A comparison of text versus audio for information comprehension with future uses for smart speakers

Objective: Audio is increasingly used to access information on the Internet through virtual assistants and smart speakers. Our objective is to evaluate the distribution of health information through audio. Materials and Methods: We conducted 2 studies to compare comprehension after reading or listening to information using a new corpus containing short text snippets from Cochrane (N=50) and Wikipedia (N=50). In study 1, the snippets were first presented as audio or text followed by a multiple-choice question. Then, the same information was presented as text and the question was repeated in addition to questions about perceived difficulty, severity and the likelihood of encountering the disease. In study 2, the first multiple-choice question was replaced with a free recall question. Results: Study 1 showed that information comprehension is very similar in both presentation modes (53% accuracy for text and 55% for audio). Study 2 showed that information retention is higher with text, but similar comprehension. Both studies show improvement in performance with repeated information presentation. Discussion: Audio presentation of information is effective and the format novel. Performance was slightly lower with audio when asked to repeat information, but comparable to text for answering questions. Additional studies are needed with different types of information and presentation combinations. Conclusion: The use of audio to provide health information is a promising field and will become increasingly important with the popularity of smart speakers and virtual assistants, particularly for consumers who do not use computers, for example minority groups, or those with limited sight or motor control. © The Author(s) 2019.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Learning and teaching : research based methods

xiii, 437 p.; 25 cm

Evaluation of an online text simplification editor using manual and automated metrics for perceived and actual text difficulty

Objective: Simplifying healthcare text to improve understanding is difficult but critical to improve health literacy. Unfortunately, few tools exist that have been shown objectively to improve text and understanding. We developed an online editor that integrates simplification algorithms that suggest concrete simplifications, all of which have been shown individually to affect text difficulty. Materials and Methods: The editor was used by a health educator at a local community health center to simplify 4 texts. A controlled experiment was conducted with community center members to measure perceived and actual difficulty of the original and simplified texts. Perceived difficulty was measured using a Likert scale; actual difficulty with multiple-choice questions and with free recall of information evaluated by the educator and 2 sets of automated metrics. Results: The results show that perceived difficulty improved with simplification. Several multiple-choice questions, measuring actual difficulty, were answered more correctly with the simplified text. Free recall of information showed no improvement based on the educator evaluation but was better for simplified texts when measured with automated metrics. Two follow-up analyses showed that self-reported education level and the amount of English spoken at home positively correlated with question accuracy for original texts and the effect disappears with simplified text. Discussion: Simplifying text is difficult and the results are subtle. However, using a variety of different metrics helps quantify the effects of changes. Conclusion: Text simplification can be supported by algorithmic tools. Without requiring tool training or linguistic knowledge, our simplification editor helped simplify healthcare related texts. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Book Clubs as Professional Development Opportunities for Preservice Teacher Candidates and Practicing Teachers: An Exploratory Study

The issue of professional development is receiving increased attention, as educators and policy makers are realizing the centrality of teachers to school reform and improvement. This paper describes research on book clubs as a mechanism for professional development and discusses how different study group configurations (i.e., preservice teacher candidates and practicing teachers) utilized book club activities as a central component of their professional development activities. While participation in professional book clubs provides opportunities to examine educational issues, the process is complex and should be examined carefully

Strategies for teachers : information processing models in the classroom /

Bibliogr. à la fin des chap.Index: p. 363-36