Diver – Diagnostics of processes of evaluating, integrating and understanding distributed information

The project deals with requirements and processes for reading and understanding information originating from different documents and information sources. It is investigated to what extent such requirements influence previous competence measurements, and which strategies people use when dealing with distributed information.

Searching for information nowadays usually means using different, and often digital, documents and sources. Relevant information must be specifically identified, correctly interpreted in context and compared with other information from alternative sources. This project investigates how people deal with such distributed information and which solution strategies they apply.

On the one hand, research will be conducted on how the measurement of reading literacy is influenced by certain factors. These factors include, for example, navigation requirements between different documents. Work in the field of digital reading indicates that reading tasks involving information from several digital sources not only measure reading literacy, but also among other things (e.g., basic skills in using computers).

On the other hand, log data, such as clicks made or time spent on individual web pages, are analysed in computer-based studies in order to identify different processing sequences. It can also be used to identify the strategies of individuals that are beneficial or detrimental to success. For this purpose, in addition to a re-analysis of the log and result data from PISA and PIAAC, additional data collection will take place.

At the end of the study, insight is expected into the extent to which the requirements in reading tasks to take into account information from a variety of sources influences reading literacy. The work will also provide a basis for understanding how the various strategies of cognitive information processing in students can be taken into account when designing teaching and learning situations.

Funding: Centre for International Student Assessment (ZIB)

Project Partners: TUM; IPN

Duration: 2020 - 2022

Status: running

Contact: Carolin Hahnel