Preserving the integrity of the medium: a method of measuring visual and auditory comprehension of electronic media

✍ Scribed by Mary Alice White; Barbara Sandberg; Eda Behar; Jean Mockler; Elizabeth Perez; Janine Pollack; Kenneth Rosenblad

• Book ID: 104139883
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1984
• Weight: 442 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7373
• DOI: 10.1016/s0020-7373(84)80025-5

✦ Synopsis

This study reports the development of two techniques to assess comprehension of television which "respect the integrity of the medium". A cut, defined as that segment of the videotape corresponding to one particular camera angle, was the unit of measurement. Random cuts were made in the videotape of a television program, and presented to 99 fourth and fifth grade boys and girls. The subjects were presented with the videotape including 20 blank cuts; for each blank cut one-half of our subjects had to select one of five visual choices for the visual blank cut; the other half had to choose one of five auditory choices for the auditory blank cuts. The choices, including the correct choice, were taken from the videotape and varied in appropriateness. The children were able to perform the two tasks, receiving mean scores of 54% and 61% correct, which compares favorably to comprehension scores for reading.

These two techniques are described as tools for assessing electronic comprehension which assess in the same medium as the information was received. The significance of this for further research is suggested.