Author : Jacqualine Marshall Arnold
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 339 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (123 download)
Book Synopsis Examining the Experience of Reader-response in an On-line Environment by : Jacqualine Marshall Arnold
Download or read book Examining the Experience of Reader-response in an On-line Environment written by Jacqualine Marshall Arnold and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Literacy is intertwined with technology usage that impacts the ways we read, learn, and communicate in today's society. Computer mediated technologies, such as an on-line threaded discussion, are one example of a technology application that can be utilized to enhance a reader's response to texts and to encourage participants to collaborate and socially co-construct their understandings. This qualitative study explored the ways that the students and teacher responded to the texts they read and discussed together in two environments. Fifth-grade students and their teacher were observed in both face-to-face group conversations and in an on-line threaded discussion environment to document their responses to literature. Analyses of the data revealed that the teacher utilized roles flexibly in response to the needs of the two different groups and in response to the environment in which they were responding. These teaching adjustments scaffolded the students' learning according to the need of the group and the environment in which they were working. Data analysis also illustrated the students' ownership of the questions and answers in the on-line discussion space. The research found that in this computer mediated environment the students led the conversation, posing questions and responding to each other without teacher intervention. This ThirdSpace, created through the students' collaboration in the threaded discussion environment, encouraged students to write and respond collaboratively. This space empowered the students to take ownership of the response process. These findings illustrate the utilization of multiple contexts to enrich the responses of readers to common readings. While the teacher is an important member of the conversations, a fluctuating presence based upon the needs of the group encourages student ownership and leadership of the discussion and the responses to literature. The utilization of technology applications can create a new ThirdSpace outside of the traditional classroom environment that encourages and nurtures student leadership in the reader response process. This study makes a unique and significant contribution to the reader response literature as it examines the integration of technology in enhancing the response of readers and describes the ways in which a teacher can facilitate those responses across contexts.