title: The Comprehension of Expository Science Texts Among Year 6 Students

authors: de Jonge, Sharyn Leanne

abstract: This study examined the influence of instruction in text feature knowledge and metacognitive strategies on the comprehension of expository text among Year 6 students. Over a period of 8 weeks, twelve Year 6 students read a series of 10 expository science texts with diagrams. An Intervention Group comprised of six students received instructional lessons that emphasised recognition of text features, integration of information across text features and identifying a navigational pathway. A Control Group, of a further six students, read the same material however, they did not receive instruction relating to metacognitive strategies and text features. Comprehension of each text was measured by multiple choice questions, pre and post knowledge assessment, and written response. Metacognitive awareness was measured pre and post intervention using a modified Metacognitive Strategy Index (MSI) (Schmitt, 1990). The study took a mixed methods approach. Qualitative data was analysed by thematic analysis. Quantitative data presents descriptive statistics that indicate differences between and within Intervention and Control Groups. Findings indicate that students benefit from explicit instruction in metacognitive strategies and text feature knowledge.

text: The Comprehension of Expository Science Texts Among Year 6 Students This study examined the influence of instruction in text feature knowledge and metacognitive strategies on the comprehension of expository text among Year 6 students. Over a period of 8 weeks, twelve Year 6 students read a series of 10 expository science texts with diagrams. An Intervention Group comprised of six students received instructional lessons that emphasised recognition of text features, integration of information across text features and identifying a navigational pathway. A Control Group, of a further six students, read the same material however, they did not receive instruction relating to metacognitive strategies and text features. Comprehension of each text was measured by multiple choice questions, pre and post knowledge assessment, and written response. Metacognitive awareness was measured pre and post intervention using a modified Metacognitive Strategy Index (MSI) (Schmitt, 1990). The study took a mixed methods approach. Qualitative data was analysed by thematic analysis. Quantitative data presents descriptive statistics that indicate differences between and within Intervention and Control Groups. Findings indicate that students benefit from explicit instruction in metacognitive strategies and text feature knowledge.

year: 2012

title: Rats, plagues, and children, Oh My! Multimodal representations of the past in historical games

authors: Redder, Ben Dorrington

subjects: visuality design

abstract: Since their inception, Game Studies and its sub-discipline Historical Game Studies have stressed the pedagogical potential of (historical) games for learning. Today, popular off-the-shelf historical digital games such as Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017), Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019), and Red Dead Redemption (2010) have achieved period-faithful and authentic interactive representations of elements of history that possess pedagogical value distinct from written accounts. To substantiate this claim, the authors forward a multimodal account of the varied ways in which historical knowledge is present in both game design and the gameplay experience. Their approach is illustrated with an under-investigated (yet valuable) mode of historical exploration – ‘Imaginative History.’ Using video and/or screen captures from several sequences of recorded game footage taken from A Plague Tale: Innocence, the authors present a case example from the game’s fantastical portrayal of the Black Death plague. The game’s value for teaching and learning is examined in relation to its re-mediation and subversion of past pre-modern folklore imaginations and beliefs concerning the Black Death. The authors also account for the relevance of the way games achieve a specific mode of engagement that is experientially based and structured within gameplay

text: Rats, plagues, and children, Oh My! Multimodal representations of the past in historical games Since their inception, Game Studies and its sub-discipline Historical Game Studies have stressed the pedagogical potential of (historical) games for learning. Today, popular off-the-shelf historical digital games such as Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017), Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019), and Red Dead Redemption (2010) have achieved period-faithful and authentic interactive representations of elements of history that possess pedagogical value distinct from written accounts. To substantiate this claim, the authors forward a multimodal account of the varied ways in which historical knowledge is present in both game design and the gameplay experience. Their approach is illustrated with an under-investigated (yet valuable) mode of historical exploration – ‘Imaginative History.’ Using video and/or screen captures from several sequences of recorded game footage taken from A Plague Tale: Innocence, the authors present a case example from the game’s fantastical portrayal of the Black Death plague. The game’s value for teaching and learning is examined in relation to its re-mediation and subversion of past pre-modern folklore imaginations and beliefs concerning the Black Death. The authors also account for the relevance of the way games achieve a specific mode of engagement that is experientially based and structured within gameplay

year: 2022

title: Toitū Te Whānau, Toitū Te Iwi: A Community Approach to English Transition

authors: Berryman, Mere

subjects: Maori

abstract: The research project presented in this thesis documents and describes the outcomes of effective whānau (immediate and extended family), kura (school), student, and researcher collaboration. The researcher became part of a whānau-of-interest (Bishop, 1996b) in 1998 and 1999 when she was invited by this community to help develop a suitable programme to assist highly competent Māori immersion students in their transition to a bi-lingual secondary school (the only option available in their community). The whānau wanted students to begin their secondary schooling with an improved competence in reading and writing in English but without compromising their competency in Maori language. Prior to this programme few of the students had received any formal instruction in the English language.
After a ten-week intervention implemented mainly outside the classroom, the researcher found that whānau tutors had effectively implemented the programmes and that all Year 8 students were able to read stories (in English) and talk about them (in English) at age appropriate reading levels. They also displayed improved rates of writing in English while maintaining their high fluency in reading and writing in Māori. The 10-week programme and results were replicated over a further three terms with the Year 7 and again with the Year 6 students. The study employed a multiple baseline across groups, design. A collaborative story gathered from participants at the end of the programme, together with these process and outcome data, strongly support the successful outcomes of this "participant driven" (Bishop, 1996b) programme.

text: Toitū Te Whānau, Toitū Te Iwi: A Community Approach to English Transition The research project presented in this thesis documents and describes the outcomes of effective whānau (immediate and extended family), kura (school), student, and researcher collaboration. The researcher became part of a whānau-of-interest (Bishop, 1996b) in 1998 and 1999 when she was invited by this community to help develop a suitable programme to assist highly competent Māori immersion students in their transition to a bi-lingual secondary school (the only option available in their community). The whānau wanted students to begin their secondary schooling with an improved competence in reading and writing in English but without compromising their competency in Maori language. Prior to this programme few of the students had received any formal instruction in the English language.
After a ten-week intervention implemented mainly outside the classroom, the researcher found that whānau tutors had effectively implemented the programmes and that all Year 8 students were able to read stories (in English) and talk about them (in English) at age appropriate reading levels. They also displayed improved rates of writing in English while maintaining their high fluency in reading and writing in Māori. The 10-week programme and results were replicated over a further three terms with the Year 7 and again with the Year 6 students. The study employed a multiple baseline across groups, design. A collaborative story gathered from participants at the end of the programme, together with these process and outcome data, strongly support the successful outcomes of this "participant driven" (Bishop, 1996b) programme.

year: 2001