and think aloud (TA), for identifying usability problems and to compare the performance of CW and TA in identifying different types of usability problems. Methods: A CW was performed by two usability evaluators and 10 physicians were recruited to perform a TA usability testing of a CPOE system (Medicator). The severity of identified usability problems was determined and the usability problems were categorized based on the User Action Framework (UAF). The potential of usability problems to cause medication errors was also determined. The thoroughness, validity and effectiveness of the two methods were compared. Results: Fifty seven unique usability problems of different severity, spread over the four phases of interaction as defined by the UAF, were identified. The effectiveness of the TA method for identifying usability problems was 0.08 higher than that of the CW (0.70 vs. 0.62). The thoroughness (the extent to which a method can identify existing usability problems) of the TA was higher for the " Planning " and " Assessment " phases and lower for the " Translation " phase (as defined by UAF). The thoroughness of TA for identifying problems that may potentially result in medication errors was higher than that of CW (0.81 vs. 0.68). The number of usability problems identified by each of the methods was significantly less than the total number of detected real usability problems in Medicator (p < 0.001). The observed differences between the number of real usability problems identified by CW and TA (38 vs. 41), the difference between the average severity of the detected problems by CW and TA (2.37 vs. 2.41), and the difference for identifying problems potentially resulting in medication errors (15 vs. 18) were not statistically significant (p > 0.4). Conclusions: This study shows that although TA showed a slightly better effectiveness, there is no significant difference between the performance of the CW and the TA methods in terms of number of usability problems identified and the mean severity of these problems. Since no single evaluation method will uncover all of the usability problems a combination *
This study explored the effect of think-aloud as a cognitive technique on the speed of texts translation performed by MA translation students. The Iranian homogenized participants of the study translated two Persian texts into English and... more
This study explored the effect of think-aloud as a cognitive technique on the speed of texts translation performed by MA translation students. The Iranian homogenized participants of the study translated two Persian texts into English and two English texts into Persian. Each text was translated under two conditions, namely with think-aloud protocol and without think-aloud protocol. All tasks were recorded on a laptop for detailed analysis. The results revealed significant effects of think-aloud on the speed of translation. The study provided explanations for the results obtained and suggested further research lines.
The objectives of this study were to explore the writing process of the Indonesian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students and to find out the effectiveness of using think-aloud protocol to understand the writing process. The data... more
The objectives of this study were to explore the writing process of the Indonesian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students and to find out the effectiveness of using think-aloud protocol to understand the writing process. The data were obtained from six proficient EFL students who were doing Postgraduate English Language Studies Program in Indonesia. The participants were selected based on the following criteria: had completed a minimum of two academic writing courses, had written a thesis in English, had taught English for more than two years and considered as proficient writers based on IELTS result. The finding of the study showed that all of the participants went through the following writing process: prewriting, planning, drafting, pausing, reading, revising, editing and publishing. In addition, the think-aloud protocol had different effects on the participants. Five of the participants admitted that the think-aloud protocol had a positive effect because it helped them in organizing their thoughts and ideas. However, only one participant found thinking aloud made her difficult to focus on the writing task due to the demand to verbalize and write at the same time.
Two studies examined the use of Think Aloud (TA) protocol as a means for collecting data of cognitive processes during performance in golf. In Study 1, TA was employed to examine if different verbalisation (Level 2 or Level 3 TA)... more
Two studies examined the use of Think Aloud (TA) protocol as a means for collecting data of cognitive processes during performance in golf. In Study 1, TA was employed to examine if different verbalisation (Level 2 or Level 3 TA) instructions influence performance of high and low skilled golfers. Participants performed 30 putts using TA at either Levels 2, 3, or no verbalization condition. Although Level 3 verbalization produced a higher volume of verbal data than Level 2, TA at either Level 2 or 3 did not impair putting performance compared to no verbalization. Study 2 examined the congruence between data collected via TA at Level 3 and cued retrospective recall of cognitive processes during golf performance. Experienced golfers performed six holes of golf whilst engaging in Level 3 TA. After performance, three semi-structured retrospective interviews were conducted (10 min after performance, 24 h after performance and 48 h after performance). A comparison of the themes identified large discrepancies between the information reported during TA and at interview, with only 38–41% similarity in variables reported to influence decision making on each hole. Both studies suggest TA is a valuable method for recording cognitive processes of individuals during task performance. TA provides richer verbal data regarding decisions than cued retrospective recall, and TA does not negatively impact performance.
Think-aloud verbal protocols (TAPs) have been used in a number of language research studies to investigate thought processes and emotions related to L2 learning. However, there has been major criticisms on the use of TAPs in the... more
Think-aloud verbal protocols (TAPs) have been used in a number of language research studies to investigate thought processes and emotions related to L2 learning. However, there has been major criticisms on the use of TAPs in the literature. A case for the use of TAPs is made here, particularly when exploring language learning factors which cannot be observed fully using more traditional research instruments. For instance, foreign language anxiety (FLA) is being explored as a fundamental variable to contend with when learning a foreign language in a virtual learning environment (VLE). This study is thus seeking to deepen our understanding of learners’ emotions and thoughts, and the experience of learning pronunciation at a distance. Through the use of TAPs, the qualitative findings from the present study offer an invaluable resource for providing insights into what it is like to learn pronunciation outside the classroom.
This study investigated the effect of training in Prior Knowledge Activation, Concept Mapping, and Think Aloud, on students' problem solving performance. The relative effectiveness of the training among high and low achievers was also... more
This study investigated the effect of training in Prior Knowledge Activation, Concept Mapping, and Think Aloud, on students' problem solving performance. The relative effectiveness of the training among high and low achievers was also examined. Participants were 45 students in Grades 4 and 5 in two private schools in Lebanon (25 students experimental group; 20 as control). The experimental group received 3 weeks training, in addition to the regular methods while the control received the regular methods only. Curriculum-based assessments (reading comprehension and math word problem solving) and Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices, were used to measure problem solving performance. ANCOVA results showed a significant difference in experimental and control groups' posttest scores, in favor of the experimental group. ANOVA results showed that the mean differences between pre and post test scores of low and high achieving students in the experimental group differed significantly only on math word problem solving measure, in favor of the low achievers. Results are discussed and implications and future recommendations are presented.
The current study intended to check whether think-aloud had any significant impact on the amount of translation; and, whether revision is subjected to direction of language. To this end, based on purposive sampling, five Iranian MA... more
The current study intended to check whether think-aloud had any significant impact on the amount of translation; and, whether revision is subjected to direction of language. To this end, based on purposive sampling, five Iranian MA translation students, who were homogenized based on their performance on a general English proficiency test, translated two Persian texts into English and two English texts into Persian. The texts were translated under two conditions, namely with think aloud protocol and without think aloud protocol. All tasks were performed on a computer, and all keystrokes were logged with Translog. The results revealed that, contrary to expectation, there was a significant difference between the amount of revision with and without think aloud; and, it was concluded that the amount of revisions reduced with think aloud technique. Moreover, the direction of language did not affect the amount of translation revision. Providing explanations for the results obtained, the study suggested that translation instructors reconsider the significant role of think aloud technique in translation courses if neglected.
Thinkie 3 supports Thinking Aloud on iPhone and iPad. Launching Thinkie in 2021 one asks in which environment the app is being exposed. The article starts with a description of the current technical and methodological state of Thinking... more
Thinkie 3 supports Thinking Aloud on iPhone and iPad. Launching Thinkie in 2021 one asks in which environment the app is being exposed. The article starts with a description of the current technical and methodological state of Thinking Aloud (TA). Since the beginnings in 1980, things have changed. After that, attention shifts to Thinkie 3 itself. As a mobile IOS application Thinkie 3 stores its data in a cloud container of the user. The data structure includes metadata, audio and video files, audio clips and transcripts. The server-based Apple Speech-To-Text helps with transcription. Users are supported in data capture and initial data analysis. Files can be exported for further handling.
This paper considers a specific and innovative methodological approach to investigating the impacts of a particular mode of therapeutic ‘green exercise’ in enhancing the mental health and wellbeing of a group of volunteers attending a... more
This paper considers a specific and innovative methodological approach to investigating the impacts of a particular mode of therapeutic ‘green exercise’ in enhancing the mental health and wellbeing of a group of volunteers attending a unique community-based project in a woodland setting in the North of England, UK. The paper was influenced by the distinct lack of studies embracing an ethnographic methodology in understanding the specific impacts of green exercise therapeutic
interventions. Hitherto, research has largely focused upon the use of quantitative or less context-sensitive qualitative methodologies;
pertinently, prior studies have typically underemphasised the mediating and moderating influences underpinning reported positive outcomes from green exercise (Rogersen et al, 2020; Clatworthy et al, 2013; Gladwell et al, 2013; Okvat & Zutra, 2011). The study employed ethnographic data collection including: compilation of fieldwork notes and reflective diaries, including an audio-recorded conversation between the two researchers; taking photographs of participants at work; using participants’ own photographs of the occupations they engaged with (that held specific value and meanings regarding place and connection to nature); and an embedded, innovative use of a ‘think aloud’ method, which elicits participant responses ‘in the moment’ as volunteers were working on autotelic activities within a nature-based environment, including, but not exclusively: dry-stone walling, gardening, horticulture and pond construction. Two field-based researchers, with a background in sports development and occupational therapy respectively, firstly
familiarised themselves with the volunteers and the setting over a six-week pre-data collection period, in order to gain an insider perspective
regarding the social dynamics of the group, and the special ethos and cultural dynamics of the centre. Findings suggest that such a methodological approach to investigating the impacts of a green exercise modality is not only productive, but also essential in fully appreciating the mechanisms and processes underpinning
enhancements to mental health and wellbeing.
Digital learning environments are increasingly becoming popular in recent years. Particularly, the rising usage of mobile phones has invited researchers to design and develop learning applications and games for mobile phones.... more
Digital learning environments are increasingly becoming popular in recent years. Particularly, the rising usage of mobile phones has invited researchers to design and develop learning applications and games for mobile phones. Specifically, game-based language learning in cultural context is being promoted by researchers in many parts of the world which are quite effective for public sector school students. Requirements for a language learning game have been elicited from the preliminary survey as well as from the literature and a theoretical model for language learning in a cultural context has also been constructed and validated through inter-rater reliability. A low-fidelity prototype has been developed for Language Learning Serious Game (LLSG) on the basis of a theoretical model and researcher proposed heuristics to validate it. This research aims to appraise the usability of LLSG through proposed heuristics and think-aloud approaches while involving all important stakeholders including language experts (teachers) and game developers. The heuristic evaluation is based on well-defined criteria laid down by Nielson, whereas, the think-aloud evaluation is compiled from the rigorous discussion session held by involving these stakeholders. The results obtained from heuristic evaluation are very positive, indicates that the low-fidelity prototype has most of the required language learning, educational, and cultural context elements and thus the prototype had good usability. On the other hand, a variety of interesting suggestions and reviews are gathered from the discussion between experts. This will further improve the version of the low-fidelity prototype and also help to develop high-fidelity prototypes.
Digital learning environments are increasingly becoming popular in recent years. Particularly, the rising usage of mobile phones has invited researchers to design and develop learning applications and games for mobile phones.... more
Digital learning environments are increasingly becoming popular in recent years. Particularly, the rising usage of mobile phones has invited researchers to design and develop learning applications and games for mobile phones. Specifically, game-based language learning in cultural context is being promoted by researchers in many parts of the world which are quite effective for public sector school students. Requirements for a language learning game have been elicited from the preliminary survey as well as from the literature and a theoretical model for language learning in a cultural context has also been constructed and validated through inter-rater reliability. A low-fidelity prototype has been developed for Language Learning Serious Game (LLSG) on the basis of a theoretical model and researcher proposed heuristics to validate it. This research aims to appraise the usability of LLSG through proposed heuristics and think-aloud approaches while involving all important stakeholders including language experts (teachers) and game developers. The heuristic evaluation is based on well-defined criteria laid down by Nielson, whereas, the think-aloud evaluation is compiled from the rigorous discussion session held by involving these stakeholders. The results obtained from heuristic evaluation are very positive, indicates that the low-fidelity prototype has most of the required language learning, educational, and cultural context elements and thus the prototype had good usability. On the other hand, a variety of interesting suggestions and reviews are gathered from the discussion between experts. This will further improve the version of the low-fidelity prototype and also help to develop high-fidelity prototypes.
This study investigates the opportunity to adopt the Think Aloud metacognitive technique to instruct students to become strategic and skilled readers in the online environments. After presenting the historical and theoretical roots of the... more
This study investigates the opportunity to adopt the Think Aloud metacognitive technique to instruct students to become strategic and skilled readers in the online environments. After presenting the historical and theoretical roots of the Think Aloud and the methodological characteristics of this technique, the study proposes an instructional tool that could support late primary and secondary school teachers in planning online reading lessons with the Think Aloud. Finally, the main strengths and weaknesses in the application of this technique to the online reading, and the prospects and future developments of the research in this area are analyzed.
Cognitive interviewing (CI) provides a method of systematically collecting validity evidence of response processes for questionnaire items. CI involves a range of techniques for prompting individuals to verbalise their responses to items.... more
Cognitive interviewing (CI) provides a method of systematically collecting validity evidence of response processes for questionnaire items. CI involves a range of techniques for prompting individuals to verbalise their responses to items. One such technique is concurrent verbalisation, as developed in Think Aloud Protocol (TAP). This article investigates the value of the technique for validating questionnaire items administered to young people in international surveys. To date, the literature on TAP has focused on allaying concerns about reactivity – whether response processes are affected by thinking aloud. This article investigates another concern, namely the completeness of concurrent verbalisations – the extent to which respondents verbalise their response processes. An independent, exploratory validation of the PISA assessment of student self-efficacy in mathematics by a small international team of researchers using CI with concurrent verbalisation in four education systems (En...
Background: Effectively scaled-up physical activity interventions are urgently needed to address the high prevalence of physical inactivity. To facilitate scale-up of an efficacious school-based physical activity program (Physical... more
Background: Effectively scaled-up physical activity interventions are urgently needed to address the high prevalence of physical
inactivity. To facilitate scale-up of an efficacious school-based physical activity program (Physical Activity 4 Everyone [PA4E1]),
provision of implementation support to physical education (PE) teachers was adapted from face-to-face and paper-based delivery
modes to partial delivery via a website. A lack of engagement (usage and subjective experience) with digital delivery modes,
including websites, may in part explain the typical reduction in effectiveness of scaled-up interventions that use digital delivery
modes. A process evaluation focused on the PA4E1 website was undertaken.
Objective: The 2 objectives were to (1) describe the usage of the PA4E1 program website by in-school champions (PE teachers
leading the program within their schools) and PE teachers using quantitative methods; (2) examine the usage, subjective experience,
and usability of the PA4E1 program website from the perspective of in-school champions using mixed methods.
Methods: The first objective used website usage data collected across all users (n=273) throughout the 9 school terms of the
PA4E1 implementation support. The 4 usage measures were sessions, page views, average session duration, and downloads.
Descriptive statistics were calculated and explored across the duration of the 26-month program. The second objective used mixed
methods, triangulating data from the first objective with data from a think-aloud survey and usability test completed by in-school
champions (n=13) at 12 months. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically alongside descriptive statistics from the quantitative
data in a triangulation matrix, generating cross-cutting themes using the “following a thread” approach.
Results: For the first objective, in-school champions averaged 48.0 sessions per user, PE teachers 5.8 sessions. PE teacher
sessions were of longer duration (10.5 vs 7.6 minutes) and included more page views (5.4 vs 3.4). The results from the mixed
methods analysis for the second objective found 9 themes and 2 meta-themes. The first meta-theme indicated that the website
was an acceptable and appropriate delivery mode, and usability of the website was high. The second meta-theme found that the
website content was acceptable and appropriate, and identified specific suggestions for improvement.
Conclusions: Digital health interventions targeting physical activity often experience issues of lack of user engagement. By
contrast, the findings from both the quantitative and mixed methods analyses indicate high usage and overall acceptability and
appropriateness of the PA4E1 website to school teachers. The findings support the value of the website within a multidelivery
mode implementation intervention to support schools to implement physical activity promoting practices. The analysis identified
suggested intervention refinements, which may be adopted for future iterations and further scale-up of the PA4E1 program.
This study investigates the effects of thinking aloud on cognitive effort in translation as a function of source-text difficulty level. It does so by considering time on task, duration of different translation phases (i.e., orientation,... more
This study investigates the effects of thinking aloud on cognitive effort in translation as a function of source-text difficulty level. It does so by considering time on task, duration of different translation phases (i.e., orientation, draft, revision), cognitive effort of processing the source and target texts, and translation quality. Twenty participants took part in an English-Chinese translation experiment, which comprised two matched sessions-translating while thinking aloud and translating silently. Their translation processes were recorded by means of an eye tracker and a key logger. An adapted NASA Task Load Index was employed to elicit their subjective assessments of translation difficulty levels. The quality of their translations was evaluated. The results of the study reveal a number of important effects of thinking aloud on cognitive effort during translation: on translation duration, cognitive effort, the perceived level of difficulty of a translation as measured by NASA-TLX, and on translating easier texts.
"Representation" is one of those Janus-faced terms that seems blatantly obvious when used in a casual or pre-theoretic manner, but which reveals itself far more slippery when attentively studied. Any allusion to "metarepresentation," it... more
"Representation" is one of those Janus-faced terms that seems blatantly obvious when used in a casual or pre-theoretic manner, but which reveals itself far more slippery when attentively studied. Any allusion to "metarepresentation," it would then seem, only compounds these difficulties. Taking the metarepresentationalist framework in its roughest outline as our point of departure, we shall instead try to articulate four key "structural" features that appear binding for any such theory.
Background: ‘Thinking aloud’ is a well-established method of data collection in education, assessment, and other fields of research. However, while many researchers have reported their views on its usage, the first-hand experiences of... more
Background: ‘Thinking aloud’ is a well-established method of data collection in education, assessment, and other fields of research. However, while many researchers have reported their views on its usage, the first-hand experiences of research participants have received less attention.Purpose: The aim of this exploratory study was to obtain the perspectives of GCSE examiners on thinking aloud as a means of investigating the
This paper reports on a study about the rhetoric, metacognitive, and cognitive strategies pre-service teachers use before and after a process-based writing intervention when completing an argumentative essay. The data were collected... more
This paper reports on a study about the rhetoric, metacognitive, and cognitive strategies pre-service teachers use before and after a process-based writing intervention when completing an argumentative essay. The data were collected through two think-aloud protocols while 21 Chilean English as a foreign language pre-service teachers completed an essay task. The findings show that strategies such as summarizing, reaffirming, and selecting ideas were only evidenced during the post intervention essay, without the use of communication and socio-affective strategies in either of the two essays. All in all, a process-based writing intervention does not only influence the number of times a strategy is used, but also the number of students who employs strategies when writing an essay—two key considerations for the devising of any writing program.
This paper investigates the extent to which translator training influences the perceptions of translation and shapes the role of the translator. The study explores the cohorts' perceptions of translation and of the role of the translator... more
This paper investigates the extent to which translator training influences the perceptions of translation and shapes the role of the translator. The study explores the cohorts' perceptions of translation and of the role of the translator drawing from Tymoczko's call (2014) to look beyond Western conceptualisations of translation. A view that long benefited from the view of translation as an act of transfer or carrying across. Recent research suggested viewing translation as an act of re-contextualisation (House, 2018) or an act of re-narration (Baker, 2014). The study uses think-aloud protocols (TAPs) to monitor and understand the process of translation. Two groups of participants were selected for this research. One group comprises of ten trainee translators, who are MA Translation Studies students, and the second comprises of ten natural translators, who are bilinguals with no prior training in Translation. The natural participants perceived translation as a process of transfer in which the translator plays an active role. Trainee translators viewed translation as a communicative process, and the translator is at the heart of this process, creating links between cultures and increasing intercultural knowledge.
This article describes a graduate-level service learning usability project and illustrates the practical tensions generated by increasing complexity in technology design. Although a foundational body of usability research prescribes... more
This article describes a graduate-level service learning usability project and illustrates the practical tensions generated by increasing complexity in technology design. Although a foundational body of usability research prescribes standards for high-quality test design, such guidelines may not be applicable or practical in a particular context. Usability students and professionals benefit from allowing themselves the space for adaptation in order to conduct rigorous testing and meet client needs. An agile attitude—theory based but not theory bound—emphasizes user-centeredness, functionality, customer collaboration, and flexibility. Such an attitude emerges from basic principles of rhetorical theory, such as timing (kairos), user-centeredness (audience), genre, and rhetorical context. Bridging industry and academia, service-learning projects provide a compelling opportunity to experience the tensions and decision making required at the nexus of theory and practice.