1. Exploring the role of Internet metalanguage: An examination of 7th grade students’ new literacies in action This qualitative study was designed to observe, document, and measure the new literacies 7 th grade students utilized as they searched for information online, evaluated the sites they found, synthesized information across sites, and communicated about their findings using instant messaging and e-mail technologies. The following research questions were addressed: What skills and strategies are required when reading information on the Internet? In what areas do students with differing amounts of experience using the Internet fall short? The sample was comprised of seven 7 th grade Internet readers from an ethnically diverse, urban, middle school in the northeastern United States. Students with high and low reading ability, and varying degrees of Internet use were examined. During an hour period, each student individually gathered information on homelessness, following a standardized research protocol. Students communicated with the off-site researcher via Instant Messaging to learn the specifics of the tasks they were asked to complete. The research was framed as an authentic task, with students offering assistance to the offsite researcher on her school project (Coiro, 2004). The task involved completing five Internet tasks: 1) locating and communicating the URL for an age appropriate homelessness informational site called “Stand Up for Kids”; 2) locating a statistic that reported the number of homeless kids in the U.S.; 3) locating an additional site that reported similar information 4) evaluating three websites on the basis of ideas for helping homeless kids; 5) composing an e-mail communicating their opinions about each of the sites. An onsite researcher conducted a pre and post task interview, recorded the students’ screen navigations using Camtasia software, observed the students as they worked, and gathered field notes for analysis. This paper outlines a pattern that emerged in data analysis suggesting students’ awareness of the unique metalanguage of the Internet impacts their comprehension of Internet text. Analysis involved a systematic aligning of transcripts from field notes, think-aloud protocols, instant message dialogues, and interview responses. Preliminary findings indicated that knowledge associated with terms such as” search engine”, “keyword”, “hyperlink”, “homepage”, and “URL” facilitated online reading comprehension, navigational efficiency and searching success. There are several important implications to be drawn from this study. As literacy educators better understand the unique nature of online reading processes and new literacies, they design lessons to support students in the process of acquiring the literacy skills and strategies that are particular to Internet tasks. Given these findings, it is likely that classroom teachers can promote successful reading on the Internet by foregrounding aspects of Internet language, grammar, and technical vocabulary as part of a new literacy curriculum (Leu, Leu & Coiro, 2004). Bridging Instruction in Literacy and Technology: Applications for New Literacies in Instructional Settings New Literacies Research Team Jill Castek, University of Connecticut National Reading Conference 2004 - San Antonio, TX Portions of this study were completed with members of the New Literacies Research Team at the University of Connecticut including Donald Leu, Julie Coiro, Doug Hartman, Laurie A. Henry, Clarisse Lima and Melissa McMullan Abstract Theoretical Framework Review Of the Literature Sample Methods Instrumentation Analysis Results Implications Although literacy educators share a number of understandings about the influences of digital technologies, we recognize that the current national literacy standards do not adequately address new literacies. The use of these technologies affects how we read and write and how we should teach reading and writing. Focusing attention on this line of research will provide needed evidence to demonstrate the nature of new literacies in action. Armed with this knowledge, teachers can better prepare to comprehend the complex web of information it contains. This study’s research questions emerge from a new literacies perspective and are being investigated in order to better inform teachers and researchers of the new literacies required as students read information on the Internet. The new literacies perspective (Leu, Kinzer, Coiro & Cammack, 2004) argues that new skills, strategies, and dispositions are required to successfully use and adapt to the rapidly changing information and communication technologies and contexts that continuously emerge in our world. These new literacies allow us to use the Internet and other ICTs to identify important questions, locate information, and critically evaluate, synthesize and then communicate possible answers to others. This study was grounded in a new literacies perspective and sought to pursue a preliminary examination of reading comprehension within online settings. In order to better understand the role metalanguage plays in navigating the Internet, communicating, and comprehending online text, it is helpful to begin with an overview of terms, perspectives, and common questions. What is metalanguage? What understandings does it enable? What is its impact on instruction as far as classroom literacy practices are concerned? Metalanguage is comprised of a set of vocabulary terms used to describe or analyze language particular to a specific context. The Internet’s metalanguage is rich, dynamic, and ever increasing as new technologies continue to emerge. Texts found online are fundamentally unique in the way they are negotiated and navigated online. They can be described as multimodal due to their incorporation of images with written language. The New London Group (2000) stated that students and teachers need a specific metalanguage for talking about online meaning-making, since online texts implicitly incorporate images, words, sounds, and graphics to convey ideas in new ways. “Metalanguage should be used to identify and explain differences between texts, and relate these to the contexts of culture and situation in which they seem to work” p 24. Unsworth (2002) states that “to understand how dimensions of meaning are constructed by the structures of language and images requires knowledge of the kind of visual and verbal grammar that relates such elements and structures to meanings and ultimately to the nature of the context in which the visual and verbal texts function” p 65. A number of professional development programs for teachers in Australia have incorporated the explicit teaching of functional grammar to provide such a metalanguage (National Professional Development Program, 1997). A shared metalanguage used by students and teachers has the potential to enhance comprehension in all curricular areas. This kind of metalinguistic understanding positions students not only to comprehend and compose the text forms of their school subjects but also to critique the perspectives on knowledge they construct (Martin 2000). Seven students were selected to participate in the individual, hour-long Internet comprehension task. These students represented a random sample of seventh grade students who varied in reading ability, homeroom teacher, ethnicity, gender, and time spent each week using the Internet as measured in time spent weekly on the Internet (Coiro, 2004). Reading ability was determined by gathering the results of standardized tests of reading comprehension. The following table summarizes the demographic characteristics of the students included in the sample. The off-site researcher prompted students to complete five distinct tasks. The first involved locating a specific website and reporting its URL address. The second required finding a statistic on the given website and communicating it to the offsite researcher. The third involved locating an additional online source that reported similar information for the purpose of checking the accuracy of the fact. The third task involved students in evaluating three websites to determine which of the three offered the most interesting ideas for Middle School students who were looking for ways they could help homeless children. Participants were asked to compose and e-mail comparing and contrasting these sites given and to justify their choice as to which best met this purpose. The offsite researcher prompted students who required support (example: what did you try so far or did you use a search engine) and provided guidance or clarification when directly asked. Detailed notes were made when support was requested and provided. Three new measures were developed for this project, including an Internet use survey, a scenario-based comprehension protocol, and an evaluation rubric to measure the degree to which students have acquired new literacies in the areas of searching, navigating and communicating online (Coiro, 2004). These measures were developed to align with the new literacies theoretical framework with the understanding that the five functions model (Leu et al., 2004) would best inform the data collection procedures. Analysis involved a systematic aligning of transcripts from field notes, think-aloud protocols, instant message dialogues, and interview responses. Data were organized, coded and sorted in to categories as defined by task in the Rubric for Internet Comprehension Tasks. The rubric scores obtained on each of the task’s measures in addition to field notes, communication logs, Camtasia recordings, and interviews provided triangulation of data sources and allowed the researcher to better understand the processes involved in Internet comprehension tasks. A record of each students’ observed new literacies and a report of rubric scores were reported in the paper. The tasks students were asked to complete required traditional comprehension skills such as answering literal and inferential questions, comparing and contrasting information, synthesizing and inferring. In addition, we recognized that distinct new literacies were also required for success in these tasks. Strategies included choosing an appropriate search engine, using effective key words, reading and interpreting search engine results, navigating hyperlinks and menu buttons within websites, critically evaluating the sources of information found online, and communicating with text and emoticons using AOL instant messenger and Yahoo e-mail programs. In addition, multi-tasking across tasks and programs emerged as a new literacy required to effectively utilize attention and focus appropriately. A relationship was detected between knowledge of technical vocabulary and successful completion of the three Internet reading tasks. Students who were familiar with the metalanguage concepts embedded in the tasks scored higher on their ability to search, locate, evaluate, synthesize and communicate in this online contexts. There were several metalanguage related concepts that presented difficulty for students including finding and sharing the URL for the Stand Up for Kids site, using a search engine to locate a site with statistics reporting the number of homeless kids in the U.S., reporting the title of the website where these statistics were found, and scanning search results to locate sites that were reliable, valid, and well- suited to the purpose. Several students were unfamiliar with how to read and interpret search engine results to find relevant sites that suited their purposes. Some used several search engines to yield a list that would provide the needed information. Analysis indicated there is a relationship between students’ awareness of the unique metalanguage of the Internet and their comprehension of Internet text. Knowledge of the Internet’s metalanguage is likely to foster students’ ability to understand Internet reading tasks, construct a response, and communicate information to others. Findings indicate knowledge associated with terms such as “search engine”, “keyword”, “hyperlink”, “homepage”, and “URL” facilitated comprehension, navigational efficiency and searching success. Data also suggest that students’ awareness of an Internet metalanguage fosters their ability to understand Internet reading tasks, construct a response, and communicate information to others. The development of metalanguage is important for both teaching and learning. Proficiency with the Internet’s metalanguage facilitates productive participation in conversations about reading, writing and learning. Students’ awareness of an Internet metalanguage can foster their ability to understand Internet reading tasks, construct a response, and communicate information to others. Metalanguage promotes the acquisition of new literacies (Lankshear & Knobel, 2003; Lankshear, Snyder & Green, 2000) and has the potential to mediate literacy practices across contexts, enabling students to navigate Internet environments in a purposeful manner. The results of this analyses informs effective reading practice and classroom instruction. By understanding the purposes for using specific technical vocabulary, students are able to constructively use and respond to the Internet’s metalanguage while reading and writing. Given these findings, it is likely that classroom teachers can promote successful reading on the Internet by foregrounding aspects of Internet language, grammar, and technical vocabulary as part of a new literacy curriculum (Leu, Leu & Coiro, 2004).