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Memory Processes in Text and Multimedia Comprehension: Some Reflections and Perspectives

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Understanding Multimedia Documents

Abstract

We reflect on the cognitive skills involved in comprehending text and multimedia documents. Multimedia comprehension involves a multiplicity of processes and places heavy demands on the individual’s working memory. We propose that two key factors determine learners’ ability to construct knowledge from multimedia documents: first, the automaticity of some processing components, such as word decoding, reference assignment or inference generation; second, the mastery of effective processing strategies, allowing the learner to take into account the constraints and affordances of specific task contexts and combination of media. We conclude that the development of comprehensive theories of comprehension may improve the practice of designing and using multimedia resources in educational contexts.

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Fayol, M., Rouet, JF. (2008). Memory Processes in Text and Multimedia Comprehension: Some Reflections and Perspectives. In: Rouet, JF., Lowe, R., Schnotz, W. (eds) Understanding Multimedia Documents. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73337-1_14

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