Reading By Design: Two Case Studies Of Digital Reading Practices

By Author: Amandda
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In July 27th, 2008, article from The New York Times, Motoko Rich claimed, "What is different now is that spending time on the Web, whether it is looking up something on Google or britneyspears.org, entails engagement with text" (p. Al). With that statement, digital texts entered public debate and were acknowledged as capable of inviting skills that foster literacy. Over the past few years, increasing attention has been paid to digital literacy practices, as well as to how they can be incorporated into literacy teaching and learning (Alvermann, 2006; Buckingham, 2007; Cranny-Francis, 2005; Davies, 2006; Knobel & Lankshear, 2006; Thompson, 2008). Some scholars in the field suggest that digital reading involves a different logic and set Cartier Jewelry of practices governed by multimodality. In this context, multimodality is defined as an understanding of different modes of communication (visual, acoustic, spatial) working together without one being dominant. In this article, we explore how digital reading practices rely on notions of multimodality (Kress, 1997; Kress & Van Leeuwen, ...
... 1996, 2001) and design (Cope & Kalantzis, 2000) to appreciate and understand text content.

We study in detail two different learners--one struggling in school, and one who has a passion for digital texts--and build on their particular stories to get an overall picture of literacy teaching and learning. Significant work pertaining to online literacy has already been done (Coiro, 2005; Leu, 2000; McNabb, 2006; Snyder & Beavis, 2004; Wilder & Dressman, 1998). We build on such work in our analysis of two learners in different countries and with different stories.

There are several issues to grapple with when it comes to online reading practices. The sheer vastness of the Internet is an issue that researchers such as Julie Coiro (2005) acknowledged, wherein middle grade students may make random decisions because of the ubiquitous nature of information on the Web. Other issues to grapple with include how to best incorporate reading practices into a curriculum, how to assess online literacy practices, how to account for equity issues when some students in class do not have online access, and how to safely provide students access to the Internet (for example, our participants were often denied access to certain sites). Past research has shown that online reading creates an environment more focused on the learner (Au, 1997; Kamil, Intrator, & Kim, 2000). Researchers of online reading practices have shown how collaborative learning environments immerse students in a social learning context, without the intimidation of face-to-face contact (McNabb, 2006). The point is to build on the funds of knowledge (Gonzales, Moll, & Amanti, 2005) that our two focus students (Peter and Patty--both pseudonyms) discussed in this study and brought into the classroom by thinking in terms of online learning.

In Literacy Learning in Networked Classrooms, Mary McNabb (2006) identified three ways in which the Internet can provide curricular benefits (1) designing Internet-based activities to help meet the diverse needs of students by engaging them through personal interests, customizing teaching--learning cycles in ways that motivate students, and fostering self-directed learning. Case studies featured below fall in line with these curricular benefits. In the first case study, Peter faced a Cheap Cartier Jewelry challenging home situation, which compelled him to spend an increasing amount of time online. Through frequency and intensity of use, Peter became proficient in several online skills, such as seeking out information from multiple sources. He also became proficient with the Naruto videogame and developed a deep understanding of online settings and characters. Interestingly, Peter showed very little interest in, or aptitude for, school language arts, suggesting that if Peter's teacher were to adapt the curriculum in line with McNabb's suggestions, Peter might approach classroom learning with a higher level of interest and motivation. This could be accomplished by designing Internet activities pertaining to assigned texts, or by having Peter actively seek out information to engage his fascination with anime.