Measures and References: Background Knowledge

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Measures

Numerous measures exist to gain a full picture of a student's learning strengths and challenges. Following are examples of measures used to assess this Learner Factor. These measures should be administered and interpreted by experienced professionals.

Woodcock Johnson IV (Shranck et al., 2018): This test contains multiple batteries to assess knowledge along different domains, including science, social studies, humanities, and academic knowledge.

References

Beier, M.E. & Ackerman, P.L. (2005). Age, ability, and the role of prior knowledge on the acquisition of new domain knowledge: Promising results in a real-world learning environment. Psychology and Aging, 20(2), 341-355.

Bein, O., Reggev, N., & Maril, A. (2014). Prior knowledge influences on hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex interactions in subsequent memory. Neuropsychologia, 64, 320-330.

Bigelow, M., & Schwarz, R. L. (2010). Adult English language learners with limited literacy. National Institute for Literacy. Washington, DC.

Caratelli, M., & Ricci, O. (2011). The relationship between everyday practices and financial literacy: An empirical analysis. ASBBS Proceedings, 19(1), 115.

Carrell, P. L. (1983). Three components of background knowledge in reading comprehension 1. Language Learning, 33(2), 183-203.

Charness, N. (2000). Can acquired knowledge compensate for age-related declines in cognitive efficiency? In S. H. Qualls & N. Abeles (Eds.), Psychology and the aging revolution: How we adapt to longer life (pp. 99-117). Washington: American Psychological Association.

Eckhardt, B. B., Wood, M. R., & Jacobvitz, R. S. (1991). Verbal ability and prior knowledge: Contributions to adults' comprehension of television. Communication Research, 18(5), 636-649.

Eshet-Alkalai, Y., & Chajut, E. (2009). Changes over time in digital literacy. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12(6), 713-715.

Fitzsimmons, C. J., Thompson, C. A., & Sidney, P. G. (2019). Confident or familiar? The role of familiarity ratings in adults' confidence judgments when estimating fraction magnitudes. Proceedings of the 41st Annual Psychology of Mathematics Education-North America Conference.

Grotelueschen, A. D. (1979). Introductory material structure and prior knowledge effects on adult learning. Adult Education, 29(2), 75-82.

Hambrick, D. Z., & Engle, R. W. (2002). Effects of domain knowledge, working memory capacity, and age on cognitive performance: An investigation of the knowledge-is-power hypothesis. Cognitive Psychology, 44(4), 339-387.

Robertson, L., Taczak, K., & Yancey, K. B. (2012). Notes toward a Theory of Prior Knowledge and Its Role in College Composers' Transfer of Knowledge and Practice. In Composition Forum (Vol. 26). Association of Teachers of Advanced Composition.

Schrank, F. A., & Wendling, B. J. (2018). The Woodcock-Johnson IV. In Flanagan, D.P. & McDonough, E.M. (Eds.) Contemporary intellectual assessment: Theories, tests, and issues (pp. 383-451). New York: Guilford Press.

Stanovich, K. E., & Cunningham, A. E. (1993). Where does knowledge come from? Specific associations between print exposure and information acquisition. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(2), 211-229.

Talwar, A., L. Tighe, E., & Greenberg, D. (2018). Augmenting the simple view of reading for struggling adult readers: A unique role for background knowledge. Scientific Studies of Reading, 22(5), 351-366.

Tsai, K. C. (2012). The Value of Teaching Creativity in Adult Education. International Journal of Higher Education, 1(2), 84-91.

Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Zeiders, K. H., & Updegraff, K. A. (2013). Family ethnic socialization and ethnic identity: A family-driven, youth-driven, or reciprocal process?. Journal of Family Psychology, 27(1), 137.