ABSTRACT. Virtual Internships are simulations that allow learners to engage in the complex problem solving of professional domains. One challenge in developing such simulations is the evaluation of various types of user inputs. To set up evaluation models, we investigated different types of computable measures, including Basic count, Epistemic Network Analysis, Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count, and Latent Semantic Analysis. Our study shows that these measures can provide evaluation models for automatic evaluation.

ABSTRACT. We explored patterns of linguistic intergroup bias (LIB) in Republican and Democratic speeches (N = 229,526), delivered between 1989-2006, using two automated linguistic tools, Coh-Metrix and Linguistic Inquiry Word Count. The results indicated that overall, Democrats exhibited more linguistic bias compared to Republicans. However, the results show different temporal trends. Specifically, we found that while Democrats exhibit overall more bias, they have been significantly decreasing in bias language, while Republicans are on the increase.

ABSTRACT. This study investigated whether the reading ability of human learners and the ability of a peer computer agent could predict the learning of a summarizing strategy in an intelligent tutoring system, called AutoTutor. Participants were 47 adult learners of English as Foreign Language (EFL). Results revealed significant differences in the learner’s ability, with learning positively related to ability. However, the ability of the agent did not significantly predict performance.

ABSTRACT. Writing research traditionally analyzes finished products (e.g., complete essays) instead of the moment-by-moment writing process. Although product-based analyses have successfully characterized writers and writing quality, they cannot capture nuances during writing. In this project, we analyzed keystrokes logged in a web-based writing tutor to compare product measures (e.g., word count) with process measures (e.g., varying productivity). We generally found high correlations between the two. However, they were not redundant, suggesting the utility of keystroke data.

ABSTRACT. Text-to-speech devices often have difficulties in translating signals such as headings from visual into audio mode. Previous research studies have attempted to address this problem (Lorch, Chen & Lemarié, 2012; Lorch, Chen, Jawahil & Lemarié, 2015 unpublished) but these studies have focused mainly on the audio perception of headings. The current study seeks to investigate different signal rendering strategies’ effect on actual learning tasks, including note-taking, recall, and knowledge transfer. Results from this study reveal that listeners find a rendering strategy which varies the pitch, tempo, and volume of the headings most useful in note-taking and recall tasks.

ABSTRACT. After readers make a bridging inference to maintain causal coherence between events in a text, the N400 component of event-related potentials differs between processing the previously inferred information versus processing neutral information. Does this difference reflect detection of incoherence when processing the neutral information, ease of integration of the incoming information with the text representation, or both? Time-frequency analyses of the N400 indicated both early detection of incoherence and later integration of the incoming information.

ABSTRACT. Large individual differences exist among college-level readers. Previous neuroimaging research has shown that cortical dynamics underpin such differences. The goal of this study was to investigate these dynamics using electrophysiological recordings of oscillatory rhythms during rest. Our results demonstrated that power in the beta frequency (13-30Hz), known to correlate with memory encoding and maintenance, was reliably negatively correlated with subsequent performance on standardized comprehension tests as well as on lower-level lexical access/semantic priming tasks.

ABSTRACT. This study examined the influence of centrality on word-to-text integration. Scalp potentials were recorded as participants read short texts. Critical words at the beginning and end of final sentences were thematically-related, not-thematically-related, or neutral. Findings indicate lexical-semantic binding processes at initial words, revealed by reduced N400 responses for thematically-related and not-thematically-related words relative to neutral words. Centrality effects reflected memory-based integration processes at text-final words, indicated by greater P600 responses to not-thematically-related than thematically-related words.

ABSTRACT. In this study, we investigated how the cerebral hemispheres process puns during reading. Participants read puns and completed a lexical decision to word or nonword targets—in each visual field-hemisphere—that either matched the literal or the figurative interpretation. Greater facilitation was evident for targets related to the figurative interpretation in the right hemisphere than in the left hemisphere. Thus, the right hemisphere seems to play a unique role when individuals process puns during reading.

ABSTRACT. Learning how mechanical systems work was examined in the brains of 16 healthy undergraduates as they read about 4 common systems (e.g., a bathroom scale, fire extinguisher, car brakes, and a trumpet). The learning period (measured while reading a series of pictures, diagrams and text) activated causal inference, imagery and embodied cognition networks. Furthermore, within network functional connectivity was a function of the text characteristics, consistent with a changed neural representation.

ABSTRACT. We examined think-aloud protocols moment-by-moment from struggling and good readers to determine how and when they differ in comprehension processing. Both groups used a variety of processing strategies when reading text, however, good readers were more strategic in which processes were used than were struggling readers. Also, good readers were more likely to explain a current line of text than were struggling readers, and did so consistently throughout a text whereas struggling readers did not.

ABSTRACT. We analyze the effects of feedback on question-answering and learning from text. Seventy-three 8th grade students read a text, answered multiple-choice questions and completed a learning test. Four types of feedback were provided. First, elaborative inference feedback including hints to infer the answer; second, refutation feedback discussing misconceptions; third, inference refutation feedback, with facilitative hints and discussing misconceptions; fourth, a control with corrective information. Elaborative inference feedback favored learning from text, especially for skilled learners

ABSTRACT. This study explored the relationship between college readiness and comprehension processes revealed by the Reading Strategy Assessment Tool (RSAT). Written verbal protocols of students enrolled in a developmental education program were compared to matched peers who were admitted through traditional criteria in order to explore the needs of underprepared college readers. Comparisons of different types of moment to moment processes indicated that students in developmental education may have difficulties engaging in knowledge-based inferences

ABSTRACT. This research explored the effect of re-reading, a common study technique, on mind wandering. In Study 1, participants responded to intermittent mind wandering probes while reading two texts: one text was read once and another text twice. Participants reported increased mind wandering during re-reading and there was no benefit of re-reading on comprehension. Experiment 2 replicated these results with the additional finding that type of mind wandering (unintentional versus intentional) displayed differential patterns during re-reading.

ABSTRACT. This study examines how rewriting essays after receiving feedback affects the use of causal language by students who solved physics problems. Students rewrote essays each essay until it correctly answered the given problem. The results show that students’ final, correct essays used more causal language than their first, incorrect essays and that increased causal language was related to the number of times the essay had to be rewritten.

ABSTRACT. Self-concept may be an important individual factor that affects how refutational texts are processed. Data on 120 undergraduates’ dietary self-concept and epistemic emotions while reading an expository or refutational text on the topic of genetically modified foods were collected. Results showed an interaction on emotions between self-concept and text type; self-concept predicted negative activating emotions while reading a refutational text that subsequently affected learning. Implications for educational design and future research are discussed.

ABSTRACT. Learners often fail to comprehend and synthesize across texts and graphics despite the important role multiple representations play in understanding and explaining scientific phenomena. The current study investigates the outcomes from a classroom with supports to encourage engagement with multiple representations to create evidence-based explanations of scientific phenomena. Results indicate number of annotations and connections between representations increased from pre to post-assessment and suggest a relationship between annotations and causal explanations. Instructional implications are discussed.

ABSTRACT. Previous research indicates that texts that include refutations (Sinatra & Broughton, 2011), analogies (Calik, Ayas, & Coll, 2008), and graphics (Mayer, 2001), have been effective in promoting learning and conceptual change. In the present investigation, we sought to explore how augmenting a traditional refutation text with an analogy and a graphic would enhance learning. Preliminary results indicate that adding both an analogy and a graphic increase learning and preserve it over time.

ABSTRACT. This study manipulated whether students received a brief lesson about the complex and often indirect causal relationships that comprise scientific explanations before completing a multiple document inquiry task. Students who received the lesson made more selective and useful annotations during reading, were more responsive to the writing prompt, and included more causal concepts and connections in their essays. They also did better on inference verification task and gave more sophisticated answers on an epistemology scale.

ABSTRACT. Often times, students have inaccurate knowledge representations. Research has demonstrated that refutation texts are effective in revising such inaccurate knowledge, as assessed by processing and long-term memory measures. However, meaningful learning requires transfer of the revised knowledge in new contexts. The question addressed in this study is whether refutation texts are also effective in enhancing transfer of the revised knowledge to different texts. The results suggest effects of refutation texts on transfer.

ABSTRACT. We will present third year outcomes of an IES Goal 5 (measurement) project explore innovative solutions for K to 8th reading development. The preferred outcome is a fully-automated technology-based measure that yields profiles for skills analysis and narrow band measures for repeated measurement and monitoring. The team will present some combination of four solutions they developed and field tested. Kane’s (2006, 2011) validation framework and instructional implications will frame the presentation.

ABSTRACT. The Multiple-choice Online Cloze Comprehension reading comprehension test for 3rd – 5th grades has a unique structure in which each incorrect alternative corresponds to a type of inference error. This structure requires revised thinking about measurement issues: reliability, an appropriate item response model, and interpretation of error responses for diagnostic purposes. The presentation will cover scoring of error responses, selecting an appropriate item response theory, and developing a decision rule for diagnosing error tendencies.

ABSTRACT. Over 11,000 students in grades 3-12 completed two scenario-based reading comprehension tests. The computer-based tests required students to read a collection of sources for a specific purpose. Analyses revealed the tests had adequate properties and were feasible to implement in a real school setting. A vertical scale was created to examine how performance on the assessment changes over grades. Despite the complexity, even some younger students can engage in complex reading in a structured environment.

ABSTRACT. Our presentation summarizes a reading assessment called R-SAT (Reading Strategy Assessment Tool). R-SAT has students answer questions as they read narrative and expository text. The answers are analyzed using word-based algorithms which provide indices of overall comprehension and particular strategies used to create meaning (bridging and elaborative inferences, and paraphrasing). We present two studies which assess the tool’s ability to identify the presence of comprehension processes. We conclude with a discussion on RSAT’s potential use in formative assessment, its limitations, and our future plans.

ABSTRACT. The study examines scientific reasoning of elementary students. Students were administered a scenario-based assessment on science topics. Questions were designed to direct their attention and probe understanding of key text content. A culminating question asked them to apply what they learned and explain their reasoning. While many students scored highly on the test, only a subgroup of top scoring students provided adequate explanations. Results are interpreted with respect to quality of causal/situation model formation.

ABSTRACT. We investigated the effect of causal markers on the perceived quality of self-produced explanations. Across two studies, participants wrote answers to scientific why-questions, and then evaluated these responses. In Study 1, answers containing causal markers were rated significantly higher, and were more likely accepted as explanations. In Study 2, there was a trending effect of causal marker on perceived quality, but participants’ confidence in answering these questions may have confounded quality ratings.

ABSTRACT. Solving mathematics story problems requires text comprehension skills. However, previous studies have found few connections between traditional measures of text readability and performance on story problems. We hypothesized that measures of readability and topic incidence measured by text-mining tools may illuminate associations between text difficulty and problem-solving measures. Using problems solved through an online algebra program, we found that several indicators of story problem readability and topic of story problems were associated problem-solving performance.

ABSTRACT. Repetition, a common characteristic of speech, involves reuse of a syntactic structure, with or without repeated lexical elements. Discourse analysis of mathematics classroom conversations highlights the significance of repetition as a shared linguistic resource for emergent argumentation. The presentation summarizes related experimental findings from psycholinguistics and cognitive science in order to argue that syntactic repetition is a potential bridging theme between the fields of education and cognitive science.

ABSTRACT. Readers draw generalization inferences to combine several facts into one superordinate theme. College students who received training on deductive reasoning prior to reading expository texts drew a higher number of accurate generalization inferences than a control group receiving no training. This suggests a theoretical link between inferences and reasoning as well as provided a novel approach to reading intervention.

ABSTRACT. In this study, 255 fifth graders read and listened to two expository passages, provided oral retells, and answered comprehension questions. Confirmatory factor analyses and item-level crossed random effects modeling were used to predict question performance using retell elements. Findings suggest retell factors and prior knowledge significantly predict passage comprehension. Findings also support the use of factor analysis in examining retell data, specifically pertaining to text representation.

ABSTRACT. This paper examined the changes of Moyan’s linguistic style with automated linguistic analyses methods to see whether this writer suffered from childhood trauma and overcame it through expressive writing. The results did not prove significant evidence of childhood trauma and subsequent healing. It could be related to the cultural difference between Chinese and English. The same linguistic feature might reflect different psychological states in different language.

ABSTRACT. We evaluated how good and poor comprehenders engaged in relevancy processing in a task oriented situation and responded to feedback. Students did the task while thinking aloud on one of the texts and reading silently on the other text. Surprisingly, the ability to identify relevant information in the text and answer the questions was negatively affected by thinking aloud. Analyses of the think-aloud protocols yielded insights into why this was the case.

ABSTRACT. Many skills required for successful reference continue to develop well into childhood. In this study we investigate whether children modify their deictic language to accommodate differences in visual perspective and spatial dynamics between themselves and their listener. We found that speakers use a higher proportion of proximal reference forms for physically proximal referents, though they’re more likely to use proximal forms for distant referents when their visual perspective differed substantially from their interlocutor’s.

ABSTRACT. This study examined whether solution-based prompts improve learning from document sets in science, by increasing the perceived utility of constructing causal explanations. Solution-based reading prompts led to better recall of information and better responses on a solution generation task, however no differences were seen on an inference-verification task. Future work is needed to identify when solution-based prompts might be more likely to help readers to refine their task models and improve understanding from science texts.

ABSTRACT. Responses from two think-aloud tasks (traditional; closed forced-choice) were used to identify whether good and poor comprehenders utilize similar comprehension processes across the two methods. Results from 3rd-5th grade readers’ responses provide initial support for validating the types of processes used during comprehension of narratives. Additional analyses will be conducted to determine if these findings replicate across diverse demographic groups. Results could inform the development of new instructional methods for improving struggling readers' comprehension skills. 

ABSTRACT. Multiple document readers may have difficulty disengaging from familiar reading strategies based on text importance and engaging task-based relevance strategies. To investigate, we had participants read texts about different topics and rate sentences for text-based importance or relevance to an across-documents reading goal. Comparisons of within-group agreement suggested comparable skill, with a non-significant trend towards greater agreement for relevance raters. Additionally, interest in the across-documents topic was positively correlated with agreement for both groups.

ABSTRACT. We investigated whether students increased their self-assessment accuracy and essay scores over the course of an intervention with a writing strategy intelligent tutoring system system, W-Pal. Results indicate that students were able to learn from W-Pal, and that the combination of strategy instruction, game-based practice, and holistic essay-based practice led to equivalent gains in self-assessment accuracy compared to heavier doses of deliberate writing practice (offering twice the amount of system feedback).

ABSTRACT. We examined text revision processes in beginning and advanced college writers, focusing on the relation between writers’ initial mental representation of the writing task and their revisions processes. Participants thought aloud while planning, writing and revising an essay. The number of verbalizations related to task representations was moderately correlated with the number of revisions. Advanced writers made more content and organization revisions, although beginning writers knew these aspects of an essay were important.

ABSTRACT. For students attempting to acquire a second language with grammatical gender, learning the gender of each new noun can prove to be a daunting and frustrating task. This study investigates whether the presentation of biological sex cues during the acquisition of L2 nouns can enhance memory of the associated grammatical gender. Preliminary data analyses suggest that participants may not automatically encode and use biological gender cues during the acquisition of L2 nouns.

ABSTRACT. This study demonstrates differences in readers’ memory and metacognitive judgments for expository and narrative texts. Participants read and rated 16 short expository or narrative descriptions of psychological phenomena, with critical content held consistent, and completed an immediate or delayed test. Readers demonstrated higher interest and metacognitive appraisals for narratives, but greater retention for content from expository texts. Narratives may inflate metacognitive judgments for psychological content. Differences across experiments, and implications will be discussed.

ABSTRACT. The current study examined how the coherence of a first text and causal chain completeness influenced the integration of information across texts. Contrary to expectations, increased cohesiveness did not improve integration. However, participants given an integrated causal model demonstrated better integration of the chain information than participants given a chain divided across two texts. A second experiment addressed limitations of the first experiment by examining the effect of text boundaries and organization on integration.

ABSTRACT. The role of grammatical aspect in establishing causal relationships across sentences in narratives was examined in this study. Lower and higher-skilled comprehenders read short narratives that included causes and effects. Unexpectedly, lower-skilled readers seem to have better recall during processing if the cause was in the imperfective (was passing) rather than the perfective (passed) aspect. It appears lower-skilled readers encode aspect moment-to-moment, and higher-skilled readers create representations that are ‘good enough.’

ABSTRACT. How does the source modality (oral vs. written) of an information affect its memorization? After having been exposed to short stories in one of these two modalities, participants performed a surprise recognition test during which they also recalled the modality in which the story had been presented. Content memory was greater for stories presented in the written modality, whereas source modality memory was greater for stories presented orally. Implications for conversational memory are discussed.

ABSTRACT. In a dual-task eye-tracking experiment (reading/memory-load task), we studied the relation between causal inferences, standards of coherence, and reading skill. An increased cognitive load induced slower reading and poorer comprehension. Longer processing did not improve performance of less-skilled readers. For skilled readers, longer first-pass processing lead to better performance on long- but not short-distance causal inferences. This indicates that flexibility in standards of coherence depends on reading skill and is elicited by high cognitively demand.

ABSTRACT. Working memory is the cognitive system that performs maintenance and manipulation of information for brief periods of time. Reading span tasks are commonly used to measure individual differences in working memory, but are inefficient to administer. This presentation addresses the creation and evaluation of an automated, computerized reading span task intended for use in applied settings. This innovative tool may help school psychologists and educators determine an underlying source of reading comprehension difficulties.

ABSTRACT. Over 1,300 students in grades 5-6 completed a scenario-based reading comprehension test that measured local and global comprehension as well as select argumentation skills. The assessment structured and sequenced tasks to build up students understanding as they integrated multiple sources. The results indicated the assessment displayed adequate properties and younger students were able to show evidence of higher-level thinking. However, lower level comprehension processes did predict a large amount variance in students’ argumentation skill.

ABSTRACT. Multiple text processing can benefit from paying attention to sources. This study compared first-year students (novices) and scientists in psychology (experts) regarding their use of source-related information for evaluating the credibility of multiple texts, using a think-aloud procedure. Experts’ credibility judgments were more accurate than novices’ judgments and their superior performance was explained by their use of source-related strategies. This suggests that source-related strategies are acquired as part of the disciplinary expertise during academic training.

ABSTRACT. The main purpose of this study was to design and analyze the psychometric properties of a test for measuring cognitive load in multiple documents reading situations. A first 24 item-pilot test consisting of a three factor structure was administered to a sample of 66 university students of Education. The questionnaire has proved to be reliable at least in a two-factor solution, Perceived Difficulty (IL – EL) and Germaine Load (GL); nevertheless its potential adaptation into a three factor structure and future applications will be further discussed.

ABSTRACT. The current experiments examined whether less-skilled readers would be able to encode and integrate causal updating information to the same extent as skilled readers. The results of Experiment 1 and 2 demonstrated that one sentence of causal updating information was encoded and did aid less-skilled readers in updating, as evidenced by the recall results, however the reading times indicated that skilled and less-skilled readers may have a different timetable for integration.

ABSTRACT. A cross-sequential design (Cohort I: 5-6 to 7-8-year-olds; Cohort II: 7-9 to 9-11-year-olds) was investigated for the relationship between Chinese morphological awareness, character reading and reading comprehension. Character reading predicts reading comprehension mainly for younger children. Morphological abilities predict comprehension mainly at macrostructure and situational model. The results imply that the ability of operating morphemes flexibly supports higher levels of reading comprehension.

ABSTRACT. This study was to examine how adolescent readers explore, evaluate, and learn from multiple Internet sources to generate critical questions about a controversial issue. Multiple data sources were used to infer a linkage between readers’ epistemic beliefs (Internet-Specific Epistemological Questionnaire), reading strategy use (verbal reports and screen captures), and learning from multiple sources (pre/post knowledge measures). Findings and implications are discussed in relation to the complexities of strategic patterns for Internet reading.

ABSTRACT. We explored the types of information people tend to notice as different across narrative adaptations. Participants either read or watched a story, and then were presented with the other version of the story (i.e., Read/View or View/Read). In the view/read condition, participants emphasized noticing differences in the novel’s verbal content, whereas in the read/view condition, participants emphasized noticing differences in the film’s narrative events. These patterns reflect differences in people’s processing of film and text.

ABSTRACT. In this study we investigated whether individual differences in children’s reading comprehension is best explained by variation in general processing aspects or storage aspects tapped by working memory span tasks. The role of storage has possibly been underestimated by focusing on storage measures that mainly tap into phonological processing, and not into semantic processing. We addressed this issue in 117 Dutch 5th graders. Storage aspects played a more significant role than indicated by previous studies.

ABSTRACT. Evidentiality, a property found in many languages, commonly refers to the linguistic marking (in the grammar or the lexicon) of source of knowledge about an asserted event. What is unclear is whether this property also conveys epistemic value (or reliability of the source). Testing reliability of evidential sources indirectly, previous experimental investigations, conducted mostly with child samples, demonstrated that first-hand source markers were treated as more trustworthy than non first-hand markers, as children based their decisions on what was stated in the first-hand form (e.g., Aksu-Koc & Alici, 2000; Fitneva, 2001; 2008; 2009; Öztürk & Papafragou, 2005). The present experiment sought to expand the scope of investigation into the epistemic implications of evidential markers by examining in adults how different combinations of evidential markers may influence the establishment of discourse cohesion. The study compared evidential marking of first hand source with that of two different types of non-first hand sources - hearsay and inference - in two different groups: speakers of Turkish, a language in which evidentiality is grammaticalized, and speakers of English, a language in which evidentiality is conveyed in the lexicon. It was hypothesized that, regardless of language, first hand source marking would be relied on more than inference or hearsay knowledge, and that inference marking would be considered more influential than hearsay in the establishment of discourse coherence, following de Haan’s (1998) evidential hierarchy hypothesis. Two additional variables were factorially examined: the order of presentation of the particular pairings of evidentials (to test if the more recently encountered information is relied on more) and the nature of the asserted information (to test if more particular assertions carry more weight than general assertions). The experiment used a discourse completion task in which participants read sentences (in their respective language) containing different evidential expressions that resulted in somewhat contradictory information, as in: Jack was afraid of heights. But he reportedly/apparently rented an apartment on the 10th floor. Jack ___.” Participants were asked to supply a third sentence that would make sense of the first two. Three different evidential markers, presented in each combination, were examined (first hand vs. hearsay, first hand vs. inference, and inference vs. hearsay). Furthermore, each evidential marker was presented either in the first or the second sentence; e.g., Jack was reportedly afraid of heights. But he rented an apartment on the 10th floor. Jack ___. Finally, the asserted fact was either stated in a general form first or in a particular form first; e.g., Jack rented an apartment on the 10th floor. But he was reportedly afraid of heights. Jack ___. Analyses of the relative influence of the evidential marker, the ordering of the markers, and the nature of the information asserted on the way the discourse was completed showed main effects and interaction effects. Whereas evidential marking affected responses, it was not a particularly strong effect, and its influence was tempered by presentation order and type of information (general vs. particular). Interestingly, Turkish speakers appeared to place more emphasis on the nature of the fact in arriving at their response, whereas English speakers were more influenced by the order of presentation of the information. That is, English speakers demonstrated a source order effect: regardless of the order of presentation of general and particular facts, they relied on the evidentially stronger information when it was presented in the second sentence. In the example, Jack was apparently/reportedly afraid of heights. But he rented an apartment on the tenth floor of a high-rise, English speakers completed the third sentence in a way that indicated that they believed that Jack had rented the apartment. However, when the stronger evidence appeared in the first sentence, their reliance on the strong evidence was around chance level. This finding can be considered as a recency effect; that is, English speakers tended to complete the third sentence by relying on the most recent fact they encountered, regardless of the evidential source of the sentence. On the other hand, Turkish speakers demonstrated a recency effect only when the sentences were presented in the order of general fact first and particular fact second. This was the case for both source order conditions. Thus, when the stronger evidential marker was presented in the second sentence Turkish speakers’ reliance on that information increased. When the stronger evidence marker was presented in the first sentence, their reliance on the strong evidence decreased, as was the case for English speakers. However, when the sentences were presented in the order of particular sentence first and general sentence second, the tendency to rely on the recent fact disappeared. Turkish speakers were more likely to rely on the strong evidence (56.65%) even though the recent fact indicated contradicting information. Thus, Turkish speakers appear to demonstrate an attributional bias whereby they tended to rely on the particular situational fact (Jack rented an apartment on the tenth floor of a high-rise) over the general fact (he was afraid of heights). Making sense of information is central to how people understand and produce discourse. This study is the first factorial investigation of the relative influence of evidential markers, information recency, and information generality on strategies for establishing discourse coherence. The findings uncovered a complex pattern of group differences in the relative influence of the factors manipulated. More generally, the results add to a growing body of work showing how linguistic framing affects cognitive performance, in this case, discourse coherence. This work has clear implications for the interpretation of discourse in settings such as courtrooms, political elections, medical environments, marketing, or academia.

References Aksu-Koc, A., & Alici, D. M. (2000). Understanding sources of beliefs and marking of uncertainty: The child’s theory of evidentiality. In E. V. Clark (Ed.), Proceedings of the thirtieth annual child language research forum (pp. 123-130). Stanford: Center for the Study of Language & Information. de Haan, F. (1998). The cognitive basis of visual evidentials. In A. Cienki, B. J. Luka, & M. B. Smith (Eds.), Conceptual and discourse factors in linguistic structure (pp. 91-105). Stanford: CSLI Publications. Fitneva, S. A. (2001). Epistemic marking and reliability judgments: Evidence from Bulgarian. Journal of Pragmatics, 33, 401-420. Fitneva, S. A. (2008). The role of evidentiality in Bulgarian children’s reliability judgments. Journal of Child Language, 35, 845-868. Fitneva, S. A. (2009). Evidentiality and trust: The effect of informational goals. In S. A. Fitneva & T. Matsui (Eds.), Evidentiality: A window into language and cognitive development, New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, (pp. 49–61). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Öztürk, Ö., & Papafragou, A. (2005). The acquisition of evidentiality in Turkish. University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics, 11, 1-14.

ABSTRACT. Readers track temporal information when reading stories. Previous studies show that situation models are updated when readers encounter temporal shifts. However, the precise mechanisms underlying these temporal shifts remain unclear. By measuring reading times of target sentences and the accuracy rates and reaction times of judgments of (im)possible events, we determined that readers monitored temporal information. Importantly, readers’ subjective time estimates predicted temporal shift detection, consistent with the notion that temporal concepts are embodied.

ABSTRACT. For decades, writing center administrators have debated whether or not writing center tutors should be—or need to be—familiar with course content in order to be helpful to a tutee (Hubbuch, S., 1988; Kiedaisch, J. & Dinitz, S., 1993; Walker, K., 1998). One argument is that generalist writing tutors don’t need to be familiar with the content and actually they shouldn’t be; being unfamiliar with discipline-specific knowledge forces tutees to articulate and explain themselves much more thoroughly, which may result in a deeper understanding of the tutee’s subject knowledge (Healy, D., 1991; Hubbuch, S., 1998; Luce, H., 1986; Pemberton, M., 1995). Furthermore, this model can perhaps even mitigate the inherent tutor-tutee hierarchy present in writing centers (Devet, B. et al., 1995). On the other hand, some argue that writing center tutors need to be familiar with not only the course content but also the discourse community in order to help students connect disciplinary writing with disciplinary thinking and internalization (McLeod, S., 2001). As a result, these specialist discipline-specific writing tutors can help initiate students into the academic community that establishes, regulates, and maintains disciplinary epistemology, and in order to do that, these writing tutors must be more than familiar with the discourse: they must practice and live it (McLeod, S. 2001; Kiedaisch, J. & Dinitz, S., 1993; Walker, K., 1998).

With this debate as its foundation, this sociolinguistic case study examines whether discourse community initiation actually occurs in a writing center session when a student meets with a discipline-specific writing tutor, and if it does, how it manifests in that interaction. The analysis focuses on a single student who is enrolled in two writing-intensive courses in two un-related fields: English and Psychology. Transcripts and video clips from two video recorded tutoring sessions—one session involving this student and her ENGL 210 peer tutor and the other session involving this student and her PSYC 202 peer tutor—provide the data for an ethnomethodological, pragmatic, and discourse analysis. Data allow for both description and comparison of how this student and her writing are supported in each discipline.

Interesting linguistic patterns emerged in both tutoring sessions, the most frequent being word and phrase repetition—first on the tutors’ parts and then on the student’s part. I argue that the peer tutors engage in lexical, syntactic, and paralinguistic repetition in their sessions in order to explain discipline-specific information and encourage the student to feel more comfortable with the organizational configurations of knowledge within a particular discipline. Thus, the peer tutors use forms of repetition to introduce the student to what Elaine Maimon (as cited in McLeod, 2001) calls “turns of social behavior” within a particular discipline. In return, the student engages in repetition as a way of expressing an initial understanding of academic community conventions.

According to Paul Friedrich (1986), this level of repetition is consistent with first language acquisition, specifically in children (as cited in Tannen, 1987). More importantly to writing center work, the repetition that occurs during these two session conversations exemplifies Deborah Tannen’s (1989) argument that repetition creates linguistic coherence in conversations, thereby allowing participants to join the interaction and be able to make meaning from it.

Comparing how a single student learns to write and think in two distinct disciplines yields a rich discussion of the composition standards of these disciplines and how discipline-specific writing tutors can promote academic discourse community membership through their writing center sessions. With this investigation I am hoping to shed new light on the stale and abandoned deliberation of the generalist vs. specialist and suggest implications for future writing center models.

References Devet, Bonnie, et al. “Writing Lab Consultants Talk about Helping Students Writing Across the Disciplines.” Writing Lab Newsletter 19.9 (1995): 8-10.

McLeod, Susan. “The Pedagogy of Writing Across the Curriculum.” A Guide to Composition Pedagogies. Eds. Gary Tate, Amy Rupiper, and Kurt Schick. New York: Oxford UP, 2001. 149-64. Print.

Kiedaisch, Jean and Sue Dinitz. "Look Back and Say "So What": The Limitations of the Generalist Tutor." Writing Center Journal 14.1. (1993): 63-75. Web.

Tannen, D. (1987). Repetition in conversation: Toward a poetics of talk. Language 63(3), 574-605.

Walker, Kristen. "The Debate over Generalist and Specialist Tutors: Genre Theory's Contribution." Writing Center Journal 18.2. (1998): 27-47. Web.