A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Queen Margaret University

indicates a large reduction of items remembered from the number recalled
during the immediate recall assessment. The multiple-choice task demonstrated
that participants had learned more information than they had demonstrated by
spoken recall alone. The word-picture matching task indicated a deeper level of
learning where participants were able to match the names of the aliens with the
appropriate images rather than merely recognising the stimuli in the multiplechoice
task. Two examples of participants demonstrating these different levels
of learning are PS2 who could choose 9 names correctly from the multiplechoice
task and also matched these to their correct image, indicating that in
addition to recognising the stimuli he had learned it at a deeper level, retaining
more semantic information. Whereas PS9 selected 9 names correctly from the
multiple-choice task but could only match 3 items correctly to the target images,
suggesting that she recognised the stimuli but the depth of learning had not
developed to enable her to match the names and images.
3.2.3 Learning strategies used by participants
Table 3.3 below presents some examples of methods that participants reported
using to learn the new vocabulary.
Table 3.3
Preliminary Study One
Examples of learning strategies used as reported by participants
High scoring participants
Strategy Creature Quotes from participants
Descriptive
Hamekin
Curvol
Like a bunch of flowers; like clouds & they
are calm looking.
Shaped like a psychology sign & psychic skill
is linked to psychology
Using familiar rhyming Hamekin
Sounds like Ramekin
words
Making initial letters into
mnemonic phrase
All
Fay’s Vest Smells Zesty etc.
(futarg, vintrok, snaitle, zoodop)
Linking name to image Lundril Looked like a park with lots of trees – a
London park
Low scoring participants
Strategy Creature Quotes from participants
Written copying All Wrote down list of creature names and skills
Drawing All Drew creatures beside above lists
Spoken repetition All Kept repeating names and skills aloud
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