Researchers at the universities of Bielefeld and Kassel are working closely together to develop measurement instruments for different sub-competencies that university students need when dealing with scientific primary literature. The spectrum of competencies includes systematic competencies and heuristic competencies (dealing with surface characteristics of the texts) as well as receptive competencies and epistemic competencies (i.e. checking text contents for plausibility). The test battery will be applied in a longitudinal study, an intensive study, and two training experiments. In the longitudinal study we will investigate links between sub-competencies, examine how sub-competencies develop over time, and determine the relative contribution of each sub-competency on academic success. In the intensive study we will investigate which types of declarative and procedural knowledge are associated achievements in the test battery. Correlates of sub-competencies will be measured using on-line indicators (thinking-aloud protocols, reading times) and off-line indicators (questionnaires and short interviews). To identify deficits in students' competency sets the intensive study includes an expert-novice comparison, with students as novices and scientists as experts. Lastly, to pinpoint causal effects two training experiments will be carried out. These trainings will concentrate on the sub-competencies that are determined by the intensive study as being the most problematic for students.
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