| Summary: | 博士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 英語學系 === 94 === The bulk of L2 reading research has shown that prospective readers use various reading strategies to facilitate comprehension, but relatively few studies have centered on online reading strategy use and its effects on the reading comprehension of students with different language proficiencies. This study aimed to investigate EFL learners’ online reading strategies, to study the effects of strategy use on comprehension, and to evaluate a web-based reading program, English Reading Online, which was constructed to fulfill the first two purposes of this study.
The design of this online reading program echoed reading strategy patterns found in L2 reading literature and the action of clicking on a certain strategy function button online was traced to reflect a reader’s particular strategy use. There were 15 strategy buttons: Global strategy design provided students with previews, keywords, and outlines of the reading texts as well as chances to make predictions. Problem-solving strategy mechanisms included online summary services, reading-rate training, text-to-speech software, and semantic mapping tools. Support strategy functions were provided by online dictionaries, online grammar resources, an online translation mechanism, highlighting tools, and individualized electronic notebooks. Socio-affective strategies were displayed by online chatrooms, discussion boards, email services, and music boxes.
Thirty Applied English majors, divided into a High group and a Low group based on their proficiency levels, were asked to read a total of four authentic online texts of two difficulty levels. They also completed a post-task survey, wrote written recalls, and attended interview sessions after reading. Each participant’s navigation path in doing these four reading tasks was tracked by the computer system to collect their pre-defined strategies; each navigation path was also videotaped by a screen-capturing software to collect newly emerging strategy patterns. Strategy use data was analyzed by the Chi-square test to examine if strategy use was influenced by language proficiency, the text topic, and the text difficulty levels. Written recalls were scored according to two categories: main ideas and details. The relationship between students’ strategy use and comprehension was computed using multiple regression. The post-task survey on program feedback was analyzed by descriptive statistics. Finally, qualitative investigations of four case studies gathered from videotaping and interviews were used to supplement the quantitative data mentioned above.
The results showed that due to learners’ concern of convenience and immediacy, Support strategies made up the overwhelming proportion of strategy use and Problem-solving strategies were used the least. Other strategies emerging from qualitative investigation—including Navigating strategies, Information gathering strategies, Interface changing strategies, and Usability problem reporting strategies—assisted readers in navigating online texts smoothly, finding relevant information to build up background knowledge, establishing a personal environment to facilitate online reading, and making suggestions for user-friendly web design. Additionally, four factors that influenced online reading strategy use were language proficiency, the text topic and difficulty level, computer skills, and background knowledge.
In relating strategy use with comprehension, the use of Support strategies dominated the strategy use and contributed to most of the comprehension gains, but an exclusive dependence on Support strategies did not successfully predict the increase in scores on main ideas and details when the students were reading more challenging texts. It was the use of Global strategies that significantly contributed to better comprehension. The effects of Global strategies were most evident among the Low group, who often confined themselves to the use of Support strategies and Socio-affective strategies in reading.
Finally, students provided positive feedback on this program in terms of the design of the strategy tools, interface design, and learning effects. They also welcomed the possibility of including online reading in the existing curriculum.
Findings of this study bear important pedagogical implications. First, strategy instruction needs to be integrated into reading classes. Online reading strategies about how to find and synthesize information and how to increase social interaction need to be addressed. Second, Global strategies, which aided low achievers’ comprehension of difficult texts, should be encouraged. Third, more personalized features and more choices for text selection should be included in the future program design.
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