Assigning Grade Levels to Textbooks: Is it just Readability?

David F. Dufty; Arthur C. Graesser; Max Louwerse; Danielle S. McNamara

Assigning Grade Levels to Textbooks: Is it just Readability?

David F. Dufty, Arthur C. Graesser, Max Louwerse, Danielle S. McNamara

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

We evaluated the effectiveness of new indices of text cohesion to determine the appropriate human assigned grade level of a text. In particular, we investigated the efficacy of automated text indices produced by the online tool Coh-
Metrix in predicting the grade level assigned by publishers to their own textbooks. To do this, we sampled 311 school textbooks from a large database, choosing roughly equal numbers of science, narrative, and social science texts.
Publisher-assigned grade levels were found to be moderately predictable by traditional approaches such as the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. Prediction of grade level was significantly improved by the inclusion of cohesion indices
obtained by Coh-Metrix. Implications for the improvement of textbook selection are discussed.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society
Editors	R. Sun, N. Miyake
Place of Publication	Mahwah, NJ
Publisher	Erlbaum
Pages	1251-1256
Publication status	Published - 2006
Externally published	Yes
Event	28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society - Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, Vancouver, Canada Duration: 26 Jul 2006 → 29 Jul 2006 Conference number: 28

Conference

Conference	28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society
Abbreviated title	CogSci 2006
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Vancouver
Period	26/07/06 → 29/07/06

Access to Document

http://csjarchive.cogsci.rpi.edu/proceedings/2006/docs/p1251.pdf

Cite this

@inproceedings{0a85e021853e48588750a76afc00e261,

title = "Assigning Grade Levels to Textbooks: Is it just Readability?",

abstract = "We evaluated the effectiveness of new indices of text cohesion to determine the appropriate human assigned grade level of a text. In particular, we investigated the efficacy of automated text indices produced by the online tool Coh-Metrix in predicting the grade level assigned by publishers to their own textbooks. To do this, we sampled 311 school textbooks from a large database, choosing roughly equal numbers of science, narrative, and social science texts. Publisher-assigned grade levels were found to be moderately predictable by traditional approaches such as the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. Prediction of grade level was significantly improved by the inclusion of cohesion indices obtained by Coh-Metrix. Implications for the improvement of textbook selection are discussed. ",

author = "Dufty, {David F.} and Graesser, {Arthur C.} and Max Louwerse and McNamara, {Danielle S.}",

year = "2006",

language = "English",

pages = "1251--1256",

editor = "R. Sun and N. Miyake",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society",

publisher = "Erlbaum",

note = "28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2006 ; Conference date: 26-07-2006 Through 29-07-2006",

}

Dufty, DF, Graesser, AC, Louwerse, M & McNamara, DS 2006, Assigning Grade Levels to Textbooks: Is it just Readability? in R Sun & N Miyake (eds), Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, pp. 1251-1256, 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, Vancouver, Canada, 26/07/06. <http://csjarchive.cogsci.rpi.edu/proceedings/2006/docs/p1251.pdf>

Assigning Grade Levels to Textbooks: Is it just Readability? / Dufty, David F.; Graesser, Arthur C.; Louwerse, Max et al.
Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. ed. / R. Sun; N. Miyake. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2006. p. 1251-1256.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Assigning Grade Levels to Textbooks

T2 - 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society

AU - Dufty, David F.

AU - Graesser, Arthur C.

AU - Louwerse, Max

AU - McNamara, Danielle S.

N1 - Conference code: 28

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - We evaluated the effectiveness of new indices of text cohesion to determine the appropriate human assigned grade level of a text. In particular, we investigated the efficacy of automated text indices produced by the online tool Coh-Metrix in predicting the grade level assigned by publishers to their own textbooks. To do this, we sampled 311 school textbooks from a large database, choosing roughly equal numbers of science, narrative, and social science texts. Publisher-assigned grade levels were found to be moderately predictable by traditional approaches such as the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. Prediction of grade level was significantly improved by the inclusion of cohesion indices obtained by Coh-Metrix. Implications for the improvement of textbook selection are discussed.

AB - We evaluated the effectiveness of new indices of text cohesion to determine the appropriate human assigned grade level of a text. In particular, we investigated the efficacy of automated text indices produced by the online tool Coh-Metrix in predicting the grade level assigned by publishers to their own textbooks. To do this, we sampled 311 school textbooks from a large database, choosing roughly equal numbers of science, narrative, and social science texts. Publisher-assigned grade levels were found to be moderately predictable by traditional approaches such as the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. Prediction of grade level was significantly improved by the inclusion of cohesion indices obtained by Coh-Metrix. Implications for the improvement of textbook selection are discussed.

M3 - Conference contribution

SP - 1251

EP - 1256

BT - Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society

A2 - Sun, R.

A2 - Miyake, N.

PB - Erlbaum

CY - Mahwah, NJ

Y2 - 26 July 2006 through 29 July 2006

ER -

Assigning Grade Levels to Textbooks: Is it just Readability?

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