Nobody Knows How to Remember That Prose

Abstract

Two studies examined the effect of objectives on readers’ comprehension of prose. Study one examined the effect of objectives prepared at each of Bloom’s six levels of learning in contrast to a control group. No differences in either intentional or incidental learning were observed among any of the experimental groups. Study two was designed to assess the focusing effect of objectives by requiring some of the groups to take notes in the margins of their essays. Reliable differences were noted in the areas of the passage students focused on depending on the presence of objectives and the level of learning they required. However, no differences were observed on reading comprehension.