Technical Communication Quarterly Apr 1997

Problems in Picturing Text: A Study of Visua/Verbal Problem Solving

Philippa J. Benson

Abstract

Abstract In this study, experts from three different disciplines gave think aloud protocols as they revised mismatched text/illustration combinations from biology textbooks. Fourteen first-year college biology students also gave protocols as they read and interpreted the combinations. The study was designed to explore the problem solving strategies of the experts as they revised the combinations of visual and verbal information. The results of this study indicate that, despite differences, the experts from the different disciplines worked in similar ways. Nevertheless, many of the experts were not able to predict the misinterpretations that students had of the combinations. The results indicate that one of the sources of problems in text/illustration combinations in textbooks may be due to a lack of consensus among expert authors as well as to a lack of direct feedback from readers. The results suggest that practical changes in publishing practices may be useful.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
1997-04-01
DOI
10.1207/s15427625tcq0602_2
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