152
Table 14 Independent Samples T-test for Subjects’ Retention Scores
in PD and CD Conditions
Independent Samples Test
Levene’s test
for equality of
variances
t-test for equality of means
F
Sig
.
t
df
Sig
.
(2-tailed)
Mean
difference
Std
.
error
difference
95% Confidence
interval of the
difference
Lower
Upper
S
core
s
Equal variances
assumed
2
.
829
.
100
2
.
457
42
.
018
1
.
091
.
444
.
195
1
.
987
Equal variances
not assumed
2
.
457
35
.
365
.
019
1
.
091
.
444
.
190
1
.
992
153
The results indicate that there was a significant difference in the vocabulary
recall scores for PD (M=4
.
91, SD=1
.
109) and CD (M=3
.
82, SD=1
.
763) conditions; t
(42) = 2
.
457, p =
0
.
018, which is less than
0
.
05
.
These results suggest that PD use
really did have an effect on memory for words
.
Specifically, our results suggest that when the subjects looked up words in a
PD, their memory for words increased
.
The difference in word retention might be
attributed to the effort and relatively longer search process involved in using the PD,
which helps create deep memory traces of looked up vocabulary, unlike in the CD
where the look up process is quick and effortless
.
The hypothesis which argued that
the words looked up in the PD would be better retained than those looked up in the
CD is validated
.
However, one question in regard to this is whether the subjects
would have experienced differences in recall if the lookups had been performed
during the reading in response to their self-directed attempts to comprehend the text.
5
.
6
.
Findings from Windows Title Operations Log Files
Analysis of the subjects’
Windows title operations log files indicated that
some of them exceeded the simple lookup activity while reading in the CD condition
to use other search features and explore other functions embedded in the CD
application (Figure 26)
.
The log files in Figure 26 have been slightly edited to remove
unnecessary information of the subjects’ reading file activity and to keep only those
Window title operation’ records that are related to the subjects’ CD
activity
.
154
Figure 26
.
Sample log files of subjects’ CD activity
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/28/2011 10:05:07
Smart thesaurus, 04/28/2011 10:05:18
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/28/2011 10:05:23
, 04/28/2011 10:05:28
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/28/2011 10:08:55
Smart thesaurus, 04/28/2011 10:09:07
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/28/2011 10:10:46
Verb Endings, 04/28/2011 10:10:53
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/28/2011 10:10:54
Extra Examples, 04/28/2011 10:10:55
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/28/2011 10:26:30
Smart thesaurus, 04/28/2011 10:26:39
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/27/2011 13:12:29
Look Up | CALD3, 04/27/2011 13:13:45
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/27/2011 13:13:51
Pictures | CALD3, 04/27/2011 13:16:26
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/27/2011 13:16:51
Pictures | CALD3, 04/27/2011 13:17:59
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/27/2011 13:19:41
Smart thesaurus, 04/27/2011 13:20:05
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/27/2011 13:20:09
Smart thesaurus, 04/27/2011 13:20:58
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/27/2011 13:21:03
Look Up | CALD3, 04/27/2011 13:21:05
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition, 04/27/2011 13:22:25
Pictures | CALD3, 04/27/2011 13:22:38
155
As illustrated in the log files, it seems that some of the subjects were curious
and could not resist the temptation not to explore other search functions and extra
tools in the CD application like consulting the windows for
Pictures, Smart thesaurus,
Extra Examples, Verb Endings, and activating
the Look Up feature
. T
hese CD
features are briefly explained below
.
The
Pictures window contains an alphabetical list of all the pictures in the CD
.
The user may click a picture name in the panel on the left hand side to view the
picture on the right (Figure 27)
.
Once the picture is displayed, the user can do any of
the following
:
Hover the mouse over the picture to see its name, and to see labels for
parts of the picture, if appropriate
.
Click the name or one of the labels to view a dictionary definition in a
separate window
.
Click
Show in main dictionary to see the full entry in the Cambridge
Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary window
.