Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Second grade (Education); Internet and children; Internet in education;

Abstract

This study was designed to explore the relationship between Internet Reciprocal Teaching (IRT) and young students’ online text evaluation skills. It built upon previous research that identified four main online reading comprehension skills: locating, evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating information that are similar yet more complex than offline reading comprehension skills. In the majority of previous research, participants were in fifth grade or above. This study aimed to observe the processes younger students go through while reading online text. Participants were second grade students in a Midwestern suburban elementary school.

Qualitative methods were used to collect data while students participated in a research unit that taught the four online reading comprehension skills through IRT with an emphasis on location and evaluation strategies. All students received the same instruction through IRT which progressed through three phases (teacher-led instruction, teacher and student modeling, student-led instruction). Data were collected through interviews, observation, and screen/video recording. Following IRT, participants were able to implement and/or explain strategies they could use to evaluate online text for relevance and credibility. Participants also expressed ways they taught and learned from peers through the IRT process. Additionally, several difficulties related to young children reading on the internet emerged such as text level difficulties, technology difficulties, and distractions from ads, hyperlinks, and media on the internet.

Discussion and recommendations for future research and practice are included for how this study relates to existing research on online reading comprehension and strategy instruction. Recommendations include further investigation of effective instructional practices for teaching online reading comprehension and additional support necessary for younger learners to successfully and fully comprehend online text.

Year of Submission

2022

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Department

Division of Literacy Education

First Advisor

Sohyun Meacham, Chair

Date Original

5-2022

Object Description

1 PDF file (viii, 154 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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