Jaan Mikk

Do girls and boys need different electronic books

Many researchers have found differences in the ways in which boys and girls use computers, but there has been no systematic investigation into what types of electronic textbook are good for girls and which are good for boys. This paper describes an experimental investigation in which 35 units from electronic textbooks on mathematics, history, chemistry, geography and the Estonian language were studied by 33 girls and 21 boys aged between 15 and 16 years of age. The correlation coefficients of the girls’ and the boys’ post‐test scores (with the different characteristics of the electronic textbooks) are presented and discussed. The girls’ results were associated more with the characteristics of navigation and design of information than the boys’ results. There were also different characteristics of text and self‐assessment associated with the girls’ and boys’ test scores. This paper explains the findings in terms of societal factors and the girls’ lower level of computer skills. From the findings recommendations for composing electronic textbooks and attitude formation towards computer‐aided learning can be recommended.

Prior Knowledge of Text Content and Values of Text Characteristics

Linguistic characteristics of texts have been used in the readability formula to predict the comprehension level of texts. The question arises as to whether the characteristics are related to the complexity of text content. To solve the problem, 30 text passages from popular scientific books in Estonian were taken as a basis. Questions were composed on the texts’ content, and 9th and 10th grade students answered the questions before reading the texts. The percentage of correct answers correlated with four groups of text characteristics: word length, sentence length, noun ness level, and word familiarity level. The authors of texts write differently on familiar and unfamiliar topics. A formula for the familiarity of text content was composed. The formula is similar to the readability formula. All the predictor variables in the readability formulae are related to the complexity of text content.

A Reading Comprehension Formula of Reader and Text Characteristics

Readability formulae predict reading outcomes relying on text characteristics but they do not consider reader abilities. This paper describes ways of formulating a reading comprehension formula which includes reader and text characteristics. An experiment embracing 124 subjects and 48 texts serves to demonstrate the mechanisms through which the formula is developed. The applicability of the formula, its degree of precision, and power of predictability are discussed.

Methods for determining optimal readability of texts

Abstract Optimal textual characteristics for a certain reader category can be determined experimentally by measuring the characteristics of the text that guarantees the largest information uptake by the shortest possible time.

Determination of optimal values of text characteristics

Abstract This paper introduces a new way of determining the optimal sentence and word lengths for defined groups of readers. The correlation coefficient between the percentage of long sentences and the text comprehension level depends on the positioning of the dividing line between the long sentences and the short sentences. If the line coincides with the line drawn by the readers, the correlation coefficient reaches its maximum. The idea was tested in an experiment on 93 students of Grades 8 and 10 in the secondary school. The optimal values for the 8th‐grade students were sentences of 72 letter spaces and words of 8.5 letters.

Explaining the difference between PISA 2009 reading scores in Finland and Estonia

The aim of the study was to explain the difference between the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 reading results for Finland and Estonia using characteristics of teaching and learning, and characteristics of the overall development of these countries. PISA data were collected via a reading test and student questionnaires from 4,729 students in Estonia and 5,810 students in Finland. Regression analysis made it possible to identify the speed of the rise in PISA scores in relation to the selected variables. The speed was multiplied by the value of the variable to calculate the effect of the variable. The effects of the joy of reading and the diversity of reading materials were greater in Finland, but the effects of metacognition and online reading activities were greater in Estonia. The countries had different values for several indices of development, and this was concordant with the difference in the PISA scores.

Parts of speech in predicting reading comprehension

Abstract This paper deals with one aspect of readability investigations. The purpose of the paper is to investigate how various parts of speech influence comprehension and other outcomes of reading the text. Outcomes considered in experimental investigations will be post‐text score, cloze score, interest level evaluation and some others.

The impact of professional capital on educational excellence and equality in Estonia

Purpose – Estonia’s results in programme for international student assessment (PISA) studies between 2006 and 2012 showed both high-level attainment and social equity. The combination of excellence and equity makes Estonia stand out from other countries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the wide range of factors that influence Estonian students’ performance in these tests and note how professional capital fits into the overall picture. Design/methodology/approach – First the authors present a brief analysis of the outcomes in terms of the PISA results. Then the authors describe a wide range of contextual factors in Estonia such as: the country’s general level of human development; historical and cultural factors; demographics and social factors. These are the inputs to the education system. Finally the authors explore the interplay between features of the education system itself – the schooling processes – and note the impact of professional capital. Findings – The authors judge that the interplay ...