"The influence of Highlighting and Color Coding on

the Retention of Data among Grade 11-HUMSS

Pay-ong, Jenna Marcos

Banatao, Nesie

Lumawig, Trisha

Manganip, Javee

Sagasag, Marvie

Saquing, Andres
Background Of The Study

In educational settings, students face the challenge of retaining the varied amount of information
presented in textbooks and lecture materials when it comes to memorization. Memorization is an
important skill for students, especially those with busy schedules and classes. This is one of the factors
that help students retain the information they read in various study materials. According to Wikipedia,
memorization is a mental process performed to store visual, auditory, or tactile information in memory
for later retrieval. The four general types of memory are sensory memory, short-term memory, working
memory, and long-term memory.

Radvansky (2017) defines memory as the mental processes used to acquire, store or retrieve
information. Its processes are operations that use data in a particular way to make the data available
later or bring it back into the current processing flow. According to Wang and Hou (2016), sharing
personal memories online facilitates memory retention.

The study of the human brain and its ability to absorb multiple pieces of information at once has always
been a fascinating and interesting topic for both science and philosophy for thousands of years. But
because of this complexity, today's scientists are still left wondering how a person can process huge
amounts of information without errors. Simply put, memory is not only about remembering and storing
past knowledge, but also about the ability of the brain to initiate the functions of acquiring, encoding
and storing information, events and memories that a person has personally experienced or seen. It is the
permanent possession of information already processed in the brain and stored over a period of time,
like a video diary. It is an important part of a person's daily life because it keeps a person's daily activities
under control.

Previous research has examined various environmental factors that can affect cognitive processes,
including lighting, noise levels, and classroom design. Using reading or review methods, students apply
different methods to plan information in their heads and recall it when needed. The purpose of this
study is to find out the effect of highlighted and color-coded text on students' memory. Understanding
how this factor can affect student retention is important for educators and researchers seeking to
optimize instructional materials and improve learning strategies. Regarding the subject, students are
significantly influenced by the colors of their environment (Bean-Mellinger, 2018). They use markers to
emphasize main points in their lectures. This addition of color to their learning materials was found to
be effective in improving their memory retention, primarily by directing their attention and giving the
colored information a sense of emphasis or importance.

Color-coding highlighting is one technique an individual can use as a learning tactic. The highlighting
method is the easiest and fastest way to take notes - while reading, you highlight important information
from a textbook or course reading, and then take notes based on the highlights. Emphasis of printed
text is done with colorful accent colors. This can also be applied to digital learning materials because the
technologies of this generation have been updated. Color is a powerful communication tool that can be
used to convey action, convey information, and influence mood and even psychological responses
(Cherry, 2018). Furthermore, it is widely accepted in the scientific community that arousing events can
improve memory (Roozendaal, 2002).

There are several explanations for the positive effect of text marking on reading comprehension. One
explanation is that deep processing of the text occurs before selecting the segment to be emphasized,
resulting in better understanding (Fowler and Barker, 1974;Rickards and August, 1975). In their classic
study, Fowler and Barker (1974) found that "active"marking (that is, readers actively select and
emphasize important parts) improved retention and comprehension more than "passive" marking
(reading already highlighted parts). ). Another explanation for the positive effect of text marking on
comprehension is that marking important segments alone helps to create mental representations and
mental models of the text that support comprehension (Johnson-Laird, 1983; Johnson and Nàdas,
2009)..

Related Studies

Highligting

One study of 104 native Hebrew-speaking undergraduates directly compared the use of highlighting in
printed and digital formats. First, when there was no highlighting, the researchers found comprehension
was greater for those who read the printed text versus the digital text. Then, when the participants were
instructed to use highlighting, comprehension improved only for the printed text group, not the digital
text group. (Ben-Yehudah & Eshet-Alkalai (2018)

A study of 130 college students compared performance on tests of rote memory and comprehension
with and without highlighting. Results showed higher performance on the rote memory task for
students who highlighted. Additionally, eye-tracking measures demonstrated that highlighting caused
students to spend more time fixating on highlighted words, which primed some cognitive processes.
(Ponce & Mayer (2014).

Ponce, Hector & Mayer, Richard & Mendez, Ester. (2022). Effects of Learner-Generated Highlighting and
Instructor-Provided Highlighting on Learning from Text: A Meta-Analysis. Educational Psychology
Review.The present study examines the existing published research about the effectiveness of learner-
generated highlighting and instructor-provided highlighting on learning from text. The results showed
that learner-generated highlighting improved memory but not comprehension, with average effect sizes
of 0.36 and 0.20, respectively; and instructor-provided highlighting improved both memory and
comprehension, both with an average effect size of 0.44. Learner-generated highlighting improved
learning for college students but not for school students, with average effect sizes of 0.39 and 0.24,
respectively; and instructor-provided highlighting improved learning for both college and school
students, with average effect sizes of 0.41 and 0.48, respectively.

Color Coding

To learn something effectively one requires to pay more attention. When an Individual is paying
attention, it is focusing on certain information to be processed.to increase attention it is said that
Colours help to increase the attention levels on certain information, which helps in memorizing certain
information (Dzulkifli & Mustafar, 2013). For example, warm colours such as red, orange, and yellow
have been recognized to increase learner’s attentions and stimulate their active participations in
activities (Wilson, 1966).

Colors possess great significance in conveying, interpreting, and portraying information. It effectively
increases memory retention in terms of level of attention. The concept would eventually help co-create
a new and healthy learning environment where an efficient and effective visual learning strategy aids
every student. (Santos et al., 2019).

Research Paradigm

Aim of the Study

This research aims to investigate the influence of highlighting text and color coding on the retention of
data among KSU-LHS Grade 11-HUMSS students.

Specific Objectives

- To assess the retention rates of participants who uses highlighting techniques.

- To compare the retention rates between participants who uses highlighting and color coding in reading
texts to those who doesn't.

- To determine if there is a significant difference on the color used to highlight text on the retention of
data.

- To provide practical recommendations for students and educators on using highlighting and color
coding techniques to enhance data retention.

Expected Research Output/ Impact of the Study

Cognitive Processes: The study could provide knowledge into how the brain processes and remembers
information when it is presented in different formats, shedding light on cognitive mechanisms such as
attention, encoding, and retrieval.

Practical Implications: The findings in this research may offer practical recommendations for educators,
they may be able to increase learning outcomes and student information retention by implementing
color coding and highlighting in instructional materials.

Design Guidelines: To maximize the impact of highlighting and color coding, the research may offer
recommendations for certain color schemes, formatting styles, or positioning tactics to instructional
material designers.
Overall, the expected research output would offer valuable insights into the role of highlighting and
color coding in learning and memory processes, with practical implications.

Significance of the study

The research on the impact of highlighting and color coding on the retention of data among students
holds significant significance in the field of education. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of
highlighting and color coding techniques as tools to enhance students' memory retention and learning
outcomes. By understanding the impact of these techniques, educators can develop more effective
teaching strategies and instructional materials.

The significance of this study lies in its potential to improve students' learning experiences and academic
performance. By identifying the benefits and limitations of highlighting and color coding, educators can
make informed decisions about incorporating these techniques into their teaching practices. The
findings of this research can provide evidence-based recommendations for educators to optimize their
instructional methods and enhance students' retention of information.

Furthermore, this study contributes to the existing body of research on cognitive processes and learning
strategies. By investigating how highlighting and color coding affect memory retention, the study sheds
light on the mechanisms underlying effective learning. This knowledge can inform the development of
instructional materials and interventions that align with students' cognitive abilities, leading to improved
learning outcomes.

The research also has practical implications for curriculum design and instructional material
development. The findings can guide the creation of educational materials that incorporate effective
highlighting and color coding strategies. This can enhance students' engagement and motivation, as well
as facilitate their understanding and retention of information.

Definition of Terms

1. "Memory" - Memory refers to the mental process of encoding, retaining, and retrieving
environmental information. It is the ability to store and recall information.

2. "Color coding" - Color coding refers to the practice of assigning specific colors to different categories
or information in order to enhance memory and organization. It involves using colors as visual cues to
remember and retain information more effectively.

3. "Retention" - Retention refers to the ability to remember and recall information over time. It is the
process of retaining or holding information in memory for later use or retrieval.

4."Highlighting"_ refers to the practice of marking important information with a bright color, typically
using a marker or digital highlighting tool. It's commonly used as a study aid to draw attention to key
concepts or information within a text.
METHODOLOGY

Research Design

Experimental Design: This study employed a between-subjects design, where participants are randomly
assigned to one of two conditions: (1) text read with highlighting and color coding, and (2) text read
without highlighting and color coding.

Participants: The sample consist of individuals with diverse educational backgrounds to ensure a broad
representation of potential learning styles. Participants were randomly assigned to either the
experimental group (highlighting and color coding) or the control group (no highlighting and color
coding).

Reasearch Tool

The researcher make used of:

Tests and Assessments: The researchers have administered standardized memory tests and reading
comprehension assessments to measure participants' performance objectively. These included tasks
such as recall exercises, multiple-choice questions, or short-answer questions.

Data Gathering

Data Presentation: Researchers have provided the participants with the same text passage that contain
the information for the questionnaire that they have answered. The same text passage have been given
to the two group (experimental and control group) but for the experimental group, they will use
highlighter and color coding. While for the control group, they didn't use any highlighters.

Study Phase: The researchers distibuted the reading material to the participants, individually.
Participants have been instructed by the researchers to study the text passages for 30 minutes. And has
been collected after the time given for them to read.

Assessment Phase: After collecting the given reading material, the researchers distributed the
questionnaires immediately after the study phase to measure their retention of the data presented in
the text passages. The participants was given 15 mins to answer. After 15 mins, participants completed
the retention test and collected by the researchers.

Participants of the Study

The participants of this study will be the Grade 11 Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students of
Kalinga State University Senior High School, which will be the respondents of our study to get the data
needed in assessing the influence of highlighting and color coding on the retention of data among KSU
Grade 11 Students.

In addition, the individuals in this study will be from diverse backgrounds. Student populations in any
age group contain learners with a wide variety of different characteristics, including academic ability,
physical ability, language, gender, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic factors, and personal experiences.