Question 54·Hard·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
Critics of large-scale online education argue that the format encourages distraction. They point out that most students toggle between lecture windows, social media, and chat apps, making sustained attention difficult. Because online platforms encourage multitasking, students absorb information only superficially, rarely attaining the deep comprehension fostered by in-person discussion.
Text 2
A recent meta-analysis of forty university courses compared learning in fully online sections with that in traditional seminars. The researchers found that when online courses incorporated structured peer-review sessions and mandatory reflection journals, student explanations were significantly longer and conceptually richer than those produced in face-to-face classes. The authors conclude that the depth of learning depends less on the medium than on whether instructors design activities that force students to articulate and refine their ideas over time.
Based on the texts, which choice best describes how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the assertion in the underlined portion of Text 1?
For cross-text connections questions, pinpoint the exact claim being referenced in Text 1 (here, that online learning rarely produces deep comprehension). Then identify Text 2’s controlling idea and evidence on that same issue, and decide whether Text 2 would mostly agree, mostly disagree, or qualify the claim. Finally, choose the option that mirrors Text 2’s logic and stays within its evidence, avoiding answers that introduce new premises or make the author’s stance more absolute than the text supports.
Hints
Focus on the underlined claim
Restate the underlined sentence from Text 1 in your own words. Is it saying deep comprehension is rare in online learning?
Identify what Text 2 says causes depth
In Text 2, what matters more for deep learning: the medium (online vs. in-person) or the way the course is designed?
Use Text 2’s specific evidence
What two structured activities in Text 2 are linked to longer, conceptually richer explanations? Use them to predict the author’s response.
Avoid choices that change the claim’s focus
Eliminate answers that shift the argument to a different main idea (for example, claims about “in general” equivalence or about online being inherently shallow).
Step-by-step Explanation
Clarify the underlined claim in Text 1
Focus on the underlined sentence in Text 1:
Because online platforms encourage multitasking, students absorb information only superficially, rarely attaining the deep comprehension fostered by in-person discussion.
Paraphrase it: Text 1 claims that online learning encourages multitasking and therefore usually results in superficial understanding, with deep comprehension being rare compared with in-person discussion.
Summarize Text 2’s key evidence and conclusion
Text 2 reports a meta-analysis comparing fully online sections with traditional seminars. It finds that when online courses include structured peer-review sessions and mandatory reflection journals, students’ explanations are significantly longer and more conceptually rich than those in face-to-face classes.
Text 2’s conclusion is that the depth of learning depends less on the medium (online vs. in-person) and more on whether instructors design activities that require students to articulate and refine their ideas.
Determine the likely response relationship (challenge vs. accept)
Text 1 treats online learning as a cause of shallow understanding and suggests deep comprehension is mainly fostered by in-person discussion.
Text 2 would most likely challenge the claim that online learning rarely produces deep comprehension by pointing out that well-designed online structures (peer review + reflection) can produce equal or greater depth than face-to-face settings. The key move is shifting the explanation from “online medium” to “instructional design.”
Match to the best answer choice
Evaluate the choices:
- Choice 1 mostly restates Text 1’s position (online learning is generally superficial) and only allows that design features may reduce harm; Text 2 goes further by showing online can outperform face-to-face under certain designs.
- Choice 2 makes a broad “similar depth in general” claim that Text 2 does not state; Text 2 emphasizes conditions (specific structures) and downplays medium relative to design, not an across-the-board equivalence.
- Choice 3 asserts that in-person discussion is the primary source of deep comprehension; Text 2 explicitly disputes tying depth to the medium and provides evidence that online can yield richer explanations.
- Choice 4 directly reflects Text 2’s evidence and conclusion by challenging Text 1’s “rarely deep” claim and citing structured peer review and reflection as drivers of deeper explanations.
Therefore, the correct answer is By challenging the claim that online learning rarely produces deep comprehension, citing evidence that structured online peer review and reflection can yield explanations that are longer and more conceptually rich than those from face-to-face classes.