Definition
Constructing meaning from multiple information sources denotes a new form of literacy, which involves locating, evaluating, and using diverse sources of information, digital as well as printed, for the purpose of constructing an integrated, meaningful mental representation of a particular issue, topic, or situation.
Theoretical Background
The most influential conceptualization of how individuals construct meaning from multiple information sources is the documents model proposed by Perfetti et al. (1999). This model builds on and extends cognitive-processing models describing how readers comprehend a single text or document. Recently, the documents model has been further elaborated by Goldman (2004) and Rouet (2006).
In essence, the documents model explains how individuals who want to understand the contents of multiple information sources dealing with the...
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Bråten, I., Gil, L., & Strømsø, H. I. (2011). The role of different task instructions and reader characteristics when learning from multiple expository texts. In M. T. McCrudden, J. P. Magliano, & G. Schraw (Eds.), Text relevance and learning from text. Greenwich: Information Age.
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Goldman, S. R. (2004). Cognitive aspects of constructing meaning through and across multiple texts. In N. Shuart-Faris & D. Bloome (Eds.), Uses of intertextuality in classroom and educational research (pp. 317–351). Greenwich: Information Age.
Perfetti, C. A., Rouet, J. F., & Britt, M. A. (1999). Toward a theory of documents representation. In H. Van Oostendorp & S. R. Goldman (Eds.), The construction of mental representation during reading (pp. 99–122). Mahwah: Erlbaum.
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Bråten, I., Strømsø, H.I. (2012). Knowledge Acquisition: Constructing Meaning from Multiple Information Sources. In: Seel, N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_665
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_665
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