The impact of visual cues on item response in video-mediated tests of foreign language listening comprehension
The present thesis employed a mixed-methods research design spanning over two studies and an intermediate instrument development step to investigate the interactions between the presence of nonverbal and other visual cues with examinees, individual items, and item task types in video listening tests. The first study employed eye-tracking methodology to determine the specific visual cues to which examinees attend when interacting with a video-mediated listening test. The findings of Study I then informed the development of a new video-mediated listening test for Study II, which investigated the effect of the presence of visual cues on item and item task difficulty via many-facet Rasch modeling and qualitative item analysis. Individual examinee differences were also explored in both studies with respect to gender, proficiency, and perceptions of the two formats. Study I found that examinees view facial cues an average of 81% of the time regardless of task type, but spend significantly more time oriented toward the listener (i.e., the character who is not speaking) when presented with an implicit item. Direct viewing of gestures, despite their prominent place in the nonverbal communication literature, only accounted
Batty, Aaron
The impact of visual cues on item response in video-mediated tests of foreign language listening comprehension. The present thesis employed a mixed-methods research design spanning over two studies and an intermediate instrument development step to investigate the interactions between the presence of nonverbal and other visual cues with examinees, individual items, and item task types in video listening tests. The first study employed eye-tracking methodology to determine the specific visual cues to which examinees attend when interacting with a video-mediated listening test. The findings of Study I then informed the development of a new video-mediated listening test for Study II, which investigated the effect of the presence of visual cues on item and item task difficulty via many-facet Rasch modeling and qualitative item analysis. Individual examinee differences were also explored in both studies with respect to gender, proficiency, and perceptions of the two formats. Study I found that examinees view facial cues an average of 81% of the time regardless of task type, but spend significantly more time oriented toward the listener (i.e., the character who is not speaking) when presented with an implicit item. Direct viewing of gestures, despite their prominent place in the nonverbal communication literature, only accounted
impact visual cue item response video mediated test foreign_language listen_comprehension present employ mixed_methods design span study intermediate instrument development step investigate interaction presence nonverbal visual cue individual item item task type video listen test first study employed eye_tracking determine specific visual cue attend interact video mediated listening test finding_study inform_development new video mediated listening test study investigated effect presence visual cue item item task difficulty via many facet model qualitative item analysis individual difference also_explore study respect gender proficiency perception format study find view cue average time regardless task type spend significantly time orient toward listener character speaking present implicit item direct viewing gesture despite prominent place nonverbal communication literature account