Exploring Literacy

on the Internet
Reading comprehension on the Internet:
Expanding our understanding of reading
comprehension to encompass new literacies
Julie Coiro

search for immediate answers and may implications do these differences have

■ The nature of literacy is rapidly

changing as new technologies
emerge (diSessa, 2000; Dresang &
adopt a “snatch and grab philoso-
phy...not apparent in print text environ-
ments” (p. 664). Similarly, Eagleton
for comprehension instruction, assess-
ment, and professional development?
Recent literature has addressed the
McClelland, 1999; Leu & Kinzer, (2001) observed middle school students need for changes in the way we think
2000; Reinking, McKenna, Labbo, & with little experience with Internet in- about reading comprehension as influ-
Kieffer, 1998; Tapscott, 1998). quiry often making “hasty, random enced by technology. In their new liter-
“Today, the definition of literacy has choices with little thought and evalua- acy and technology position statement,
expanded from traditional notions of tion” (p. 3). These shallow, random, and the International Reading Association
reading and writing to include the abil- often passive interactions with text are (2001) suggested that “traditional defin-
ity to learn, comprehend, and interact in direct contrast to the active, strate- itions of reading, writing, and viewing,
with technology in a meaningful way” gic, and critical processes of construct- and traditional definitions of best prac-
(Selfe cited in Pianfetti, 2001, p. 256). ing meaning now being proposed by tice instruction—derived from a long
Electronic texts introduce new supports instructional leaders and supported by tradition of book and other print
as well as new challenges that can have 25 years of reading research (Allington, media—will be insufficient.” This posi-
a great impact on an individual’s abili- 2001; Keene & Zimmermann, 1997; tion statement recommends new strate-
ty to comprehend what he or she reads. Robb, 2000). gies for students and teachers as they
The Internet, in particular, provides I believe that important questions use new and varied forms of informa-
new text formats, new purposes for about reading comprehension on the tion and communication technology.
reading, and new ways to interact with Internet need to be addressed if teachers Researchers discussing the direction
information that can confuse and over- are to effectively prepare students for that reading research in comprehension
whelm people taught to extract mean- their literacy futures. In this column, I is likely to take over the next two
ing from only conventional print. will closely examine the skills and abil- decades also recognize that “we live in
Proficiency in the new literacies of the ities needed to interact with text on the a society that is experiencing an explo-
Internet will become essential to our Internet while exploring the answers to sion of alternative texts” (RAND
students’ literacy future (International these four questions: Is the comprehen- Reading Study Group, 2002, p. xiv) and
Reading Association, 2001). sion process different on the Internet? If that “electronic texts that incorporate
When observing students interacting so, what new thought processes are re- hyperlinks and hypermedia introduce
with text resulting from an Internet quired beyond those needed to compre- some complications in defining com-
search, Sutherland-Smith (2002) report- hend conventional print? Are these prehension because they require skills
ed that they “perceive Web text reading processes extensions of traditional com- and abilities beyond those required for
as different from print text reading” (p. prehension skills, or do Web-based the comprehension of conventional, lin-
664). Within Internet environments, learning environments demand funda- ear print” (p. 14). Similarly, Spires and
many readers are easily frustrated when mentally different skills? If comprehen- Estes (2002) described several cogni-
not instantly gratified in their rapid sion is different on the Internet, what tive and aesthetic challenges to

458 The Reading Teacher Vol. 56, No. 5 February 2003 ©2003 International Reading Association (pp. 458–464)
comprehension presented by hypertext Likewise, the Internet expands and influ- However, new literacies are necessary to
environments. In order to better prepare ences the sociocultural context in which a navigate the hyperlinks skillfully in
for these challenges, they described the reader learns to read by providing collab- ways that enhance comprehension. A
need for a “rich theoretical description orative opportunities for sharing and reader must understand the advantages
of the comprehension processes” (p. responding to information across conti- and disadvantages associated with hav-
123) involved in Web-based and elec- nents, cultures, and languages. I go on to ing ultimate control of the direction in
tronic reading environments. It is this illustrate how conventional understand- which text progresses and use inferential
expressed need for clarification of the ings of the reader, the text, and the task reasoning skills and context clues to dis-
comprehension processes necessary for are not always applicable in electronic cern one type of hyperlink from another.
reading on the Internet that I intend to and networked environments. Finally, I On a typical page from StarChild’s
address here. consider the implications of a broader de- website (http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/
To explore the changing nature of finition of reading comprehension for in- docs/StarChild/solar_system_level1/
reading comprehension, I draw upon a struction, assessment, and professional solar_system.html) for example, at least
well-articulated model of reading com- development. five different types of hyperlinks are
prehension outlined in the RAND used. Within a passage about the solar
Reading Study Group’s report (2002). system, one type of link leads you to a
The authors of this report defined read- Broadened understandings of text definition of the linked word within an
ing comprehension as “the process of The RAND Reading Study Group alphabetical glossary on a separate web-
simultaneously extracting and con- (2002) recognized features of conven- page (e.g., solar, orbit, astronomer), and
structing meaning through interaction tional texts, such as varying genres, another link with the same visual fea-
and involvement with written lan- structures, reading levels, and subject tures sends the reader to an entirely new
guage” (p. 11). They proposed a devel- matter that create potential challenges passage about a completely different top-
opmental heuristic of reading for readers. Electronic texts compound ic (e.g., the moon, the asteroid belt, the
comprehension that includes three ele- the challenges because they possess sun). A similar hyperlink found further
ments: “the reader who is doing the new characteristics that require differ- down the page leads to a set of activities
comprehending, the text that is to be ent types of comprehension processes about the solar system, a fourth opens up
comprehended and the activity in which and a different set of instructional an e-mail message addressed to the web-
comprehension is embedded” (p. 11). strategies. These new texts can be char- master, and a fifth leads to NASA’s se-
These three elements occur within the acterized as hypertextual networks that curity statement—a topic not necessarily
sociocultural context of the reader’s explore new types of story grammar and important or appropriate for the elemen-
classroom, home, and neighborhood, a variety of new formats (Goldstone, tary reader. Readers need a new type of
and they help a reader to interpret in- 2001; Reinking et al., 1998). Web- inferential reasoning to anticipate these
formation and create personal meaning. based texts are typically nonlinear, in- differences and decide whether or not
The main sections of this column on teractive, and inclusive of multiple each hyperlink will enhance or disrupt
broadened understandings of text, the media forms. Each of these characteris- their search for meaning. “Never before
reading activity, the reader, and the social tics affords new opportunities while has it been more necessary that children
context—and the constructs described also presenting a range of challenges learn to read, write and think critically.
within each one—mirror the elements of that require new thought processes for It’s not just point and click. It’s point,
the RAND Reading Study Group’s making meaning. Let us explore each in read, think, click” (Tapscott, 1998, p.
heuristic of reading comprehension. more detail by examining a few online 63). Of course, once readers select any
However, I argue that the Internet forces examples. one of these hyperlinks, it is also as-
us to expand our understanding of each of Nonlinear hypertext. A student vis- sumed they will know how to return to
these elements by considering new as- iting NASA’s well-designed and popu- the original text.
pects of comprehension that are clearly lar children’s informational website It is not my intention to criticize the
related to traditional comprehension called StarChild: A Learning Center for design of this webpage—I think the in-
areas (e.g., locating main ideas, summa- Young Astronomers (http://starchild. formation here is well designed and
rizing, inferencing, and evaluating) but gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/Star very age appropriate. Instead, I use it to
also require fundamentally new thought Child.html) is introduced to a different illustrate the importance of (a) isolating
processes. The Internet provides opportu- set of interactive features not available the features of hyperlinked text that can
nities for interacting with new text for- in conventional print. Most notable are confuse readers and (b) closely exam-
mats (e.g., hypertext and interactive the hyperlinks embedded within short ining the thought processes necessary to
multiple media that require new thought passages about the solar system that en- use these features.
processes); new reader elements (e.g., courage readers to navigate their own Multiple-media texts. Traditional
new purposes or motivations, new types paths through the information in a non- text forms typically include a combina-
of background knowledge, high-level linear way that may be different than the tion of two types of media: print and
metacognitive skills); and new activities path of other readers or the intended two-dimensional graphics. Electronic
(e.g., publishing multimedia projects, path of the author. This site enables each texts can integrate a range of symbols
verifying credibility of images, partici- reader to actively engage with the text in and multiple-media formats including
pating in online synchronous exchanges). ways that are personally relevant. icons, animated symbols, photographs,

Exploring Literacy on the Internet 459

cartoons, advertisements, audio and they navigate various paths and con- terwoven with invitations to post an
video clips, virtual reality environ- struct a personal adaptation of the infor- opinion electronically, read personal re-
ments, and new forms of information mation. Conventional texts, on the other sponses from others, or become more in-
with nontraditional combinations of hand, present information shaped by the volved with a particular issue and then
font size and color (Brunner & Tally, author, and readers have little choice share personal progress with others
1999; Reinking & ChanLin, 1994). but to follow the author’s intended plot online. Comments are posted and trans-
Images and sounds are combined with or expository structure. Readers can lated into English, French, and Spanish
written texts to create new ways of con- choose to flip through the pages of a to promote a global community of learn-
veying meaning, explaining procedures, conventional text in a different order, ers. Thousands of postings indicate that
and communicating interactively but most are designed to be read in a lin- students are motivated to contribute
(Downes & Fatouros, 1995). For read- ear fashion, and their features are not their own ideas and efforts toward these
ers, these multimedia representations malleable. Goldstone (2001) noted that authentic issues. If readers are literate
demand new ways of thinking about authors of postmodern texts have begun in webpage design, they can publish per-
how to access, manipulate, and respond to function more as facilitators, invit- sonal responses to these interactions
to information. ing readers to construct their own story while becoming more socially aware.
Students gathering information from actively by “cobuilding the framework, Some students in the United States at
the website entitled The Rainforest: supplying missing features of the story a school in Massachusetts, for example,
People, Animals and Facts (http://www. structure, and pulling together discrete became involved in the campaign to end
christiananswers.net/kids/rainforest/ narrative strands” (p. 366). Texts on the child labor by designing The Kid’s
home.html) are treated to colorful im- Internet become interactive environ- Campaign to Build a School for Iqbal:
ages, authentic animal sounds, and ments as opposed to static words on a A Bullet Can’t Kill a Dream (http://mir
video footage—as long as they are com- page. Digital texts also provide oppor- rorimage.com/iqbal/index.html). This
petent in downloading various audio tunities to interact with other people us- website documents their efforts to foster
formats, manipulating the “buttons” on ing embedded tools like electronic an awareness of child labor issues while
a digital video player, and interpreting discussion boards and synchronous chat raising funds to build a school for child
the content of a photograph. Audio and environments that, in turn, provide ex- workers in Pakistan in memory of Iqbal
video clips found at the Year of the posure to multiple and diverse perspec- Masih, a former child laborer and ac-
Ocean (http://www.enn.com/yoto/mul tives. Finally, simple design tools tivist who was murdered in 1995.
timedia) require strong listening skills enable readers to construct personal re- Another example of an interactive
(because the audio samples are not sponses to information and publish forum on a similar topic can be found
paired with visual images) and strate- them online to share with others. at iEARN’s Fight Against Child Labor
gies for processing information gleaned Once again, new comprehension and Exploitation Project (http://www.
from educational video footage. processes are required for these electron- iearn.org.au/clp), which provides “a
Particularly challenging are less famil- ic text environments. With traditional place for youth to research issues of
iar virtual reality environments like texts, prereading thought processes focus child labor, discuss issues, devise, de-
those found at PBS’s Hidden New on questions such as the following: What velop and implement action agendas.”
York: Virtual Reality (http://www.pbs. will happen next? What do I know about The Project Index (http://www.iearn.
org/wnet/newyork/hidden/index.html). this topic? What is the author’s purpose? org/projects/project_list.html) features
At this website, students can discover What do I expect to learn from this text? more than 100 student-created projects
the hidden treasures in various corners Within interactive Web-based environ- inspired by the interactive nature of in-
of New York City—as long as they can ments, however, proficient readers also formation on the Internet. As teachers,
maneuver the controls within a need to plan answers to questions like we must begin to include these interac-
Quicktime Virtual Reality (QTVR) these: How should I navigate this infor- tions with technology in our repertoire
panorama complete with interactive mation? How can I expect to interact of reader-response activities while con-
hotspots and directional sound. For with this environment? What is my role sidering the new literacies needed for
those equipped with these new litera- or task in this activity? How can I add to readers to construct and share personal
cies, the Internet provides exciting ex- this body of knowledge? interpretations within Internet commu-
tensions of printed text. Without this A reader visiting the UNICEF Voices nities.
expertise, readers may struggle even to of Youth Meeting Place (http://www.
access these multimedia representa- unicef.org/voy/meeting/meethome.html),
tions, let alone be able to note details, for instance, should be prepared to deal Broadened understandings of the
interpret messages, and synthesize in- with traditional and Web-based compre- reading activity
formation communicated in multiple- hension tasks. Traditional media formats A second element in the RAND
media formats. (e.g., expository text, anecdotal narra- Reading Study Group’s (2002) compre-
Interactive texts. In addition to the tives, photographs) provide readers with hension heuristic is the reading activity,
hypertext and hypermedia features, opportunities to learn more about cur- which includes the purpose, process, and
Web-based text environments are, by rent real-world issues like child labor, consequences of an activity. Internet-
their very nature, interactive. Readers children’s rights, war, discrimination, based comprehension tasks broaden our
are invited to coauthor online texts as and urban life. In addition, this text is in- understanding of these elements because

460 The Reading Teacher Vol. 56, No. 5 February 2003

they present new purposes for reading, igating their own path through hyper- the text and who benefits from it?
more critical thought processes during text or simply “surfing the Internet”), Brunner & Tally concluded that
reading, and new examples of authentic and work collaboratively to construct helping students move from relatively passive
responses after reading. “an understanding of the material by absorption of information to habits in which they
creating something that others can re- are able to frame arguments, consider evidence,
Purpose spond to, on-line or off” (Dodge, 1997). and apply judgment creatively is key if we are to
develop powerful and flexible thinkers capable of
Authors of the RAND Report noted communicating about and solving difficult prob-
that “when the teacher-imposed purpose Process lems. (p. 35)
is unclear to the learner, or in conflict “Processing the text involves, beyond
with the learner’s purpose, comprehen- decoding, higher-level linguistic and se- A second set of new comprehension
sion may well be disrupted.... Since the mantic processing and monitoring. processes on the Internet that builds on
text is [potentially] difficult for students, [These typically include] skimming traditional research and summarizing
teachers employ various instructional (getting only the gist of text) and study- skills involves the abilities to search, lo-
techniques that support reading” (RAND ing (reading texts with the intent of re- cate, and draw connections between re-
Reading Study Group, 2002, p. 26). The taining the information for a period of sources of diverse and multiple
Internet offers a motivating medium for time)” (RAND Reading Study Group, perspectives. Electronic tools demand
a Web-based instructional technique 2002, p. 15). The nature of information new literacies such as manipulating
electronic databases, using multiple
known as a WebQuest (Dodge, 1997). on the Internet suggests new interpreta-
search engines, and navigating hierar-
The WebQuest is a Web-based inquiry tions of these processes, which demand
chical subject guides. Like new media
project that integrates research-supported all readers to adopt a more critical
literacy skills, new search techniques are
comprehension instructional techniques stance toward texts or risk being un-
vital skills for us to teach as we strive to
(e.g., questioning, comparing, critically knowingly tricked, persuaded, or bi-
develop proficient readers in the future.
evaluating) with embedded links to cur- ased. Bill Chapman’s Classroom Tools
rent online resources. Well-designed website (http://www.classroomtools.
WebQuests include explicit learning com) outlines strategies for helping stu- Consequences
goals and a recommended process of in- dents to validate online information and The consequences of reading are also
quiry. Student responses are guided by to recognize commercial propaganda considered part of the reading activity
an open-ended rubric that leaves room for and bias—three critical literacy skills and can include the knowledge that a
personal interpretation. By combining that are vital to readers on the Internet. reader has gained, the applications that a
explicit supports with constructivist re- Parody websites like The Onion (http:// reader makes, and the level of engage-
sponses, teachers can increase the likeli- www.theonion.com); HotAir (http:// ment that a reader maintains while in-
hood that externally imposed purposes www.improbable.com); and fictitious volved with a text (RAND Reading
are more closely aligned to those that are reports about “California’s Velcro Study Group, 2002). These can all be
internally generated. (Visit http://www. Crop,” “The Pacific Northwest Tree considered consequences of reading on
sesd.sk.ca/teacherresource/webquest/ Octopus,” and the reproductive cloning the Internet as well, but I believe that
webquest.htm for links to an extensive provider known as “Clones-R-Us” Web-based learning environments can
collection of WebQuests.) (from a collection compiled by Kathy foster opportunities for more diverse
In terms of new literacies, these Schrock at http://school.discovery.com/ knowledge gains, more personal applica-
Web-based inquiry projects demand schrockguide/eval.html) are on the in- tions, and higher levels of engagement.
fairly high levels of thinking and col- crease. This is another reason all readers Several Internet websites feature activi-
laborative problem solving that may need to be prepared to discern fact from ties that increase visual, historical, and
surprise readers used to more tradition- opinion and truth from fiction. Again, social awareness while also engaging
al reading tasks (e.g., answering literal- the Internet poses different contexts for readers to construct new bodies of knowl-
level questions and writing a summary this aspect of literacy instruction. edge from which others can benefit.
book report) or even those who have Brunner and Tally (1999) outlined The Library of Congress’s American
previously explored the Internet by hap- seven “key habits of mind” (p. 36) that Memory Historical Collection (http://rs6.
hazardly searching for information. help clarify how students should ap- loc.gov) and accompanying Learning
“The Quest has a purpose, a problem proach and process both traditional and Page (http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpe
that reading can help to solve, and this new media. Critical questions that stu- du/index.html) provide lessons that
puts reading and study in an entirely dents should consider include the fol- guide students through a wealth of pri-
new light” (Spires & Estes, 2002, p. lowing: What particular perspective of mary source documents, motion pic-
118). Web-based inquiry projects ex- reality is represented? What explicit or tures, photographs, and sound recordings
tend traditional purposes for reading hidden values underlie this text? What from U.S. history—a much wider range
into new contexts. In these environ- media conventions are used in this text of multimedia information than is typi-
ments, students need to be prepared to and how do they shape the way the in- cally available in traditional history text-
adopt new roles (e.g., scientist, detec- formation is interpreted? Who is the in- books. The International Schools
tive, reporter), follow certain paths with tended audience and how might different Cyberfair (http://www.gsn.org/cf), an in-
a particular purpose (as opposed to nav- audiences interpret the text? Who owns ternational challenge in which students

Exploring Literacy on the Internet 461

conduct research about their local com- Kieffer, 1999, p. 113). Others are study- Industry Association study shows that
munities and then publish their findings ing how supportive accessibility fea- new educational technologies help “im-
on the World Wide Web, fosters social tures and instructional prompts prove self-esteem and attitudes toward
and civic knowledge as well as a more embedded within authentic sources of learning, especially when used in the
personal understanding of diverse world fiction and nonfiction can cause reading context of collaborative learning activi-
communities. Thinkquest (http://www. disabilities to virtually disappear (see ties” (Solomon, 2002, p. 19). Earlier in
thinkquest.org), now in its seventh year CAST’s Thinking Reader software at this column, I discussed collaborative
as an educational Web-development pro- http://www.cast.org/about/index.cfm?i Web-design response projects and au-
gram, challenges teams of students or =2243). thentic inquiry activities that attract stu-
teachers in grades 3–12 to collaborative- Currently, few studies examine the dents’ interests while providing
ly design Web-based learning materials. use of the Internet as a teaching tool for opportunities to apply critical reading
As a result, over 5,000 websites have reading comprehension, but I’ve found and writing skills. Another impressive
been created by students eager to con- that CNN Learning Resources (http:// website that demonstrates technology
tribute and publish information on the literacynet.org/cnnsf) demonstrates the tools being used to motivate and em-
Internet. Finally, students in the state of potential of Internet-based cognitive power students from low-income neigh-
Wisconsin have joined forces as Internet reading supports that help students borhoods in East Palo Alto, California,
Detectives (http://www.madison.k12. make progress in comprehension. At is known as Plugged In (http://www.
wi.us/tnl/detectives) to build a student- this website, current news stories are ac- pluggedin.org). Determined to ensure
generated library of evaluated Internet companied by a range of multimedia in- that all community members have the
resources as a positive alternative to teractive activities designed to support opportunity to benefit from technology
Internet filtering in their schools. These older students in their efforts to build use, Plugged In Enterprises trains
websites provide a small glimpse into the reading comprehension skills. Audio teenage students in webpage design.
powerful consequences that the Internet recordings of the entire written text and Later, students take over in the business
has for students engaged in meaningful short video clips related to the news sto- of creating websites for community or-
learning activities. ries support readers with stronger audi- ganizations and commercial clients. As
tory tendencies, while accompanying a result of access to these new technolo-
interactive comprehension tasks pro- gies, students typically unmotivated and
Broadened understandings of the vide practice and reinforcement in using uninterested in applying their reading
reader new vocabulary, recalling and sequenc- and writing skills are now choosing to
The RAND Reading Study Group ing important details, drawing conclu- engage in challenging, authentic learn-
(2002) reported that “proficient readers sions, and responding personally to a ing tasks. Students respond to these
bring to the task of reading an array of written work. tasks with confidence and appreciate
capabilities and dispositions.... Such Ironically, many Web-based environ- that their experiences in the Plugged In
variables interact with one another and ments also introduce a new set of cog- program not only help them develop
with the text to which the reader is ex- nitive barriers that can cause competent important literacy skills for school but
posed as determinants of performance readers of conventional text to be cog- also provide them with employment op-
on a given reading task” (pp. 19–20). If nitively overloaded and emotionally portunities for the future.
we expand our definition of text to in- frustrated (Delaney & Landow, 1991;
clude the features of digital texts as pre- Eagleton & Guinee, 2002). Hypertext
Broadened understandings of the
viously described, then we must also and interactive features can offer too
many choices and too many animations social context
consider how these texts, and prior ex-
periences with them, compound the that may distract and disorient other- “The three elements of reading com-
variability in readers. wise strong readers. Teachers need to prehension—the text, the activity and
be aware of these new cognitive chal- the reader—occur within a larger socio-
lenges posed by Internet environments cultural context” that influences how
Cognitive capabilities literacy learners interpret and transmit
before we unnecessarily confuse our
Sources of reading difficulties for competent readers or overwhelm the information (RAND Reading Study
many readers can be biological, instruc- struggling ones. Group, 2002, p. xv). The RAND group
tional, or even environmental (Snow, report highlights the importance of
Burns, & Griffin, 1998). Technology reading comprehension as a social ac-
can influence our understanding of the Purpose, motivation, and self-efficacy tivity. Other researchers support the
cognitive traits commonly associated Research shows that as children same notion (Gee, 2001; Rosenblatt,
with both strong and struggling readers. progress through school their interest 1983; Tovani, 2000). Local technology
Recently, computer-supported environ- in reading for pleasure and their moti- tools and networked environments pro-
ments have been found to engage read- vation to read to learn diminish (Robb, vide exciting new opportunities for so-
ers labeled “at-risk” or learning 2000). Teachers can draw on technolo- cial interaction and collaboration with
disabled in ways that “may help com- gy applications, however, to engage stu- others (Leu, 1996; Leu & Kinzer, 2000;
pensate for inadequate reading ability” dents in challenging, authentic learning. Reinking et al., 1998). Immediate feed-
(McKenna, Reinking, Labbo, & A recent Software and Information back from peers and opportunities for

462 The Reading Teacher Vol. 56, No. 5 February 2003

sharing with real global audiences can would succeed” (p. 61). Similarly, Leu ded in many electronic environments.
promote higher level thinking, commu- and Kinzer (2000) warned educators to Modeling how to use strategies flexibly
nication skills, and deeper understand- pay special attention to learners accus- to solve different comprehension tasks
ings of text. tomed to relying on independent learn- becomes even more important as tech-
Harris (2002) highlighted hundreds of ing strategies so that they do not nologies rapidly change and new forms
“tele-collaborative” opportunities, inte- approach new networked collaborative of literacy emerge.
grated with K–12 curriculum-based tasks with a negative perception. It is With respect to assessment, histori-
learning activities requiring similar lit- important to consider new instructional cally, even conventional understandings
eracies, in her online book chapter enti- strategies that ensure tele-collaborative of reading comprehension (e.g., con-
tled In the Kitchen: Designs for success for all students. structs that don’t address new technolo-
Telecollaboration and Telepresence gies) have been difficult to assess, and
(http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~jbharris/Virt some feel it is certainly time for a
ual-Architecture/Telecollaboration). A broader model of reading change in how we measure comprehen-
Creativity and multicultural learning comprehension—Educational sion (Sarroub & Pearson, 1998). Wood
abound in online projects like Global implications (2000) wrote that “assuming we ever
Storytrain (http://storytrain.kids-space. As I come to the end of this explo- agree on a new definition of literacy [in
org) and Writers’ Window (http://eng ration beyond the RAND Reading the 21st century and beyond], how then
lish.unitecnology.ac.nz/writers/home. Study Group’s (2002) heuristic of read- will we measure literacy skills?” (p.
html), which encourage children and ing comprehension, let me summarize 117). Because most instruction and as-
teens to join efforts to add their piece to answers to the questions I initially sessment is currently driven by local
the original stories published at these posed. I strongly believe that the com- and national standards, teachers in the
sites. Mrs. Silverman’s Webfolio (http:// prehension process is different on the United States can begin by urging liter-
www.kids-learn.org) has become a fa- Internet, and I encourage you to follow acy organizations to revise their lan-
vorite starting place for teachers work- the hyperlinks supplied here to experi- guage arts standards to more accurately
ing with elementary students eager to ence firsthand the new opportunities reflect the influences of new technolo-
include tele-collaborative exchanges in and challenges offered in terms of new gies. I hope that we can begin to address
their repertoire of reader responses. text elements, reader elements, activi- more appropriately the explicit instruc-
With the proper amounts of scaffolding ties, and sociocultural contexts. I be- tion of these new literacies and how to
and support, young children can aspire lieve that some tasks on the Internet ask measure student progress and develop-
to become future members of collabo- readers to extend their use of tradition- ment in emerging text environments by
rative teams contributing Web-based al comprehension skills to new contexts expanding the constructs of the RAND
learning materials for the Thinkquest for learning, while others, like electron- Reading Study Group’s (2002) defini-
program or International Schools ic searching and tele-collaborative in- tion of comprehension to include strate-
Cyberfair (both mentioned earlier). quiry projects, demand fundamentally gies needed for reading on the Internet.
These two competitions, and many oth- different sets of new literacies not cur- Finally, these new literacies have im-
er Internet projects, have brought to- rently covered in most language arts plications for professional development
gether hundreds of thousands of curriculums. in the area of effective reading with new
students from over 80 countries to inter- Given the changing nature of literacy technologies. To be most effective at
act with new technologies such as syn- texts and literacy tasks, it is not surpris- modeling strategic reading behaviors,
chronous information exchanges, online ing, then, that these changes have Pressley (2002) explained that it is im-
dialogue journals, real-time chats, elec- important implications for our under- perative that teachers become more
tronic whiteboard exchanges, and video- standing of effective literacy instruction, “aware of their own use of strategies”
conferences. Their published projects assessment, and professional develop- (p. 19). I would argue that the same
integrate many of the new literacies out- ment. In terms of instruction, classroom holds true for teachers learning effec-
lined in this column as extensions of our teachers find the most success with tech- tive strategies for reading in digital and
current understanding of reading com- nology when they engage their students networked environments. Teachers
prehension. in meaningful and authentic activities must have opportunities to explore the
As always, though, it is important to with open-ended software and the Internet, experience online exchanges,
remember that while teamwork skills Internet (Jonassen, 2000). “When stu- and practice using the computer as a
are vital to a student’s success with tele- dents create and share reports, Web tool for learning. They should be more
collaborative technologies, students and pages, or digital presentations that re- involved in planning for technology that
teachers vary in their interest and com- quire higher-order skills, they are em- promotes reading comprehension and
petence in collaborative learning tasks. powered as learners and thinkers” should have access to ongoing technical
In a list of reasons why tele-collaborative (Solomon, 2002, p. 18). Our role, in fos- support. Only then can they realize the
projects sometimes fail, Harris (2000) tering literacy learning with technolo- full potential of computer technologies
wrote that “tele-collaborative projects gy, often becomes that of facilitator, as a tool for literacy learning.
may be curriculum focused but they are expertly guiding readers to appropriate Within the walls of education, Wood
most definitely people centered. online texts while taking advantage of (2000) described a “collision between
Without effective collaboration, none the scaffolded learning supports embed- two cultures...[namely] the literacy

Exploring Literacy on the Internet 463

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464 The Reading Teacher Vol. 56, No. 5 February 2003