Exploring the role of Internet metalanguage: An examination of 7th grade students new literacies in

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• Exploring the role of Internet
  metalanguage An examination of 7th grade
  students new literacies in action

New Literacies Research Team
Jill Castek, University of Connecticut
Analysis
Abstract
Sample
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 tasks
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 Internets metalanguage
is likely to foster students ability to
understand Internet reading tasks, construct a
response, and communicate information to others.
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.
This qualitative study was designed to observe,
document, and measure the new literacies 7th
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 7th 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).
Methods
Results
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.
Theoretical Framework
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
studys 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.
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
Internets 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.
Review Of the Literature
Implications
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 Internets
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).
Instrumentation
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 Internets
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).
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.
Bridging Instruction in Literacy and Technology
Applications for New Literacies in Instructional
Settings
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
National Reading Conference 2004 - San Antonio, TX