Page 101 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 101
ires to be well informed and integrated into society and the labour mar- 101
ket. In accordance with this the author believes that at a certain point young
people’s understanding of reading literacy needs to be transformed – name-
ly, reading digital texts is quite possibly an even more common daily practice
of today’s 15-year-olds than reading printed texts. However, to be able to read
digital texts efficiently, one is required to possess new capabilities and compe-
tencies, and - most of all - good skills of critical evaluation.
In view of the facts mentioned above, which are encouraging in terms of
the interest in reading digital texts in boys and also students of vocational pro-
grammes, the author believes one of the means of increasing motivation for
reading (of printed texts also) is integrating (but by no means replacing) digi-
tal texts and ICT into the learning and teaching process. Students need to be
encouraged to read diverse reading materials (in terms of also using differ-
ent media), while the content should be adapted to 15-year-olds. Some con-
sideration should by all means be given to different approaches to defining
and developing reading literacy in the present day, as well as to digital reading
material and its efficient integration into the teaching and learning process,
and most of all to teachers’ competencies and their professional development
in this field. In Slovenia, some projects aimed at the development of various
types of literacy on the basis of ICT have already been carried out, mostly in
primary/lower secondary schools. Teachers who participated in the project I
Am Reading and Creating – I Am Learning (Berem in ustvarjam – se učim) report-
ed that the greatest advantage of teaching and learning different types of lit-
eracy (including reading literacy) by means of digital texts and ICT was facili-
tated multidisciplinary integration and team work enabled by the ICT through
the internet, as well as encouraged creativity, critical thinking, learning to learn
(inserting tips into digital text as you go and the learning support are facilitat-
ed and much easier here) and facilitated cooperation with parents, who are
given direct access to online content and a space where they and their chil-
dren can create together (Lubšina Novak, 2010). Integrating ICT into the teach-
ing and learning process thus facilitates cooperation with others (including
teachers) outside of the boundaries of the traditional didactic space and the
school timetable. As pointed out by Graveson in the panel discussion as part
of the SIRikt 2012 project (SIRikt, 2012), accepting digitalisation opens doors for
students on their way to individualisation and an individual learning style and,
most of all, it awakens their passion. However, the most important question is
whether national bodies will come to see the potential of this immense cul-
tural transformation. Liljana Kač of the The National Education Institute of The
Republic of Slovenia adds that the use of technology in learning and teaching
enables more differentiated and diverse lessons and is thus better adapted to
students’interests and needs. Of course, it is important for digital textbook ma-
terial to be well structured, both in terms of its content and didactic elements.
reading literacy and motivation in the context of social changes
ket. In accordance with this the author believes that at a certain point young
people’s understanding of reading literacy needs to be transformed – name-
ly, reading digital texts is quite possibly an even more common daily practice
of today’s 15-year-olds than reading printed texts. However, to be able to read
digital texts efficiently, one is required to possess new capabilities and compe-
tencies, and - most of all - good skills of critical evaluation.
In view of the facts mentioned above, which are encouraging in terms of
the interest in reading digital texts in boys and also students of vocational pro-
grammes, the author believes one of the means of increasing motivation for
reading (of printed texts also) is integrating (but by no means replacing) digi-
tal texts and ICT into the learning and teaching process. Students need to be
encouraged to read diverse reading materials (in terms of also using differ-
ent media), while the content should be adapted to 15-year-olds. Some con-
sideration should by all means be given to different approaches to defining
and developing reading literacy in the present day, as well as to digital reading
material and its efficient integration into the teaching and learning process,
and most of all to teachers’ competencies and their professional development
in this field. In Slovenia, some projects aimed at the development of various
types of literacy on the basis of ICT have already been carried out, mostly in
primary/lower secondary schools. Teachers who participated in the project I
Am Reading and Creating – I Am Learning (Berem in ustvarjam – se učim) report-
ed that the greatest advantage of teaching and learning different types of lit-
eracy (including reading literacy) by means of digital texts and ICT was facili-
tated multidisciplinary integration and team work enabled by the ICT through
the internet, as well as encouraged creativity, critical thinking, learning to learn
(inserting tips into digital text as you go and the learning support are facilitat-
ed and much easier here) and facilitated cooperation with parents, who are
given direct access to online content and a space where they and their chil-
dren can create together (Lubšina Novak, 2010). Integrating ICT into the teach-
ing and learning process thus facilitates cooperation with others (including
teachers) outside of the boundaries of the traditional didactic space and the
school timetable. As pointed out by Graveson in the panel discussion as part
of the SIRikt 2012 project (SIRikt, 2012), accepting digitalisation opens doors for
students on their way to individualisation and an individual learning style and,
most of all, it awakens their passion. However, the most important question is
whether national bodies will come to see the potential of this immense cul-
tural transformation. Liljana Kač of the The National Education Institute of The
Republic of Slovenia adds that the use of technology in learning and teaching
enables more differentiated and diverse lessons and is thus better adapted to
students’interests and needs. Of course, it is important for digital textbook ma-
terial to be well structured, both in terms of its content and didactic elements.
reading literacy and motivation in the context of social changes
