Digital Reading

Reading Literacy:
- Definition – difference to other definitions: reading literacy refers also to pictures  also
what you can see (extended definition of text – also diagrams, pictures, etc.)
- To Read examples: read a book, etc. (action of decoding sth.) vs. read a situation, etc.
(action of interpretating sth.) – giving the situation a meaning, very subjective
Difference in learning to read:
- L1 (first language): alphabetization needed, syntactical rules
- L2: less vocabulary available, pronunciation, transfer of reading strategies
 differences affects how we can scaffold the reading process

Reading Strategies:
- important for information process  can be taught by modelling their application while
thinking out loud
- Extensive Reading: reading a lot of easy books students can choose themselves, make
time in lessons to let them read  other aspects in live would benefit from it, we can
connect, talk about, have access to cultural history, by reading more your reading gets
better (the quicker we are by recognizing words  learning words by heart – don´t have
to look at each letter and sound it out), they can, they read rather fast, individually and
silently
- Skimming: global impression of text – whether source is relevant
- Scanning: search text rapidly for a specific point of information
- Intensive reading: looking at text very carefully
- Lateral reading: Moving from tab to tab  can help to find out a lot more, about who is
really behind the information (magazines/newspapers can help for lateral reading, but
mostly have their own pov regarding politics, fact – checking websites, Wikipedia to start
research), Normally reading vertically  often impossible to distinguish reliable and
unreliable information

Global reading strategies (having a purpose in mind when I read) vs. support reading strategies
(taking notes while reading) vs. problem solving reading strategies (getting back on track when
getting distracted)

Transformation of Reading as cultural Technique:

- Gutenberg press = everyone become a reader

- Internet = everyone become a publisher
1. The transformation of reading with digital reading:
- Interaction (Human – Computer – Text): interaction always involves third component –
computer – clicking instead of touching and turning the page; computer also reads us –
data can be collected on usage, new technologies on eye tracking while reading +
technologies which help paralyzed people to read without other peoples help;( while
interacting with digital device  learning is not interactive  another person is demanded
having an dialogue to become an interactive mode of engagement = difference between
technical understanding and learner psychologist understanding of interactive)
- Navigation: through digital text by clicking on links,…  Hypertexts
- Creation of one´s own chronology: by using computer and hypertexts
Changes in reading due to digital media: Navigation, Interaction, own chronology

2. Text formats on the internet: Hypertext, Memes (funny pictures with text), giphys (short
videos often with captions) short text messages,
3. Three Characteristics of digital reading/digital texts by Lobin:
- Hybridity: Computer reads source code (algorithm – all data bank´s content) – human is
reading a text (sorting the massive amount of given texts)  increases access to
information; Computer can support/accompany reading (e.g. apps for reading speed
training)  Computer and human are reading simultaneously  increasement of access
to information
 - Multimediality: information e.g. consists of pictures and written text  demands a lot of
cognitive effort
- Sociality: easy publication of reviews, formation of reading communities,
sharing/recommending texts
Characteristics of texts in digital age: Hybridity, Sociality, Multimediality
 reading in digital age is more often non – linear and multimodal

Stalder:
- Digitalisierung: Prozess der Überführung eines anlogen Sachverhalts in einen digitalen
Sachverhalt vs. Digitalität: das was entsteht wenn Digitalisierung eine gewisse Tiefe
erreicht hat  das Ergebnis
- Referenzialität: aus großer Vielfalt Dinge (Videos, Bilder, etc.) auswählen, Weltbild
entsteht
- Gemeinschaftlichkeit: gemeinschaftliche Auswahl  immer mehr, geteilter
Horizont/Weltbild; gemeinschaftliches bewerten der Quellen
- Algorithmizität: was wird mir an Digitalität vorgeschlagen (auch Gemeinschaftlichkeit,
aber hier nur maschinell), bestimmen was man sieht
 Grundmuster wie wir Bedeutung generieren unter Digitalität

A selection of aspects of reading in the digital age:

Information Literacy:

3 definitions of information literacy:

1. Balceris: Can be defined as status (ability or willingness to act appropriately, self –
determined, creatively, socially responsibly in information contexts) or process
(ability/willingness to identify a need for information, select sources of information, access
information, evaluate information, use information and reflect on information process and
information results appropriately, self – determined, etc. in information contexts = 6 steps
of the information process)

2. Stöcklin: Informationskompetenz = Fähigkeit, die es ermöglicht, Informationen effizient

und in geeigneten Medientypen zu ermitteln, selektieren und beschaffen; zu verarbeiten,
umzuwandeln und zu erzeugen, sowie über geeignete Kanäle zu kommunizieren

3. Deutscher Bibliotheksverband: Informationskompetenz = Informationsbedarf bezogen auf

ein bestimmtes Problem zu erkennen + formulieren, benötigte Informationen zu ermitteln
+ sich effizient Zugang zu ihnen zu beschaffen, Informationen und Quellen zu bewerten
und diese für den jeweiligen Bedarf auszuwählen, effektiv zu nutzen + Verantwortung bei
Nutzung + -weitergabe bewusst sein
Purposes for reading: pleasure, communication, learning, retrieving information

Rahmenmodell der kritischen Medienkompetenz:

Information Process:
1. Information need
2. Information source selection
 3. Information access
4. Information assessment (Critical thinking – fake news or not? – is crucial)
5. Information use
6. Reflection on the information results/process

Skills to be successful in all six phases:

 self regulated learning (monitor process, avoid distractions, etc.), find appropriate search
phrases + key words, apply reading strategies
 highly complex process – cognitive load is already high

Receptive (for enjoying texts) vs. reflective (pausing and reflecting back) reading
- Filtering and focusing is crucial for succeeding in research tasks

Fake News and Deep Fake:

- Learning how to identify them is crucial for taking part in society
- How to deal with fake news can be a matter of how to define free speech
- Fake News  “false news” and “false information” as alternatives
- Misinformation = false news that are not deliberately false
- Disinformation = aim of spreading false news
- Malinformation = Information is based on reality and is used to cause harm

1.1. Veracity (=Richtigkeit) based approach:

- Criterium: deceptive (Trügerisch) news
- Misinformation = flase information, disinformation = deceptive misinformation
- Deception by omission (Täuschung durch Unterlassung), selective and biased picking

1.2. Types of News

1.3. Inoculation (Impfung) against Fake News

- Social Decision Making Lab: Promotion of information literacy = inoculation
- Having information literacy = knowing strategies for recognizing the trustworthiness of
source, handle competently information

New London Group 1994 – Multiliteracies Project:

- new approach to literacy pedagogy: “multiliteracies”
- Multiplicity of communications channels and increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in
the world today call for much broader view of literacy
- Using multiliteracies approaches will enable students to achieve authors goals: creating
access to evolving language of work, power, community + fostering critical engagement
(necessary to design social futures, achieving success)
- Multiliteracy: overcome the limitations of traditional approaches  emphasizing how
negotiating the multiple linguistic and cultural differences in society is central to students
(private, working , civic)
 - Anstatt nur Literalität des Lesens und Schreibens (old canon of literacy) auch Erlernen
vielfältiger Literalität („multiliteracies“)  Befähigung der Lernenden zur Gestaltung der
Zukunft

Literary Learning:
- Fiction = well suited for combining literary learning and the goal of enabling students to
read for pleasure
- Literary learning has changed with the rise of digital media  social aspect -
intertextuality, communication about literature intertwines with intercultural learning, to
enable students to participate in society (aspects of change)

Literary learning in Primary school:

1. Picture books:
- Multimodal texts  pictures contribute a lot to storytelling
- Digital picture books involve reader a little more with clicking and choosing own paths 
readers become prosumers (consume and produce the story)
- Navigation through stories is active consumption, but still not interactive from learning
psychology’s perspective – doesn´t interact with other human
1.1. How to choose picture book apps?:
- Story apps offer opportunities for reading in foreign language  multi – modal nature
facilitates the reading process, offer innovative spaces for readertext interaction – help
the reader understand the story
- Teacher – centered approach (teacher reading all of the story) of storytelling/picture
books doesn´t fully exploit the language learning potential they offer
- Multilingual picture books, adaptable (picture) books (Bücher die sich verändern lassen
damit sie zum Leser passen  Potenzial digitaler Medien kann so für literarisches Lernen
genutzt werden), Talking (picture) books (Ting, Bookii, tiptoi, etc.)
- Follow up activities: book trailers, podcasts  fosters media literacy + comes into
intersection with reading literacy/literary learning
1.2. Advantages of (digital) books:
- To support children´s language and literacy skills + digital literacies and social skills
- To support individual children (dyslexia, traumatic injury, ADD, ADHD)

2. Storytelling:
- Trains reading and listening  students train their listening comprehension – can be
facilitated by prompts (gestures, mimics, intonation, etc.)
- storytelling benefits reading by students gaining prior knowledge about story they might
later read by themselves, learn about how plots are developed (certain schemes and
frames) – this knowledge is of high importance for top down or higher level processes
- Analogue storytelling isn´t outdated  analogue storyteller can react spontaneously,
creates a personal relationship, is better to create an immersive atmosphere
- Dileg – SL: project about Digitales Lernen by Boelmann, Rymes und König
- Antolin – Leseförderung helps to secure text comprehension, great for promoting
extensive reading
- Tools or help for reading: Google Read Along (man liest vorgegebene Texte laut vor
bekommt Punkte dafür, macht immer wieder Tests obs verstanden wurde), read aloud
videos + subtitles, aumio (Hörspiele), felix (hilft bei Erfassung von Emotionen, Motivation,
Bedürfnisse in Lern- und Arbeitsituation)

Intersection:
Teenage readers:
- Fun while reading with extensive reading + literary learning without letters
- “Authentic” material – material that has not been created for didactical purposes
- Pixar: Silent Shorts

See Handout Literaturunterricht

The effects of screen

- Reading in digital world does not necessarily mean reading on screen; but screen reading
= reading in digital age
1. Effects of screen reading process - factors affecting text comprehension
1.1. The effects of blue light: Affects skin (lets skin age), eyes and sleep
1.2. Luminance and illuminance impacting visual fatigue and arousal: high screen
brightness favors reading speed without the loss of comprehension but leads to dry
eyes and visual fatigue
1.3. Text color, size and fonts: monospaced fonts, roman style fonts + large letters =
positive effect on readability; texts that contrasts background are most recognizable to
the eyes
1.4. Deeper analysis of embodied cognition: readers body posture, screen size, hardware,
etc.

2. Methoden zum digitalen Lesen:

- Vor dem Lesen (Quellencheck, sichere Links in Mind – Map) – während dem Lesen (lies
die Stellen, die dir Antworten auf Fragen liefern, sichere Gefundenes und Quellen in Mind
– Map) – nach dem Lesen (Hast du genug Informationen zu deinen Fragen? Für welche
Quelle entscheidest du dich?)  Digitale Lesekiste = Digitale Variante der
Buchvorstellung im Schuhkarton
- Lesen Schritt für Schritt: Vorwissen – Überfliegen – Lesen – Hineinschreiben –
Zusammenfassen – Verarbeiten
- Selbständige Recherche: Fragen und suchen – Medien auswählen und auswerten –
Wissen darstellen und weitergeben

3. Stavanger Declaration – research findings for reading on screen vs. on paper

- befasst sich mit dem Einfluss von Digitalisierung auf Lesepraktiken  Menschen lernen
und lesen auf unterschiedliche Art und Weise unterschiedlich gut, beim Bildschirmlesen
würden Leser ihre Verständnisfähigkeiten überschätzen, das Verständnis von „langen
Informationstexten“ ist beim Lesen von gedruckten Texten besser als beim
Bildschirmlesen
- Digitization of reading practices within the last few years  digital technologies offer a
tremendous opportunity with respect to the production, access, storage and transmission
of information
- Today: hybrid reading environment  each afford their own types of processing
- Paper: better for deeper comprehension and retention, best for long form reading of
informational texts
 3.1. Key findings:
- Digital reading leads to more skimming and less concentration especially under time
pressure
- In digital texts it is easier to design a reader motivating text in terms if presentation, etc.
- Long – form texts better read and comprehended on paper than on screen, especially
under time pressure – no differences regarding narrative texts
- Increasement of such screen inferiority – regardless of age group and prior experience
- Embodied cognition distinguishes readers abilities of reading on paper and on screen 
the phenomenon that how and what we learn, know, and can do depends on features of
the entire physical body
- Every reader is different  individual skills, abilities, predispositions form learning profile
regarding reading processes

3.2. Recommendations:
- Teaching strategies for mastering deep reading on digital devices + motivating students
to read paper books
- Rapid swap to digital devices in primary school may cause a setback in development of
children´s reading comprehension  must be accompanied by digital learning tools, etc.
- Digital tools must be created together with educators, reading experts, psychologists
including the role of embodied cognition for reading practices

4. Reading patterns – people read in patterns when screen reading:

4.1. The F – Shaped Pattern:
- First horizontal movement  moving down the page and second horizontal movement 
vertical movement by scanning the content´s left side
- Competence of self – regulation can be seen as pre – requisite for information literacy or
media literacy in general

Studies:
1. Mangen (2013):
 Reading linear texts on paper versus computer screen – effects on reading
comprehension
2. IGLU/PIRLS:
- IGLU = Internationalen Grundschul – Lese – Untersuchung  Lesekompetenz von
Grundschulkindern (4. Klasse)
- PIRLS = Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
3. Stavanger Declaration

Implications for teaching reading in a forgein language:

 Reading in digital world = reading with digital media, about digital media or reading print while
being surrounded by digitalization

1. Reducing complexity of task: collecting good search phrases together or hand out list,
finding child friendly search engine, giving examples of process and output, lowering
cognitive load of the researching task
2. Pretraining students for the reading task: talking about what makes sources
trustworthy/how to check sources (Macro typographical information – design, layout, etc.),
training the usage of online dictionaries, reading strategies needed for researching

E – readers: help reducing visual fatigue, increase accessibility, allow usage of reading
strategies (manipulating the text by underlining)

Checklist: characteristics of text, needed strategies, which media, which methods, needed skills,
what expectations, preferred aspect of reading competence
 - Include in teaching: text forms that are present in students lives and how to interact,
teacher must be on track of the advance of digital media and own media literacy, make
use of social characteristics of reading by Lobin

Baecker: Die nächste Gesellschaft lebt in Netzwerken

 Moderne Gesellschaft (strukturelle Inklusion, Kultur der Vernunft) vs. Netzwerkgesellschaft
(Netzwerk, Kultur der Komplexität)

Soll Englisch in der Grundschule abgeschafft werden?

Pro Contra
Mehr Konzentration auf “Basics”  Studie Macht SuS Spaß
(IGLU) hat ergeben viele SuS haben Ende
Klasse 4 sehr schlechte
Lesekompetenz/Schreibkompetenz, Rechnen
Lehrermangel kann kompensiert werden Sie können es im echten Leben gebrauchen

Key Terms of Reading in the digital Age:

1. “Anschlusskommunikation”: Kommunikation, die sich direct auf bestimmte in den Medien
gesendete Inhalte bezieht; wesentliches Element der Meinungsbildung
2. “Bildschirmüberlegenheitseffekt”
3. Bottom up processing: sounds, words, chunks, sentences, text structures, features of
spoken language, formal devices, etc to be identified and decoded
4. Top down processing: linguistic, content, general, sociocultural, topic, genre, media
knowledge to be applied in order to understand, complete, elaborate, interpret and
evaluate the information gained from the text  wie wählt unser Gehrin diese
Empfindungen aus, organisiert und interpretiert sie?
 Text und Leser haben gegenseitige Wirkung, Autor nur Wirkung auf Text
5. Critical Media Literacy Theory (Kellner & Share): Educational systems need to shift from
traditional ideas of literacy that focus on a standard national language, emphasize skills-
based functional literacies, etc. Part of the requirement for being literate in the 21st
century is being able to read and write images, sounds, multimedia, advertising, social
media, and numerous other “multiliteracies”
6. Dyslexia: is a type of specific learning difficulty, which primarily manifests itself in
difficulties with reading and spelling, but also sustaining their attention for a long time
(unexpected – students might do well in other subjects); main reason for dyslexic
difficulties is reduced phonological awareness; overall learning difference is not likely to
disappear  3,4% in total population, might be hard to diagnose
7. Embodied cognition: Theory of mental representation, there is an interdependence
between cognition, sensors, motor skills  the phenomenon that how and what we learn,
know, and can do depends on features of the entire physical body
8. Graded readers: is a story which has been adapted for people learning to read or learning
a foreign language – avoids difficult grammar and vocabulary
9. Higher order, lower order thinking skills: Higher order (used for advanced cognitive
processing) – Analyzing, Evaluating, Creating; Lower order – Remembering,
Understanding, Applying
10. Intertextuality: Verhältnis zwischen zwei Texten  verweis auf andere, Zitate, etc.
11. Leitmedienwechsel: Wechsel von einem Leitmedium zu einem anderen Leitmedium 
verschiedene Epochen geprägt von verschiedenen Leitmedien; 1. Mündliche Sprache, 2.
Schrift, 3. Buchdruck, 4. Elektronische Medien
12. Literary Learning: embodies a desire to describe and understand those learning
processes that are particular to literature; includes auditory and visual forms of reception,
such as audiobooks, etc.
13. „Mehrebenenmodell“ (Rosebrock & Nix): beschreibt Lesekompetenz, indem die
Teilkompetenzen auf drei Ebenen ausdifferenziert werden  Prozessebene z.B. Globale
Kohärenzen, Superstrukturen erkennen von hierarchniedrigen zu hierarchhohen
Prozessen (kognitiv), Subjektebene z.B. Selbstkonzept als (Nicht-) Leser (psychosozial),
 Soziale Ebene z.B. Anschlusskommunikation (beteiligte Sozialisationsinstanzen) 
Levels of reading literacy
14. PWP Approach: necessary stages to teach reading effectively  Pre – (activate prior
knowledge and predict what they will read or hear e.g. videos, KWL charts, etc.  aim of
pre – reading establish a purpose for reading, predict what they are going to hear) , While
– (support reading process, draw attention to specific aspects of the text activities
that help students to focus on aspects of the text and to understand it better e.g. jump up
cards  goal is to help learners to deal as they would deal with it as if the text was written
in their first language) , Post – Reading (check text comprehension to help understand
texts further, by critically analyzing what they have read e.g. creative discussions, quiz
your classmates)
15. Qualitative vs. quantitative differentiation: schwierigere oder leichtere Aufgabenstellungen
auswählen vs. Unterschiedlich viele Stationen absolvieren
16. Reading Literacy: das verfügen über ein Kulturwerkzeug, das in modernen
Gesellschaften für Bewältigung von prototypischen Kommunikations – und
Handlungssituationen unerlässlich ist oder geschriebene Texte zu verstehen, zu nutzen
und über sie zu reflektieren, um eigene Ziele zu erreichen, das eigene Wissen und
Potential weiterzuentwickeln und am gesellschaftlichen Leben teilzunehmen
17. Reading Strategies: skimming, scanning, Intensive Reading, Extensive Reading, Lateral
Reading
18. Scaffolding & Fading out: Unterstützung von Lernenden bei der Lösung von Aufgaben,
scaffold reading through vocab, provide easy sources, special fonts, etc. –
vorübergehende Unterstützung, mit steigender Kompetenz sukzessive Reduzierung
19. Visual fatigue: occurs when certain eye muscles tighten during visually intense tasks,
including continuously focusing on computer monitors
20. Flipped classroom: Input at home, practice in class
21. Augsburger Analyse – und Evaluationsraster (AAER): zur anonymen Bewertung der
didaktischen Stärken und Schwächen von Bildungsmedien in 8 Dimensionen –
Curriculum + Bildungstandards, Diskursive Positionierung, Makrodidaktische Fundierung,
Mikrodidaktische Fundierung, Kognitive Strukturierung, Bild – und Textkomposition,
Aufgabendesign, Anwendungstransparenz

Lesson Planning:
 to focus on what students are doing, to make it easier to share practice, to reflect on one´s
own content knowledge

Varying a lesson: organization (working on their own, in groups, in pairs), difficulty (easy and non
– demanding or difficult), stir – settle (some activities enliven and excite learners other have the
effect of calming down), active – passive (own initiative – required to do as they are told)

Unterrichtsqualität in der TIMSS Studie:

1. Kognitive Aktivierung:
1.1.Bloom – Taxonomie der Anforderungsbereiche (Hilfsmittel um Lernziele zu sortieren –
Lernen wird in 6 Schritten von leicht bis schwer strukturiert) 1. Erinnern – 2.
Verstehen – 3. Anwenden – 4. Analysieren – 5. Bewerten – 6. Transfer
1.2.ICAP – Modell: beachtet sichtbare Lernaktivitäten - Interactive (Discuss) 
Constructive (summarize in own words)  Active (active listening)  Passive (no
action visible) - (bezieht sich auf die Lernaktivität, SuS lernen besser je höher die
Stufe der Lernaktivität, nicht alle Stufen müssen durchlaufen werden)
2. Effektive Klassenführung (=classroom management): alle Unterrichtsaktivitäten und
Verhaltensweisen einer Lehrkraft die zur Gestaltung eines Geordneten
Unterrichtsverlaufs beitragen  prepared learning environment, clear teaching structure,
individual support, clear description of goals, content clarity, variety of instructional
methods (
3. Konstruktive Unterstützung: kognitive Unterstützung und emotional – motivationale
Unterstützung

Types of reading lessons:

 Goals: information, pleasure, joy, fun, practice (reading strategies, pronunciation, vocab,
grammar)
 Requirements: lesson planning, finding resources, materials, picking of tools, decision (screen
or paper?, fiction or non – fiction?), reading strategies, scaffolding
 What characteristics has the text, strategies, aspect of reading competence, expectations,
medium, methods, skills?

Grolimund – Vorschläge wie sich Kinder an Regeln halten:

1. Regeln gemeinsam erarbeiten und trainieren am Anfang des Schuljahrs
2. Regelverstöße nutzen um mit Klasse wichtigen Werten näher zu kommen
3. Training ist wichtiger als Strafen
4. Ziele setzten zusammen Kompetenzen aufbauen und positive Rückmeldung geben