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Abstract: The effects of a segmented presentation applied to a visually structured text were examined in the context of the explosion of small-screen devices. Empirical research investigating the influence of text signaling on text processing suggests that the text visual structure may influence comprehension by facilitating the construction of a coherent text representation. Undergraduate students were asked to read a text under different segmented conditions varying on the type of information provided about the text visual structure and on the segmentation unit. When the segmented presentation did not supply any information or when it only offered local information about the text visual structure, text comprehension depended on the segmentation unit. When the segmentation unit did not fit the text visual structure, an erroneous text representation was constructed, whereas the compatible segmentation unit led to a correct text comprehension. When the segmented presentation rendered the global text visual structure, the segmentation unit had no effect on comprehension and more readers constructed a correct and close text representation. Thus, the text visual structure seems to play a role in text comprehension and this role has to be taken into account for text segmented presentation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It has been assumed theoretically and established empirically that text signals exert an influence on text memorization and comprehension. The study investigates whether the restoration of the text visual signals improve text memorization and comprehension when automatically converting a text into speech. Participants listened to a restaurant menu oralized by a text-to-speech synthesis. The visual signals used in the menu were restored either with discursive segments, with prosodic cues, or with a picture of text, displayed before or during the listening. Participants had to perform tasks assessing their text memorization and comprehension. The restoration of text visual signals exerts an influence on the participants’ recall but these effects vary according to the restoration mean used and to the task. When visual signals are not restored, individuals construct an erroneous representation of the situation described in the text leading to a misinterpretation of the text meaning, whereas the discursive and prosodic restorations involve the construction of an adequate representation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Based on previous research in the field of cognitive psychology, highlighting the facilitatory effects of titles on several text-related activities, this paper looks at the extent to which titles reflect text content. An exploratory study of real-life technical documents investigated the content of their Subject lines, which linguistic analyses had led us to regard as titles. The study showed that most of the titles supplied by the writers failed to represent the documents’ contents and that most users failed to detect this lack of validity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Learning flight procedures is part of any pilot training. The conventional learning method consists in learning and practicing the procedure written on a sheet of paper along with printed images of the cockpit. The purpose of the present paper was to test the efficiency of a tactile interactive multimedia training tool designed to foster the self-regulated learning of flight procedures, especially through enacting relevant gestures and providing feedback. Results showed that learning with this tool did not lead to significant shorter learning times than with the conventional learning. However, on a delayed retention test in a real A320 cockpit simulator, learners of the experimental group performed the procedure more rapidly than those of the control group. Results suggested that a training tool that incites learners to perform similar gestures than those in the real environment and that provides feedback, helped learners to transform declarative into procedural knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]