Reading Companion: A Interactive Web-Based Tutor for Increasing Literacy Skills

Purpose: This study explores the effectiveness of a A Balanced Reading Approach for Children Always Designed to Achieve Best Results for All (ABRACADABRA; hereinafter, ABRA) —a web-based literacy program designed by Concordia University in Canada —on third-grade students in Nanjing, China. Design/Approach/Methods: Participants comprised 999 students from three treatment schools (N = 711) and three control schools (N = 288). Three different approaches were used in the treatment schools: namely, a computer laboratory once a week, noontime study after lunch, and single-game instruction (SG) during every English lesson. Interviews were also conducted with teachers, producing qualitative data. Findings: Following 20 weeks of intervention, the overall effect size was +0.05. The SG group reflected the smallest effect size (d = -0.52). The noontime study group produced an effect size of 0.39, and the laboratory group an effect size of 0.55. This study conducted interviews with teachers to gain a qualitative understanding of the differential impacts. In doing so, this study found that teachers in the SG group were poorly motivated due to a lack of school support and heavy workload, resulting in passive roles and low ABRA program intensity. Originality/Value: The results of this study indicate that ABRA is an effective means of improving Chinese students’ English literacy skills. Results also underscore the need for critical measures to encourage teachers to actively participate in the program.

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Developing Digital Literacy Skills with WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects

Handbook of Research on New Media Literacy at the K-12 Level ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-120-9.ch026 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 403-418

Author(s):

Susan Gibson

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Problem Solving ◽

New Media ◽

Instructional Strategies ◽

Media Literacy ◽

Digital Literacy ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Web Based ◽

21St Century Learning Skills ◽

K 12

This article identifies digital literacy as an important aspect of new media literacy at the K-12 level. Digital literacy includes developing the skills of information location and application as well understanding how to use available evidence to assist in problem solving and decision making about important questions and issues that have no clear answers. Two web-based examples of instructional strategies – WebQuests and Web Inquiry Projects—are suggested as ways to develop these and other important 21st century learning skills.

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Review of Developing Quantitative Literacy Skills in History and the Social Sciences: A Web-Based Common Core Approach by Kathleen W. Craver

Numeracy ◽

10.5038/1936-4660.8.2.14 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Victor Ricchezza ◽

◽

H.L. Vacher ◽

Keyword(s):

Social Sciences ◽

Common Core ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Quantitative Literacy ◽

Web Based ◽

The Social

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Designing Web-based Forms for Users with Lower Literacy Skills

Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology ◽

10.1002/meet.14504301174 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Kathryn Summers ◽

Jonathan Langford ◽

Jennifer Wu ◽

Christine Abela ◽

Randy Souza

Keyword(s):

Literacy Skills ◽

Web Based

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Designing and testing a web‐based board game for teaching information literacy skills and concepts

Library Hi Tech ◽

10.1108/07378830810920978 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 663-681 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Karen Markey ◽

Fritz Swanson ◽

Andrea Jenkins ◽

Brian J. Jennings ◽

Beth St. Jean ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Information Literacy ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Board Game ◽

Web Based ◽

Information Literacy Skills ◽

Teaching Information

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A European Computer Driving Licence: integrating computer literacy in the new Social Work degree

Learning and Teaching ◽

10.3167/latiss.2008.010302 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 1-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Claire Gregor

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Social Work ◽

Computer Literacy ◽

Social Work Students ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Web Based ◽

Driving Licence ◽

The Social ◽

E Learning ◽

College Now

'Informacy', the learning of information technology skills, is now a key element of all Social Work curricula in the U.K. following the General Social Care Council's accreditation requirements. These stipulate that all undergraduates acquire computer literacy skills to the level of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) or its equivalence and require that all accredited Social Work courses assess students to ensure that this is achieved. However, many universities do not have the support of information technology departments in order to ensure that their students are taught how to use a computer. Nor do they have access to interactive web-based packages that assist the students in teaching themselves IT skills to the high levels required by the European Computer Driving Licence. The research suggests that an integrated e-learning teaching and assessment strategy can help to promote computer literacy among Social Work students. This paper explores some of the challenges that arise from integrating e-learning into the teaching and assessment of a Social Work degree, based on the experience of the Social Work Department at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (now Bucks New University).

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A Systematic Review of Readability and Comprehension Instruments Used for Print and Web-Based Cancer Information

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/1090198105277329 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 352-373 ◽

Cited By ~ 276

Author(s):

Daniela B. Friedman ◽

Laurie Hoffman-Goetz

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Word Recognition ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Cancer Information ◽

Web Based ◽

Functional Literacy ◽

Internet Information ◽

Print Materials ◽

Information Comprehension ◽

Comprehension Tests

Adequate functional literacy skills positively influence individuals' ability to take control of their health. Print and Web-basedcancer informationis oftenwritten at difficult readinglevels. This systematic review evaluates readability instruments (FRE, F-K, Fog, SMOG, Fry) used to assess print and Web-based cancer information and word recognition and comprehension tests (Cloze, REALM, TOFHLA, WRAT) that measure people's health literacy. Articles on readability and comprehension instruments explicitly used for cancer information were assembled by searching MEDLINE and Psyc INFO from 1993 to 2003. In all, 23 studies were included; 16 on readability, 6 on comprehension, and 1 on readability and comprehension. Of the readability investigations, 14 focused on print materials, and 2 assessed Internet information. Comprehension and word recognition measures were not applied to Web-based information. None of the formulas were designed to determine the effects ofvisuals ordesignfactorsthat couldinfluencereadabilityandcomprehensionofcancereducationinformation.

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Web-Based Simulation on Physics Learning to Enhance Digital Literacy Skill of High School Students

JIPF (Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan Fisika) ◽

10.26737/jipf.v4i2.1048 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 70

Author(s):

Riki Perdana ◽

Riwayani Riwayani ◽

Jumadi Jumadi ◽

Dadan Rosana

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

High School Students ◽

Digital Literacy ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Literacy Skill ◽

Control Group ◽

Web Based ◽

Physics Learning ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Before And After

The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Web-Based Simulation (WBS) on Physics learning to enhance digital literacy skills of Grade XI students in high school. The level of digital literacy skills of the students in the experiment and control group before and after they study using WBS learning and none was determined respectively. The comparison of their levels before and after the study was done to determine the effectiveness of the WBS learning. The participants of this study were 49 students of science class, with 14-16 age. The research design in this study were descriptive-comparison and pretest-posttest experimental design. Data analysis using Anova mixed design with significant 5%. The result of this study are level of students' digital literacy skill before learning process is generally very low; but after the treatment these skill was comparatively increased. In addition, there was a significant difference in the level of digital literacy skill of the classes where the WBS learning is the more effective than direct learning to enhance students’ digital literacy skill.

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Students' Experiences of Seeking Web-Based Animal Health Information at the Ontario Veterinary College: Exploratory Qualitative Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.13795 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Nanette Lai ◽

Deep Khosa ◽

Andria Jones-Bitton ◽

Cate E Dewey

Keyword(s):

Health Information ◽

Information Management ◽

Information Literacy ◽

Animal Health ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

The Internet ◽

Veterinary Students ◽

Web Based ◽

Health Related ◽

Information Literacy Skills

BACKGROUND Although searching for health information on the internet has offered clear benefits of rapid access to information for seekers such as patients, medical practitioners, and students, detrimental effects on seekers’ experiences have also been documented. Health information overload is one such side effect, where an information seeker receives excessive volumes of potentially useful health-related messages that cannot be processed in a timely manner. This phenomenon has been documented among medical professionals, with consequences that include impacts on patient care. Presently, the use of the internet for health-related information, and particularly animal health information, in veterinary students has received far less research attention. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to explore veterinary students’ internet search experiences to understand how students perceived the nature of Web-based information and how these perceptions influence their information management. METHODS For this qualitative exploratory study, 5 separate focus groups and a single interview were conducted between June and October 2016 with a sample of 21 veterinary students in Ontario, Canada. RESULTS Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts demonstrated one overarching theme, <italic>The Overwhelming Nature of the Internet</italic>, depicted by two subthemes: <italic>Volume and Type of Web-based Health Information</italic> and <italic>Processing, Managing, and Evaluating Information</italic>. CONCLUSIONS Integrating electronic health information literacy training into human health sciences students’ training has shown to have positive effects on information management skills. Given a recent Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges report that considers health literacy as a professional competency, results of this study point to a direction for future research and for institutions to contemplate integrating information literacy skills in veterinary curricula. Specifically, we propose that the information literacy skills should include knowledge about access, retrieval, evaluation, and timely application of Web-based information.

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Talk Around Digital Texts

International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence ◽

10.4018/ijdldc.2018070104 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 39-51

Author(s):

Jonathon Adams

Keyword(s):

Digital Media ◽

Digital Literacy ◽

English Language ◽

Interaction Analysis ◽

Multimodal Interaction ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Web Based ◽

Face To Face ◽

Language Class ◽

Wide Range

Digital, web-based texts as a resource for the classroom present new ways of making meaning as learners draw on a wide range of communicative resources such as gaze and gesture to access and read them. This study employed a multimodal interaction analysis framework to examine an English language class of Japanese university students explaining online video stories face-to-face in a university in Japan. The findings identified a gap in the digital literacy skills the teacher assumed the learners possessed and the actual digital literacy skills required for successful completion of the classroom activity. The findings challenge the assumption that young learners are ‘digital natives', being capable of using technology for the specific purposes required in the class task. Implications for the planning and implementation of digital media for talk in language classroom tasks are discussed.

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