This is the Powerpoint version of my talk.

1. The New Literacies of Online Research
and Comprehension: Reading with a
Lens to the Future as Well As a Lens to
the Past
Donald J. Leu
Neag Endowed Chair in Literacy and Technology
Neag School of Education
University of Connecticut
donald.leu@uconn.edu
PDF available: http://www.slideshare.net/djleu/18th-european-conference-on-reading-scira-
25034268

2. A Summer of Reflection

3. What Have I Learned?
“The more I know, the less I understand.”
Don Henley, The Eagles

4. We Live In Epochal Times
 Rapid, Disruptive Changes To Literacy Are
Happening All Around Us.
 Never before has a generation lived
through such a period of profound change
to literacy, learning, and life

5. Print Newspapers are
Disappearing

6. New Literacies Are Required by
Everyone: AU Taxi Cab Drivers

7. The Internet Is Now This Generation’s
Defining Technology For Reading and
Learning

8. How Many People Read and
Write With the Internet ?

9. Why? One Reason: The Nature of
Work Has Changed
CEOCEO
Upper Level ManagementUpper Level Management
Upper Middle Level ManagementUpper Middle Level Management
Middle Level ManagementMiddle Level Management
Line SupervisorsLine Supervisors
WorkersWorkers
The Lesson from General Motors
1. Command and control
2. Lower levels of
education required.
3. Wasted intellectual
capital
4. Highly inefficient
5. Lower productivity
6. Little innovation
7. Little need for higher
level and creative
thinking.
Wasted
intellectual
capital

10. In a Flattened World: Opportunities
Expand but Both Competition and
Cooperation Increase
How do economic units increase productivity?
Flatten The Organization into Problem Solving Teams
TeamTeam TeamTeam TeamTeamTeamTeam TeamTeam
1. Define problems
2. Locate information
3. Critically evaluate information
4. Synthesize and solve problems
5. Communicate solutions
These teams take full advantage
of their intellectual capital to the
extent their education system
has prepared them for this.
Greater Intellectual Capital Use = Greater Productivity

11. Which tool has been used by
economic units to increase productivity
and compete?
TeamTeam TeamTeam TeamTeamTeamTeam TeamTeam
Online Research and Comprehension
•Define problems
1.Locate information
2.Evaluate information
3.Synthesize and solve problems
4.Communicate solutions
The Internet
Recent productivity gains are due to
using the Internet to share
information, communicate, and solve
problems (van Ark, Inklaar, &
McGuckin, 2003; Friedman, 2005;
Matteucci, O’Mahony, Robinson, &
Zwick, 2005).

12. With the Internet, Literacy Has
Become Deictic.
 Deixis: Words whose meanings rapidly
change based on the extralinguistic
context. A form of exophora.
here there
Itodayyesterday
she
literacy writingreading

13. our lives.”
Literacy is not just new today;
it becomes new every day of
our lives.”

14. What Does It Mean That Literacy is
Now Deictic?
 For theory development?
 For research?
 For practice?

15. PART I.
IMPACT ON THEORY DEVELOPMENT
IMPACT ON THEORY DEVELOPMENT
A conundrum: How can we possibly develop
adequate theory when the object that we seek
to study is itself ephemeral, continuously being
redefined by a changing context?
This is an important theoretical challenge that our
field has not previously faced.
Leu, D. J., Kinzer, C. K., Coiro, J., Castek, J., Henry, L. A. (2013). New literacies: A dual level
theory of the changing nature of literacy, instruction, and assessment. In N. Unrau & D.
Alvermann (Eds.), Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading, Sixth Edition. International
Reading Association: Newark, DE.

16. Literacies:
Learning from One Another to Advance Theory
and Research
Learning from One Another to Advance Theory
and Research
New LiteraciesNew Literacies
new literacies
of social practices
and mindsets
(Lankshear
& Knobel; Street;
and others)
new literacies
of social practices
and mindsets
(Lankshear
& Knobel; Street;
and others)
new
discourses
(Gee and
others)
new
discourses
(Gee and
others)
new literacies of
online research
and
comprehension
(Castek;Coiro; Leu;
and others)
new literacies of
online research
and
comprehension
(Castek;Coiro; Leu;
and others)
new semiotic
contexts
(Kress; Jewitt;
Lemke; and
others)
new semiotic
contexts
(Kress; Jewitt;
Lemke; and
others)
Multi-modal
approaches
(Hull and
others)
Multi-modal
approaches
(Hull and
others)
Upper Case New Literacies: Common patterns and principles
lower case new literacieslower case new literacies
new
literacies of
young
children
(Marsh; and
others)
new
literacies of
young
children
(Marsh; and
others)
new tools
(Brown and
others)
new tools
(Brown and
others)
Out of school
literacies
(Alvermann
and others)
Out of school
literacies
(Alvermann
and others)
etc.etc.

17. New Literacies:
Current Common Patterns
Current Common Patterns
1.The Internet is this generation’s defining
technology for literacy and learning within
our global community.
2.The Internet and related technologies
require new literacies to fully access their
potential.
3.New literacies are deictic.
4.New social practices are a central element
of new literacies.

18. New Literacies:
Current Common Patterns (cont.)
Current Common Patterns (cont.)
5.New literacies are multiple, multimodal, and
multifaceted, and, as a result, our
understanding of them benefits from multiple
points of view.
6.Critical literacies are central to new literacies.
7.New forms of strategic knowledge are
required with new literacies.
8.Teachers become more important, though
their role changes, within new literacy
classrooms.

19. COMPREHENSION
(Online Reading Comprehension)
(Online Reading Comprehension)
(Online Reading Comprehension)
 Defines how we read online when we
conduct informal and formal research to
learn new knowledge.
 Identify the problem/question
 Locate
 Evaluate
 Synthesize
 Communicate
Castek, 2008; Coiro & Dobler, 2007;
Henry, 2007; Leu, Castek, Hartman,
Coiro, Henry, Kulikowich, & Lyver, 2005;
Leu, O’Byrne, Zawilinski, McVerry,
& Everett-Cacopardo, 2009; Leu, Kinzer,
Coiro, Castek, & Henry, 2013
Castek, 2008; Coiro & Dobler, 2007;
Henry, 2007; Leu, Castek, Hartman,
Coiro, Henry, Kulikowich, & Lyver, 2005;
Leu, O’Byrne, Zawilinski, McVerry,
& Everett-Cacopardo, 2009; Leu, Kinzer,
Coiro, Castek, & Henry, 2013

20. Why Have Some of Us Selected
This Line of Research?
 Closely connected to learning
 Immediate classroom application
 Appears to be increasingly important to
one’s success in life
 High frequency of use
 Our students appear to lack many of
these skills

21. Results From Several Research
Projects
 Offline and online reading are not the same.
 The rich are getting richer and the poor are
getting poorer with both offline and online reading
in the U.S., a concern possibly found in other
nations.
 The ORCA Project: New performance based
assessments of online research and
comprehension.
 Collaborative reading online appears to lead to
deeper thinking and learning compared to

22. Offline Comprehension and Online
Comprehension Are Not The Same
(r=0.19, n = 89, N.S.)
Leu, Castek,
Hartman,
Coiro,
Henry,
Kulikowich,
Lyver, 2005
Leu, Castek,
Hartman,
Coiro,
Henry,
Kulikowich,
Lyver, 2005
Online Reading
Comprehension =
ORCA Blog
Offline Reading =
Connecticut
Mastery Test (CMT)
of Reading
Comprehension

23. Additional Evidence:
Predicting Online Reading Comprehension
R2
Offline Reading
Comprehension
Additional R2
Domain Knowledge
Additional R2
Previous Online
Reading
Comprehension
Total R2
Online Reading
Comprehension
.351* .074 .154* .579*
Coiro, 2011
The new literacies of online reading comprehension
Offline Reading Comp.=
CT State
Reading Test
Online Reading
Comprehension =
ORCA Quia

24. Examples?
 Locate
 Key word entry
 Reading search results
 Evaluate
 Evaluating the reliability of a website
 Synthesis
 Synthesizing from multiple sites
 Communicate


25. In the U.S., The Rich Get
Richer and the Poor Get Poorer
in Offline Reading.OFFLINE READING COMPREHENSION: 90/10 Income Achievement & Black-
White Gaps
in Reading, 1943-2001 Cohorts
*Adapted from: Reardon, S.F. (2011). The widening academic achievement gap between the rich and the poor: New evidence and possible explanations. In R. Murnane & G. Duncan (Eds.), Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality and the Uncertain Life Chances of Low-Income Children. New York: Russell Sage Foundation
Press.
AverageDifferenceinS.D.UnitsonNationalAssessments
Reardon, S.F. (2011). The widening academic achievement gap between the rich and the poor: New
evidence and possible explanations. In R. Murnane & G. Duncan (Eds.), Whither Opportunity?
Rising Inequality and the Uncertain Life Chances of Low-Income Children. New York: Russell Sage
Foundation Press.

26. ORCA Project Study: Students
in Rich and Poor School
Districts
Leu, D. J., Coiro, J., O’Byrne, W. I.,
Zawilinski, L., McVerry, J. G.,
Cacopardo, H., Kennedy, C., &
Forzani, E. (2011). Online
reading comprehension
assessment (ORCA): A
preliminary study of online
reading comprehension ability
in rich and poor school districts.
Paper presented at the meeting
of the Literacy Research
Association. Jacksonville, FL.

27. School District Differences
West Town East Town
Median Family Income $119,338 $58,981
% of Families Below Poverty
Line
2.1% 11.8%
% of Students Eligible for
Free/Reduced Price Lunches
4% 67%

28. Existed in Offline Reading
(CT Mastery Test: Reading)
(CT Mastery Test: Reading)
★ t (237) = 14.34 p = .000
 eta squared = .466 (large)
 West Town (Rich) Mean = 282.6 (SD = 41.54)
 East Town (Poor) Mean = 215.1 (SD = 31.07)
282.6 215.1

29. Comprehension Abilities...
ORCA-Closed
ORCA-Closed
✴ t (255) = 9.80, p = .000
 eta squared = .319 (large) West Town Mean = 15.00 (SD=5.69)
 East Town Mean = 7.65 (SD=4.39)
15.00 7.65

30. Covariates: Offline Reading + Prior Topic
Knowledge
Covariates: Offline Reading + Prior Topic
Knowledge
★F (1,234) = 15.84, p = .001
 partial eta squared = .063
 (large)
 West Town (rich) adjusted mean = 12.96
 East Town (poor) adjusted mean = 10.27
12.96 9.27

31. PIs
Donald J. Leu, The University of Connecticut
Jonna Kulikowich, The Pennsylvania State University
Nell Sedransk, National Institute of Statistical Sciences
Julie Coiro, University of Rhode Island
Graduate Research Assistants
Elena Forzani, Clint Kennedy, and Cheryl Burlingame, The University
of Connecticut
Scientific Advisory Board
P. David Pearson, The University of California, Berkeley
Irwin Kirsch, Educational Testing Service
Rand Spiro, Michigan State University
Elizabeth Stage, Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley
Glenn Kleimann, Friday Institute, NCSU

32. Locate
Can the student locate the correct email message in an
inbox on the first click?
Can the student use appropriate keywords in a search
engine?
Can the student locate the best site for a task from a set of
search engine results on the first click?
Can the student locate and communicate the correct
website addresses from two different search tasks.

33. Evaluate
Can the student identify the author of the website?
Can the student evaluate the author's level of
expertise?
Can the student identify the author's point of view?
Can the student evaluate the reliability of a
website?

34. Synthesize
Can students provide a summary of one important element from
the first website?
Can students use their own words to integrate one detail from
each of the first two websites?
Can students use their own words to integrate one detail from
each of the second two websites?
Can students use their own words to develop an argument after
reading all four websites?

35. Communicate: Email (Wiki)
Does the student include the correct email address in an email
message?
Does the student include an appropriate subject line in an
email message?
Does the student include an appropriate greeting in an email
message to an important, unfamiliar person?
Does the student compose and send a well-structured, short
report of their research in an email with sources and
appropriate argument structure, containing at least one
relevant claim and at least two pieces of evidence.

36. 36

37. Reading to
Locate
Information

38. Reading to
Locate
Information
Online

39. Reading to Synthesize
Information Online

40. Reading to Critically Evaluate
Information Online

41. 41
Reading and Writing to
Communicate Information Online:
Email Task

42. State 1 State 2
(laptops)
TOTAL
Locate (8) 4.52 4.64 4.58
Evaluate (8) 3.61* 3.32 3.47
Synthesize (8) 6.07 5.86 5.97
Communicate (8) 4.22 4.00 4.11
TOTAL (32) 18.42 17.81 18.13
Mean Scores of Representative
State Samples of 13-year Olds (n
= 1,129)
*p < .05 t(1127) = 2.641, p=.008

43. 43
Adjusted Total Mean Scores
When Covariates of SES and
Prior Knowledge Controlled
43
State 1 State 2
(laptops)
Adjusted Means 17.56 19.08*
*p < .05 F (1, 1021) = 14.854, p = .000

44. 44
Most Recently
 Current work is showing unidimensional
scaling for ORCA-Multiple Choice but
Multidimensional scaling for ORCA-Closed
and ORCA-Open.
44

45. 45
• Collaborative online reading can lead to
important learning gains.
• Individual readers concentrated on
gathering facts.
• Collaborative readers explored ideas
more deeply and shared different
perspectives.
Kiili, C., Laurinen, L., Marttunen, M., & Leu, D. J. (2012). Working on understanding
45

46. 46
III. INSTRUCTION
 A particular problem in some nations:
 We often think about our curriculum ONLY with a
lens to our past, not a lens to the future.
 A special problem for the U.S. with our new
Common Core State Standards.
 It may also apply to nations/schools who
specify a reading/literacy curriculum.
46

47. 47
 A Lens to the Future
1. “Read closely to determine what the text
says explicitly and to make logical inferences
from it; cite specific textual evidence when
writing or speaking to support conclusions
drawn from the text.”
 A Lens to the Past
 Narrative Text
 Inferential
Comprehension
47

48. 48
 A Lens to the Future
 Web site reliability
 Who is the author
 Is the author an
expert? How do you
know?
 What is the author’s
point of view? How
do you know?
 Is this site reliable?
How do you know?
6. “Assess how point of view or purpose
shapes the content and style of a text.”
 A Lens to the Past
 Narrative text
 What was the
author’s point of
view?
 What was Jacob’s
point of view?

49. What Can We Do To Enrich Our
Reading Programs and Prepare
Students For Their Future?
Two Classrooms

50. Grades 2-3: Internet Morning Message
of the Day
http://www.epals.com/find-classroom.php

52. Grade 7: Online International
Projects
Hey! Gary
Paulson???
O yeah! I got some grat
idea. Let me send them
to Tomas and Ben in the
US
We’re on it!
Making a web
page now.
Monique, South Africa
Ben and Tomas, Connecticut
Jose, Costa Rica

53. 53
Internet Reciprocal Teaching
(IRT)

54. A Three-Phase Model
 Phase I: Teacher-led and Student-led
Instruction in Cool Tools for Information Use
 Phase II: Problem-based Learning of Online
Research and Comprehension Skills
 Phase III: Internet Inquiry

55. IRT: Phase III
Inquiry
 Initially, within the class.
 Then, with others around the world.
 Internet Morning Message of the Day
 Student Online Collaborations

56. Help the last become first with new
literacies.
QuickTime™ and a
Sorenson Video 3 decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

57. Some Thoughts to Review
1. Literacy as deixis means that new
literacies appear every day.
2. In a deictic world of reading and literacy,
we need new approaches to theory
development. Dual Level theory.
3. We reviewed one area of lower case new
literacies research with important
classroom implications: online research
and comprehension.

58. Some Thoughts to Review
(cont.)
4. We have looked at several instructional ideas in
online research and comprehension: Internet
Morning Message, IRT, and helping the last
become first.
5. We have looked at online collaborative learning
projects, an approach that may hold important
potential for raising a new generation of globally
aware and sensitive citizens.
6. I believe that Europe has special potential for
leading our way forward with new literacies.

59. Change Is Never Easy.
How does it look on a bad day?

60. But, On These Most Difficult
Days, Keep This Thought In Mind:
The Leadership That You
Provide With New
Literacies…

61. Determines The Future That Our
Students Achieve!
Thank you!

62. The New Literacies of Online Research
and Comprehension: Reading with a
Lens to the Future as Well As a Lens to
the Past
Donald J. Leu
Neag Endowed Chair in Literacy and Technology
Neag School of Education
University of Connecticut
donald.leu@uconn.edu
PDF available: http://www.slideshare.net/djleu/18th-european-conference-on-reading-scira-
25034268