EFFECTS OF PROCESSING INSTRUCTIONS ON THE USEFULNESS OF A GRAPHIC ORGANIZER AND STRUCTURAL CUEING IN TEXT

This study assessed two adjuncts to instructional text, structural cueing and graphic organizer processing instructions. Previous research has shown that cueing is a useful indicator of textual structure and that graphic organizers can be enhanced by providing learners with an indication of how they can be used. Results indicated the presence of a three-way interaction among reading ability groups, structural cueing and graphic organizer processing instructions. Analysis of this interaction revealed that high level readers were the only subjects who profited from processing instructions, and only in the presence of cueing. Middle level readers benefited from cueing in both conditions of processing instructions while low level readers were able to take advantage of cueing only in the absence of processing instructions. The results are interpreted in light of previous graphic organizer research. © 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers.