Reading Online: What We Know; What We Can Do Molly Berger Instructional Improvement Coordinator Educational Service District 105 by flickingerbrad flickingerbrad

Agenda 1. Opening discussion: What have you heard about reading online? What would you like to know? Shared notes: bit.ly/1SywGfwbit.ly/1SywGfw 2. Review and discussion of current literature. What does it tell us? What doesn’t it tell us? 3. What we can do to A. Teach students to read online B. Make instructional choices

What does the current literature tell us and not tell us? The good news: more current research is available But for those who like definitive answers: the impact of screen vs. paper is still murky

Clarifications Screen-online web page Screen-eReader, tablet, laptop or computer eReader app Screen-cell phone Print-book, magazine, printed paper (still significant difference in format)

What the research is indicating Since at least the 1980s researchers in many different fields—including psychology, computer engineering, and library and information science—have investigated such questions in more than one hundred published studies. The matter is by no means settled. Before 1992 most studies concluded that people read slower, less accurately and less comprehensively on screens than on paper. Studies published since the early 1990s, however, have produced more inconsistent results: a slight majority has confirmed earlier conclusions, but almost as many have found few significant differences in reading speed or comprehension between paper and screens. Ferris Jabr, Scientific American,November 2013

Indications * 1.Digital texts prevent people from effectively navigating long texts, which may impair comprehension. 2.Screens may use more of our mental resources while reading, making it a little harder to remember. 3.Attitude or approach to computer may be less conductive to learning. 4.The physical aspect of reading may not replicated as well on screens. The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens. Ferris Jabr Scientific America, The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: Why Paper Still Beats Screens, Ferris Jabr, Scientific American,

Indications * 5. On screen, “individuals seem less inclined to engage in… metacognitive learning regulation—setting specific goals, rereading difficult sections and checking how much one has understood along the way.” 6. The added features of digitals texts may distract attention from the narrative to the device itself. 7. Digital texts offer advantages of change of font size, benefitting those with vision needs. The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens. Ferris Jabr Scientific America, The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: Why Paper Still Beats Screens, Ferris Jabr, Scientific American,

Is reading online changing our brain? Marshall McLuhan: The medium is the message. Nicholas Carr: The Shallows

Yes but/ Yes and In reading research we should always dig deeper and ask questions such as Currency Details of the study – Size of the study – Age, place, situation etc. Other possible conclusions Additional information

So now what? Add to our shared notes bit.ly/1SywGfwbit.ly/1SywGfw

Recognize New Literacies It is not enough to be meaning-makers in traditional print environments; we need to prepare students to be meaning- makers in today’s environments of multiple, digital-based literacies. To be literate means being able to participate in one’s world rather than just being an observer of it. Being literate means to be able to make meanings while probing ideas, solving problems, or pursuing new understandings. Meaning-making also requires transacting with people and ideas-both face to face and virtually, by way of written words, audio, and images—in ways that embrace others as potential collaborators and audiences. Being literate involves engagement with the unedited and ever expanding world of ideas 24/7. Robert J. Tierney, University of British Columbia

Instructional Practice Model Guided Practice Independent Practice

Present the Challenge to Students Give a clear purpose for reading Give clear expectation (accountability) Have them develop and test their own strategies including criteria for success (How will you know if you are successful?) Have them reflect on their success and draw conclusions.

Reinforce Habits of Mind that apply Persisting Managing impulsivity Thinking Flexibly Thinking about Thinking (Metacognition) Striving for Accuracy Questioning and Posing Problems Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision Gathering Data through All Senses Creating, Imagining, Innovating Responding with Wonderment and Awe Remaining Open to Continuous Learning Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick

Teach strategies for multiple formats Standards

What do good readers do? Activate prior knowledge Monitor and repair comprehension (fix-it strategies) Determine important ideas Synthesize Draw inference Ask questions Navigate features Determine author’s purpose and point of view

What may need more focus with digital formats? Focus Analysis and evaluation of paths to take Understanding of multilayered structure Visual literacy Media literacy

Practice ding-paper-screens/ ding-paper-screens/