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Reading, Literacy, and Technology Application for CAITL Fellowship for Fall 2002 for Prof. Brock Haussamen The purpose of this fellowship for Fall 2002 will be to survey and disseminate information about reading, literacy, and technology that is relevant to student performance in both on-line and conventional courses. This information will inform faculty about several interconnected topics: the basic cognitive dynamics of comprehending written text on page or screen, broadening definitions of literacy and their implications for higher education, and current research on user interaction with the graphic elements of computer-based communications. Measurable outcomes will include the frequency and nature of inquiries from faculty and other instructional staff. II. Background Reading is obviously a key skill in any college course and yet teachers are generally unfamiliar with the basic dynamics of how readers read, what factors determine reading comprehension skills and levels, and how to help students become more effective readers. The teaching of reading skills is associated with elementary education, when children "learn to read"; at the secondary and post-secondary levels, it is assumed that students have mastered basic reading and that they now "read to learn." (The reading issues unique to ESL students are beyond the scope of this proposal, which focuses on the reading and literacy issues of native English speakers primarily.) In part for these reasons, at the national level, after deficiencies in math and science, deficiencies in reading are the most critical ones in American education. Two out of every five high school seniors are not reading at their grade level; at community colleges, including Raritan Valley, one in approximately every four freshman takes a remedial reading course. Compounding the questions surrounding reading skills are the broadening concepts of literacy in our culture together with the rapid expansion of computer-based communications. The definition of literacy has moved beyond the ability to read and write text towards the ability to use all the dominant symbol systems of the culture. Thus visual and numerical literacy now commonly fall within the teaching goals for K-12 educators right along with verbal literacy; in 1991, Congress defined literacy as not only the ability to read and write English but also as the ability to "compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society." But Congress's definition is already out of date. Added to those skills now is computer literacy. While the term "computer literacy" covers a broad area, the aspect that I would like to know more about--and that I believe faculty would find useful in all computer communications with students--concerns the fundamental dynamics of user interaction with the computer. Some aspects of this topic seem to be well understood, such as the difference between reading a screen and reading a printed page. Others aspects of user interaction, such as ability to comprehend elaborate websites, seem less thoroughly studied or at least less widely understood but have important implications for the notions of reading and learning via computer. I look forward to the opportunity to read widely in these areas and to share the relevant findings with colleagues at the College. III. Proposal Inquiry: I will survey
and read a wide range of materials on about reading, literacy, and technology.
Sources will include the International Reading Association and other organizations
concerned with adult literacy, the many organizations producing materials
about on-line education, and recent doctoral dissertations. The International
Reading Association is the principle organization for reading educators;
it maintains an active research branch and publishes a journal specifically
about reading on-line. Dissemination: Dissemination
will be a central and on-going feature of this project. Using e-mail,
I will send short commentary about or excerpts from the surveyed materials
each week to faculty and academic administrators and staff. (To reach
our adjuncts, many of whom don't use our e-mail system regularly, I will
send these items on paper every three weeks.) These "Reading Briefs"
will be intended to be of interest to faculty across most subject areas
and to faculty with different degrees of involvement with learning technology.
Possible topics include how the brain works when we read, reading the
page vs. reading the screen, and survey results on levels of various literacies
nationally. On-line Course Revision: I will also revise my current on-line course, American Literature Since the Civil War, to reflect some of my own recommendations. Students in the course read extensively in an anthology, and while some of the students are excellent readers, some are not. I will revise the course to integrate suggestions and procedures for encouraging effective reading of the literature. IV. Relevant Work
Already Accomplished V. Outcomes Assessment Reading, Literacy, and Technology Application for CAITL
Fellowship for Fall 2002 for Prof. Brock Haussamen The purpose of this fellowship for Fall 2002 will be to survey and disseminate information about reading, literacy, and technology that is relevant to student performance in both on-line and conventional courses. This information will inform faculty about several interconnected topics: the basic cognitive dynamics of comprehending written text on page or screen, broadening definitions of literacy and their implications for higher education, and current research on user interaction with the graphic elements of computer-based communications. Measurable outcomes will include the frequency and nature of inquiries from faculty and other instructional staff. BROCK HAUSSAMEN EDUCATION TEACHING POSITIONS PRESENTATIONS
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Courses taught:
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