The Diversity of Reading and Writing across the Disciplines

The Diversity of Reading and Writing across the Disciplines

Dr. Deborah KellnerUniversity of Cincinnati

CRLA/CASPHouston, 2012 1

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It’s not just about reading

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Diversity of Preparation

ComplexityStudentsCoursesBooks

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college and career readiness means:

the acquisition of the knowledge and skills a student needs to enroll and succeed in credit-bearing first-year courses at a postsecondary institution (such as a two- or four year college, trade school, or technical school) without the need for remediation.

(ACT, 2012)

College and career readiness

• Just 1 in 4 (25%) met all four College Readiness Benchmarks: English, Math, Science, Reading.

• In 2011, 52% of graduates met the Reading Benchmark, while 46% met the Mathematics Benchmark.

• Sixty-seven percent of all ACT-tested high school graduates met the English College Readiness Benchmark in 2012.

• Just under 1 in 3 (31%) met the College Readiness Benchmark in Science.

• Between 2008 and 2012, the average ACT Reading score for all high school graduates decreased slightly from 21.4 to 21.3.

(ACT, 2012)


• More than 50% of four-year college students (and more than 75% of community college students) did not score at the proficient level in college-level document and prose literacy abilities (American Institutes for Research, 2006; Associated Press, 2006a).

• 62% of 4-year college students scored below proficient in prose text reading ability and 60% of 4-year college students scored below proficient in document reading ability (American Institutes for Research, 2006).

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• Only 51% of incoming college students were prepared for the reading requirements of a typical first-year college course (ACT, 2006 Associated Press, 2006a).

• Student readiness for college level reading is at its lowest point in more than a decade (ACT, 2006).

• Only 11% of entering college students are enrolled in developmental reading courses (National Center for Education Statistics, 2003, as cited in ACT , 2006).

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ACT future research academic achievementbehaviorsgoals

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Think of it as learning not reading

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ComplexityStudentsCoursesBooks

Diversity of Preparation: Students

Car accident victim poor concentration, poor motivation, assignment, a completion

ADHD – unrevealed diagnosis poor concentration, time management, assignment completion

ADHD - revealed diagnosis poor concentration and reading comprehension assignment completion

Relationship issues poor concentration, poor motivation

Housing/working issues time management, poor concentration,assignment completion

Single parent time management, absences, reading comprehension, assignment completion

Extended illness absences, poor motivation, time management

Second language learner reading comprehension, writing skills

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The Reading Course it’s not just about reading

• Students are co-enrolled in another content class that requires a substantial amount of textbook reading

• Course curriculum is textbook strategies AND research about textbook strategies

• Strong emphasis on the meta-cognitive process

• Strong emphasis on acquiring reading skills for all content courses

• Strong emphasis on transferable skills16

Diversity of Preparation - courses

In class strategyOut of class strategyStrategy defense

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• In my psychology course, there are about 250 students seated in a huge lecture hall. The professor uses power point presentations as well as lecture to teach the class. The professor has a bad habit of not showing up to class, so preparation for tests depends mostly on individual work. The professor usually makes a study guide for the tests but they are not very helpful. Her tests are usually over two chapters with little time in between.

What is my plan of action?18

Diversity of Preparation: Courses

• My course is a 150 person economics course. It is filled with students of all grade levels. The teacher is not American and I cannot understand his English very well. The notes are power point slides that are posted on blackboard but they are not very helpful. There are weekly online homework assignments. I do not know anyone in the course but I want to get an “A”.



• I am enrolled in a History course that meets one night a week for two and a half hours. The lectures have no visuals and no part of the course is available online. Reading the textbook is definitely required.

What is my plan of action?

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• I am enrolled in a sociology course. The class meets three times a week for 50 minutes each. Readings are assigned daily from the text or online resources and are often longer than 50 pages. There are no tests and quizzes. The grades come from attendance, the eight discussion boards, and a final paper. Class consists of one day for notes and the other two days for discussion on the readings. Extra credit is available.



Diversity of Preparation: Books

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EconomicsPsychologySociologyHistoryAnthropologyBiologyPolitical Science


• My history book is different from other books I have used in that it is specifically broken up as a portion of a history series. The book does not start with chapter 1 but instead starts with chapter 15 and goes to chapter 25. The chapters are very long in length ranging from twenty to fifty pages. I think that the most helpful feature will be the chapter questions in the beginning of the chapter as well as the chapter review questions at the end of the chapter.

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• My anatomy book is different from other texts that I have worked with because of the complex wording. The book has new subjects in bold words. The end of each section has a few questions about the section. Each chapter is around 50 to 60 pages. This is the type of book that you need to understand one concept before moving on to the next because moving on will only get you lost further as you continue. My goals are to understand concepts in class, review notes, and read the chapter as soon as it is assigned so I won’t have to cram when the exam gets closer.

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• Every chapter in my sociology book is built the same way with an introduction, information, pictures, charts, diagrams and a few questions. The book doesn’t really offer much aid. There are some critical thinking questions but no other aid in the book. There is a website where you can get help online. Each chapter is roughly 30 pages, but there are also a lot of pictures so there are probably around 24 pages of actual reading. My goal for reading this textbook is to understand and remember the information so that I will be able to pass my exam and pass the course.

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Diversity of Practices

Complexity MotivationGoalsSkills

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Diversity of Practices

What is so hard about these textbooks • Attitude• Interest• Motivation• Need• Skill level• Background knowledge

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Practices: Motivation

• Acknowledging the obvious – attitude is everything“I fall asleep when I read.”

“The textbook is boring.”“I don’t feel like doing the reading.”

• Syllabus reflection, textbook reflection, reading strategy reflection• Journaling – pre course, during course, post course

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Journaling and tracking – mid course

• Learning and thinkingAttentionPersistenceOrganizationResourcefulness

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Practices: Motivation

Practices: Goals• “My biggest fear is that I will fail.”

• “I want an ‘A’.”

• Course calendar and reflection

• Journaling and tracking – pre course, mid course, post course

• Journaling and tracking with index cardsConcrete and specific for accountabilitywho, where, what, when, how, why 30

• Can students break down texts?prove their understanding of texts?analyze their texts?transform the language of the text?represent the text visually?reconstruct meaning of the text?

• Can students make meaning? 31

Practices: Skills

Practices: Skills

• I just skimmed.

• I read bits and pieces.

• I didn’t read.

• I highlighted.

• I read it the whole way through from the first page to the last page.

• I read it and reread it. 32

To read or not to read

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What the literature says

• Clump, M. A., Bauer, H., & Bradley, C. (2004). The Extent to which Psychology Students Read Textbooks: A Multiple Class Analysis of Reading across the Psychology Curriculum. Journal Of Instructional Psychology, 31(3), 227-232.

- Reported use- When- How much

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• Gurung, R. R., & Martin, R. C. (2011). Predicting Textbook Reading: The Textbook Assessment and Usage Scale. Teaching Of Psychology, 38(1), 22-28

– Student perceptions of the text– Reported use– Exam scores

Pedagogical aidsWritingCourse design

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• Hong-Nam, K., & Leavell, A. G. (2011). Reading Strategy Instruction, Metacognitive Awareness, and Self-perception of Striving College Developmental Readers. Journal of College Literacy & Learning, 37. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.

- Affective factors- Awareness- Strategy instruction

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• Kevin S., et al. (2011). An Exploratory Analysis Of Textbook Usage And Study Habits: Misperceptions And Barriers To Success. College Teaching 59(1), 31-39. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.

- how - which strategies- textbook vs. ancillary materials

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• Marek, P., & Christopher, A. N. (2011). What Happened to the First “R”?: Students' Perceptions of the Role of Textbooks in Psychology Courses. Teaching Of Psychology, 38(4), 237-242.

– Student Perceptions– Textbook importance– Usage– Preferences

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• Simpson, Michele L., and Sherrie L. Nist. (2000). An Update On Strategic Learning: It's More Than Textbook Reading Strategies. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 43(6), 528. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.

- Strategies- Learning- Programming

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• Woody, W., Daniel, D. B., & Baker, C. A. (2010). E-books or textbooks: Students prefer textbooks. Computers & Education, 55(3), 945-948.

– Most technically savvy students– Computer use and comfort– E book hyperlinks and other features

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What the students say

• “I am here because I was put here.”

• “I am here so that I can get ready for college level.”

• “I didn’t read/understand in high school.” • “I lack versatility in reading many genres.”

• “I am so bad at reading. I can’t comprehend a lot.”

• “I am here because I am not a great reader and I need to learn to become one. ’’ 41

What the students say

• “I am here because I guess there is something I’m doing wrong and I don’t know what it is.”

• “I miss specific facts in reading sometimes.”

• “ I need to learn how to write after I read so that I am sure I understand what I just read.”

• “I am here to figure out how to remember everything I read and be able to talk about it or write about it.”

• “I am here to be more responsible and to learn how to learn.”

• “I need help with everything.” 42

Practices: The Reading Course

• Students are co-enrolled in another content class that requires a substantial amount of textbook reading

• Course curriculum is textbook strategies and research about textbook strategies

• Strong emphasis on the meta-cognitive process

• Strong emphasis on acquiring reading skills for all content courses

• Strong emphasis on transferable skills43

Practices: Skills

• Reading is a complex and purposeful sociocultural, cognitive, and linguistic process in which readers simultaneously use their knowledge of spoken and written language, their knowledge of the topic of the text, and their knowledge of their culture to construct meaning with the text. (Kucer, 2005)

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Practices: Skills

The Process• The single most factor in comprehension is what the

reader already knows

• Reading comprehension and speed varies with purpose, content, and prior knowledge

• Text length can deter students

• Strategies help bring the reader into the text

• It is a meta-cognitive process 45

Practices: Skills

The Process• Readers easily comprehend text with familiar

language but are less successful at comprehending text with unfamiliar language.

• Readers easily comprehend text on familiar topics but are less successful at comprehending texts on unfamiliar topics.

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Practices: Skills

Categories for study reading

• Rehearsal• Elaboration• Organizational• Monitoring• Affective and Motivational • Metacognitive awareness

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Reflection: Metacognition

THINK about what works

students meta-cognitively thinkthink about the strategies

write about the strategiesreflect on the strategiesmodel the strategies

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• “They actually helped my confidence. I have a better understanding of what I’m reading now.”

• “Now I’m motivated to read my book so I can learn and get a good grade.”

• “It motivates me to actually want to read. The strategies get me interested in what the content is instead of just reading and getting bored by just reading.”

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• “I remember more of what I read.”

• “I better understand the subject.”

• “I appreciate the text instead of reading just to be reading for the assignment.”

• “I put more of me into it.”

• “I feel better about my work because I took time out and did it right.”

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Microbiology

• Distribution of algae• Classification of algae• Ultrastructure of algal cell• Algae nutrition• Structure of the Algal Thallus (vegetative form) • Algal Reproduction• Characteristics of the Algal Divisions

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Student activities

• Question• Highlight • Learn the vocabulary and restate the meanings• Annotate with margin notes• Generate examples• Create a concept map showing the relationship

among aspects of a concept or principle• Create a flow chart• Compare class notes to text notes• Outline 52

Student activities

• Make predictions• Summarize• Make power point slides• Construct tables/graphs• Predict test questions/problem posing• Find web based resources• Make a web page• Create a multimedia presentation• Teach what you know to someone else 53


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Kellner, D. J. (2011). Reading Strategies for College and Beyond, San Diego, CA: Cognella

[email protected]

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Documents

The Diversity of Reading and Writing across the Disciplines