Developing learning with text through comprehension strategies:
When it comes to learning with texts, all students can benefit from strategies which can build their confidence and competence as readers. In order for students to develop into independent learners, teachers need to provide scaffolding to support them as they engage in text related activities. As students strive to derive meaning from texts, these strategies allow students to become more aware of the learning process and the steps required to achieve greater comprehension. Through teacher led demonstrations and modelling, students can be made explicitly aware of not only when and how to apply these strategies, but why they help them to become stronger, more proficient readers. Although all students can benefit from these techniques and tactics, students who are struggling readers can most enhance their learning experience through their correct application.
By teaching students strategies to increase their success as readers and learners with texts, one is increasing their awareness of the cognitive process. This awareness of metacognition can empower students as they develop an understanding of not only their self-knowledge as a learner and the skills and tactics required for specific tasks, but the ability to regulate and monitor comprehension through the use of strategies. Through this attentiveness to the process of learning, students can utilize appropriate strategies to increase comprehension of challenging texts and develop greater independence as learners. The comprehension strategy Question Answer Relationship can assist students in constructing meaning by making students aware of the different sources that readers draw on when answering text related questions. Within the visual arts classroom, this strategy can be applied to visual texts enabling students to develop their understanding not only what a work of art is communicating, but how it communicates to a viewer.
Who is in the class?:
This lesson is designed for grade ten visual arts students. The student body is composed of twenty-five students. There are fourteen female and eleven male students. Within this classroom there are two students whose second language is English. One student has Autism Spectrum Disorder and is diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome. Although exhibiting no significant delay in cognitive development or general delay in language, this student experiences challenges in regards to social interaction and repetitive and restricted patterns of behaviour and interest. This student works with an educational assistant, who facilitates the student’s participation through social cues, directing the student’s attention and facilitating in transitions between activities. The educational assistant also provides language support for the students with E.S.L.
What our classroom looks like:
Class seating was determined near the beginning of the term, and although allows for some flexibility, is structured for classroom management. Students are seated around six large work tables. There are four students per table and one table has five. There are three tables across the front of the classroom and three across the back. All students are seated so they can see the front of class during lectures. After lectures students may move their chairs if they require more working room. At the front of the class there is one rectangular table that students can gather around when the teacher performs technical demonstrations of materials and methods. The front of the class also features a chalkboard and a pull down screen for projected movies and presentations. Along the back and side of the room are also the sink area for cleanup, drying racks for artworks, storage shelves and cabinets.
What is QAR?:
As a tool that can build comprehension and learning with texts, students can benefit from the Question Answer Relationship strategy. Through this strategy students are made aware of the connections between questions in relation to both text and the reader’s prior knowledge. Research suggests that the value of QAR “...lies in the way it clarifies how students can approach the task of reading text and answering questions....[as it]....helps them to consider both information in the text and information from their own background knowledge.”[1] By recognizing that information is derived from more than one source, when reading texts and answering questions, students can become more efficient and strategic readers. Rather than overly relying on either text material or depending only on their prior knowledge to answer questions, the Question Answer Relationship demonstrates that information comes from both sources depending on the type of question asked.
· Types of Questions:
The use of QAR outlines for students where information can be found in relation to text materials. This strategy begins with two categories which highlights the primary source of information for answering text related questions. These categories are:
Ø In the Text
Ø In my Head
Students can often rely too heavily on one or the other sources when answering questions. By implementing QAR, they can become aware of the various types of questions and their task demands. Within these two categories there are four types which illustrate the question-answer relationship.
Ø In the Text
- Right There
- Think and Search
Ø In my Head
- Author and Me
- On My Own
· In the text category types of questions, the source of the information can be found within the source material. When the information is “right there,” this means that the answer to the question is stated clearly in the text. These types of questions are considered to be textually explicit and differ from questions where students must put together information from different parts of the text. These second types of questions are “...textually implicit and lead to “think and search” answers.”[2] These “think and search” types of questions are not necessarily more difficult to answer than the “right there” questions; rather their information needs to be derived from more than one location in the text.
· The second types of questions, those that are “in my head,” rely on the student’s prior knowledge and experience for answers. By constructing meaning through the use of prior knowledge, students are activating their schema. These questions inform students that their personal knowledge can be a relevant source of information when answering questions. The first type, “author and me,” requires that the student has engaged with the text prior to formulating an answer. As the answer to this type of question is not explicitly in the text, one is required to use their own knowledge in conjunction with information from the text, and determining how the two fit together. Therefore, the answer “...must come from the readers own knowledge base, but only in connection with information presented by the author.”[3] Like the author and me questions, those that are “on my own” also rely on the individual’s prior knowledge to determine the answer. These questions however, do not require any prior engagement with the text material. When answering these types of questions, one needs to only draw on their own knowledge and experience as the answer is not dependent on any interaction or comprehension of the text itself.
Where QAR can be used:
QAR and the Visual Arts Classroom:
Although this strategy is useful for building comprehension in word based texts, students can also apply QAR to a wide range of text materials. Within the visual arts classroom, students can be made aware of the Question Answer Relationship in regards to the comprehension of visual texts, that is, works of art. As an important component of the fine arts curriculum involves students developing their ability to interpret and respond to both their own and other’s works of art, this strategy can assist students in increasing their visual literacy. In addition to fostering student’s ability to read a work of art, by applying this strategy to visual texts students are given the opportunity to “...practice cognitive tasks that are critical to reading comprehension.”[4]
When to use QAR:
As students will need to interpret and read visual texts throughout the semester, it is important that this strategy be introduced near the beginning of the course. By providing this level of scaffolding, students can understand where to look when answering questions relating to a work of art. This technique can also be helpful for students to apply to not only other’s work of art, but their own as well. In making the question-answer relationship explicit to students, they can improve their understanding of both what and how a work of art can communicate to viewers. As art interpretation requires an understanding of the elements and principles and the image development and design strategies, students should have a basic knowledge of what these concepts are. In addition to the formal properties of a work of art, students also need to be made aware of the role that context, materials and process plays in a work of art. When introducing QAR and art appreciation to the visual arts classroom, it is important to discuss these inter-related topics and how they impact a work of art.
Why use QAR in the Visual Arts Classroom?:
Within the visual arts IRP for all grade levels, the prescribed learning outcomes are balanced between content and process organizers. The content organizers explore what a student will be doing, while the process organizers refer to how it will be done. These process organizers state that students will either be engaged in perceiving/responding or creating/communicating throughout the content of the course curriculum. By introducing QAR to students in a visual arts classroom, their ability to engage in perceiving and responding can be greatly enhanced. Within the grade ten Arts IRP under the perceiving/responding categories it is expected that students will be able to...
· “...analyse and evaluate image development strategies used by self, peers, and others”
· “...analyse the roles of various artists and the visual arts in reflecting, sustaining, and challenging beliefs and traditions in society”
· “...evaluate the use of the visual elements and the principles of art and design in their own images and in the images of others and analyse how individual visual elements and principles of art and design, and their physical qualities are used to create meaning and effect in an image”
· “...critique their own work and that of others with respect to how the properties and uses of materials, technologies, and processes contribute to conveying meaning and achieving purpose.”
These are just some of the PLOs that students participate in when analyzing and interpreting works of art. By employing QAR to help students begin to understand how art can be “read” (by asking comprehension questions and demonstrating where the information can be located, either within the work itself or utilizing student’s prior knowledge), they can develop an awareness of the ways in which art communicates to its audience. Through this strategy, students can realize that a work’s meaning is derived through a work’s formal properties, as well as the knowledge and experiences that the viewer brings to the work. This can help students as they strive to communicate visually through their own artistic products. By being more aware of the ways in which a work speaks to its audience, students can address these issues and express themselves more effectively through their own work. In addition to supporting visual literacy, research indicates that by applying QAR to visual images, students “...improved their ability to answer questions about explicit and implicit information relevant to both pictures and stories....[and that it]....provided them with practice in the higher level comprehension skills that they previously were unable to understand in print form.”[5]
How QAR can be applied in the Visual Arts Classroom:
Example Lesson
Scenario:
It is early in the school year in a grade ten visual arts class. Through skill building activities students have been introduced to the elements and principles of art and design, and image development and design strategies. Through class discussions related to both their own works of art and art created by other artists, students are becoming aware of how art communicates. Art communicates formally, that is through its physical properties (E&P, IDDS, process and materials) as well as through context, which is not only the when, where and why an artist made a work of art, but the role of the viewer and the prior knowledge that they bring when interacting with a work of art. In this lesson students will be introduced to QAR and how to apply it to the interpretation of art works.
Materials:
For this lesson students will be focusing on perceiving and responding therefore, no artistic materials will be required. Students will need to bring their visual journals to class. This lesson will require a power point presentation that includes images of art works. One slide will include a visual description of the Question Answer Relationship strategy, which will also be given as a handout to the students.
Question Answer Relationship
Guidelines for using QAR:
· In art “text” also refers to a visual work of art.
· I can use QAR when I need to answer questions or create questions.
· I can use QAR whenever I need to
· I can use QAR to help me understand and talk about art.
Start of Class:
Students enter the class and take their seats. Teacher distributes handout to the students and begins brief presentation to explain the strategy and how to apply it to a work of art.
Introduction of QAR:
(T)= Teacher
(S)= Student
(T) “Recently we have been looking at the various ways in which art communicates through a visual language. Would anyone like to share an example of art’s visual language?”
· (S) “Colour, line, shape, pattern....”
(T) “Yes. These are examples of the elements and principles of art and design. Are there any other ways that art can communicate?”
· (S) “Through there medium and how it was made?”
(T) “Yes that is correct too. You can also change a works meaning or communicate through Image Development and Design Strategies. A work of art’s meaning also depends on the viewer and their interpretation. This is what we will be looking at today. That is we will be exploring how we, as viewers, can interpret a work of art and to help us, we will be using a strategy called Question Answer Relationship.”
(T) “Question Answer Relationship, or QAR, can help us answer questions about texts by making us more aware of where the information to answer the question is coming from. Although you may have encountered this strategy being used for reading questions in another class (such as English), this technique can also be used to understand how art can communicate.”
(T) “There are two places to look when you are answering questions which relate to texts whether they are artworks or books. If you were asked a question about a chapter you read in a book, such as ‘what is the name of the main character?’ where might you look for the answer?”
· (S) “That’s easy, it’s in the book.”
(T) “That’s correct. You would look right in the book to find the answer to that question. Where might you find the answer to the question ‘what is your favourite color?”
· (S) “I don’t think you look anywhere. You already know that because it’s your opinion.”
(T) “That is also true, very good point. For that type of question only you have the answer. These are the two main types of questions that are asked in relation to a text whether it is a book or a work of art. The answers are found either in the “text” or in your head. Let’s look at these questions in relation to a work of art.”
(T) “This is Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Just out of curiosity, how many of you are familiar with this painting? Yes, I thought many of you would know it. So, as an example of an “in the text” type of question who can tell me what color is used the most in this painting?”
· (S) “Blue”
(T) “Yes, blue is the dominant color used in this painting. We would call this a restricted palette as there is a limited choice of colors used in this work. For another example of an “in the text” kind of question, could anyone give me one example of either an element or a principle that is used in this painting? Remember, if you need a reminder as to what the elements and principles or the image development and design strategies are, please look at the posters on the side wall. There are a lot of them so it is okay if you don’t remember them all. I sometimes have trouble remembering them all. “
· (S) “Could pattern be an example of one? All the marks from the brushstrokes kind of make a pattern.”
(T) “That is a good thought. Yes, I think you could say that Van Gogh’s brushstrokes create a pattern in this painting although; perhaps we could also call it a rhythm or repetition. Let’s try to see if we can answer any of the “in your head” questions. Can anyone tell me when the last time they looked at the stars was?”
· (S) “Last night. What does this have to do with the painting?”
(T) “Excellent question. What does this have to do with the painting? Well some questions may be inspired by the text, for example this painting depicts a starry night; however you don’t have to have interacted, viewed, or read the text to answer the question. Another example of an “in your head” type of question could be “how does this painting make you feel?” This question is different from the one before. Could anyone tell me how it is different?”
· (S) “It comes from your head but you have to see the painting to know how it makes you feel?”
(T) “Yes, that is correct. This shows us that within these two categories of questions, there are different types. I want you to look at the handout that I gave you at the start of this lesson.”
Put corresponding image up on the screen.
(T) “This handout, as we can see, shows us that within each of these categories, there are two types of questions and where you need to look to find the information to answer them. Under the “in the text” category are the types “Right There” and “Think and Search.” If this was applied to a story you were reading, you would find the answer to a ‘right there’ question within one sentence. For example, “Mary walked her dog.” What was it that Mary walked?”
· (S) “Her dog”
(T) “Right. However, a question that is a ‘think and search’ might require you to look in more than one place and gather information. For example if you needed to answer the question “how did Mary’s dog ruin her day?” you might need to look on many pages to know that first he ate her best shoes, then he chased the neighbour’s cat, then he rolled in a mud puddle and shook off all over Mary completely ruining her outfit. In terms of a painting or a work of art, you might have to look in different areas of the composition or consider different components for an answer. For example, if we go back to Van Gogh, a question might be “what are three main elements and principles in this work of art?” You would have to consider the line, color, rhythm, perhaps emphasis. Although there is only one ‘page’ to this work of art, and there are no sentences, these are different components of the same painting. This means that despite it being called ‘think and search’ this does not mean that you always have to look very hard to find the answer.”
(T) “Does anyone feel like trying to ask a ‘right there’ type of question about this painting? I want you all to try to come up with one example of a right there question. After you have had a moment to think, please raise your hand if you would like to share what you came up with. If you need a reminder about the right there question, read your handout or raise your hand and I will be happy to come and help you.”
After think time and helping any students who required it...
· (S) “What color is the moon?”
· (S) “What is the medium/material of this artwork”
(T) “Those are some really great examples of ‘right there’ questions. Does everyone feel comfortable with the differences between a right there and a think and search question? Okay, well if you come up with any questions later than please feel free to ask either myself or a peer for clarification.”
(T) “Now let’s look at the ‘in your head’ types of questions. The first type we will look at is the ‘on your own’ type of answer. This is when the only place you need to look for information is from yourself. I used this type of question when I asked when was the last time you looked at the stars was. It didn’t matter if you had seen this painting or not, only you could provide the answer. Another example of this could be “if you were to choose only three colors to make a painting, which would you pick and why?” The answer to this question can only come from your knowledge, experiences or feelings.”
(T) “There is a type of question that uses your personal knowledge and combines it with information based on the selected text/artwork. This type is called ‘author and you’. An example of an author, or in our case ‘artist and you’ question would be “what mood or feeling do you think is evoked in the painting Starry Night?” Does anyone think they might like to answer this question?”
· (S) “I think that the painting makes me feel kinda sad. I don’t know. It’s not happy.”
· (S) “I don’t know about totally sad. I think that it makes me feel restless, or busy. It’s because of all the marks, lines and swirls.”
(T) “Those are really great and thoughtful answers. Thank you for sharing. As this question relies on your own personal opinion, there are no wrong answers. Both of these types of questions (on your own and author and you) really demonstrate how the viewer’s prior knowledge, that is their own personal knowledge, plays an important role in determining what the work of art means to them.”
(T) “We all have had different experiences, know different things and have different opinions and this information is equally important when answering these types of questions as the actual information from the text. It is important when answering text related questions to consider what source you need to go to in order to find the answer. Is it a think and search? Or is the answer in the right there? Perhaps it is relying only on your own knowledge? Or do you need to consider your own knowledge in relation to the text? By understanding this relationship between questions and their answers you can not only answer the questions more successfully, but deepen your comprehension of this material.”
Practicing the strategy and Homework:
For the rest of the class, we continue to practice asking and answering QAR questions in relation to works of art. After practicing with the whole class, we then split up into groups and students develop one example of each type of question (and determine the answer to themselves) in relation to a pre-determined work of art. Each group is assigned their own image to work with. After they have had time to complete this activity, students pose their questions to their peers, who in response try to answer them. For their homework assignment, students are asked to determine on their own, one question for each QAR category in relation to their own charcoal drawing (which was completed in a previous class). Students will write their questions on one page of their visual journal and on a second page answer their questions. These questions and answers will help students begin to develop personal artist statements about their artistic process and their works of art. Through these questions, both the way in which art can communicate and how it is interpreted by an audience is made more explicit to students.
Bibliography
Cortese, Emma E. "The Application of Question-Answer Relationship Strategies to Pictures." The Reading Teacher, 2004: pp. 374-380.
Kump, Laura. Reading Lady.com. July 2008. http://www.readinglady.com/mosaic/tools/QARQuestionAnswerRelationshipTeachingChildrenWheretoSeekAnswerstoQuestions.pdf (accessed 11, 14, 2011).
Pearson Education, Inc. TeacherVision. 2000-2011. http://www.teachervision.fen.com/skill-builder/reading-comprehension/48699.html (accessed 11, 15, 2011).
Raphael, Taffy E. "Teaching Question Answer Relationships, Revisited." The Reading Teacher, 1986: pp. 516-522.
Vacca, Richard T., Jo Anne L. Vacca, and Deborah L. Begoray. Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada, 2005.
