Effects on content acquisition of signaling key concepts in text material

Eighty college students read textbook passages that either included marginal inserts to signal key concepts or did not include these inserts. Signaling key concepts enhanced performance on content quizzes overall and on subsets of items assessing signaled material. Performance was not affected on subsets of items for nonsignaled content. Students reported preferring the signaled format and found it both clearer and easier to understand than the nonsignaled format. Signaling key concepts by extracting and highlighting them in marginal inserts may facilitate encoding and retention of these concepts.