1. The Perfect Storm in Literacy
Education:
The Need for New Literacies in New
Times
Donald J. Leu
New Literacies Research Lab
Neag School of Education
University of Connecticut
Portions of this material are based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Education under Award No.
R305G050154 and No. R305A090608. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent the position of the U.S. Department of Education.

2. The New Literacies Research
` Team

3. Important Funding and Support
From:
• Ray and Carole Neag
• The Carnegie Corporation of New York
• IES, U.S. Department of Education
• The National Science Foundation
• North Central Educational Research Lab
• PBS
• The Annenberg Foundation
• William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Australian Council of Educational Research
• OECD
• Schools and teachers around the world.

4. The Central Ideas

5. The Central Ideas
1. Two Images of Our Destination Port: New Literacies
In The Classroom

6. The Central Ideas
1. Two Images of Our Destination Port: New Literacies
In The Classroom
2. The “Perfect Storm” in Literacy Education: Three
Fronts Converge

7. The Central Ideas
1. Two Images of Our Destination Port: New Literacies
In The Classroom
2. The “Perfect Storm” in Literacy Education: Three
Fronts Converge
3. Can We Weather This Storm? Current Misalignments
in Assessments, Public Policy, and Instruction

8. The Central Ideas
1. Two Images of Our Destination Port: New Literacies
In The Classroom
2. The “Perfect Storm” in Literacy Education: Three
Fronts Converge
3. Can We Weather This Storm? Current Misalignments
in Assessments, Public Policy, and Instruction
4. Common Core State Standards: Seeking Safe Harbor

9. The Central Ideas
1. Two Images of Our Destination Port: New Literacies
In The Classroom
2. The “Perfect Storm” in Literacy Education: Three
Fronts Converge
3. Can We Weather This Storm? Current Misalignments
in Assessments, Public Policy, and Instruction
4. Common Core State Standards: Seeking Safe Harbor
5. The New Literacies Research Lab: Informing The
Passage

10. The Central Ideas
1. Two Images of Our Destination Port: New Literacies
In The Classroom
2. The “Perfect Storm” in Literacy Education: Three
Fronts Converge
3. Can We Weather This Storm? Current Misalignments
in Assessments, Public Policy, and Instruction
4. Common Core State Standards: Seeking Safe Harbor
5. The New Literacies Research Lab: Informing The
Passage
6. What Can We Do Together?

11. Two Images of Our Destination
Port:
New Literacies in the Classroom

12. Grade 2: Morning Message of
the Day

13. Grade 6, Language Arts: Online
International Projects
¡Hola! I find some web
sites. I Send ideas to
Tomas and Ben in the
Jose, Costa Rica U.S.
We’re on it!
Making a web
page now.
Hey! Shall we
do Gary
Paulson???
Ben and Tomas, Willimantic
Monique, South Africa

14. A Basic Principle in New Literacies
Classrooms:
The Last Should Be First

15. A Basic Principle in New Literacies
Classrooms:
The Last Should Be First

16. The “Perfect Storm” in Literacy
Education:
Three Fronts Converge

17. The “Perfect Storm” in Literacy
Education:
Three Fronts Converge
 The Internet has become this generation’s
defining technology for literacy and
learning.

18. The “Perfect Storm” in Literacy
Education:
Three Fronts Converge
 The Internet has become this generation’s
defining technology for literacy and
learning.
 Online New Literacies require additional
reading and writing skills, dispositions, and
social practices.

19. The “Perfect Storm” in Literacy
Education:
Three Fronts Converge
 The Internet has become this generation’s
defining technology for literacy and
learning.
 Online New Literacies require additional
reading and writing skills, dispositions, and
social practices.
 The workplace has dramatically changed,
requiring online reading comprehension,
communication, and problem solving skills.

20. I.
The Internet Has Become This Generation’s
Defining Technology For Literacy and

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

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

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

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

25. 

26. Our Students Have Changed
 Since 2005, students aged 8-18 in the U.S. have
been spending more time reading online per day
than reading offline: 48 minutes per day vs. 43
minutes per day. (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005).
 In Accra, Ghana:
 66% of 15-18 year olds report having gone
online previously; (Borzekowski, Fobil, &
Asante, 2006).

27. II. Online New Literacies Require
Additional Reading and Writing Skills,
Dispositions, and Social Practices

28. The New Literacies of Online
Reading Comprehension: Data
From Think Aloud Protocols
 A problem-based, meaning construction
process that requires additional reading
comprehension skills beyond those
required for offline reading.
 Define a problem
 Locate
Castek, 2008; Coiro & Dobler, 2007;
 Evaluate Henry, 2007; Leu, Castek, Hartman,
 Synthesize Coiro, Henry, Kulikowich, & Lyver, 2005;
Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, & Cammack, 2004
 Communicate Leu, O’Byrne, Zawilinski, McVerry,
& Everett-Cacopardo, 2009

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

30. The Struggling Reader
Phenomenon

31. An Example of Online Reading
Comprehension
Reading About Martin Luther
King
The new literacies of online reading comprehension

34. Locate Online Information
Evaluate Online Information

36. Locate Online Information
Evaluate Online Information

37. Locate Online Information
Evaluate Online Information

38. Locate Online Information
Evaluate Online Information

39. Locate Online Information
Evaluate Online Information

40. Locate Online Information
Evaluate Online Information

41. Locate Online Information
Evaluate Online Information

43. Evaluate Online Information

44. Evaluate Online Information

45. Evaluate Online Information

47. Evaluate Online Information

48. Evaluate Online Information

50. Preliminary Taxonomy Of Online
Reading Comprehension Skills and
Strategies
 See
Leu, D. J., Coiro, J., Castek, J., Hartman, D., Henry, L.A., & Reinking, D.
(2008). Research on instruction and assessment in the new literacies of
online reading comprehension. In Cathy Collins Block, Sherri Parris, &
Peter Afflerbach (Eds.). Comprehension instruction: Research-based best
practices. New York: Guilford Press. Available online at: http://
www.newliteracies.uconn.edu/pub_files/instruction.pdf
The new literacies of online reading comprehension

51. III. The Workplace Has Dramatically
Changed, Requiring Online Reading,
Communication, and Problem Solving Skills
The “General Motors” Model of Economic
Management
CEO
1. Command and control
2. Lower levels of
education required. Upper Level Management
3. Wasted intellectual
capital Upper Middle Level Management
4. Highly inefficient
Wasted
5. Lower productivity intellectual
Middle Level Management
6. Little innovation capital
7. Little need for higher
level and creative Line Supervisors
thinking.
Workers

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

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

54. Public Policies:
Nations Respond
 Japan has broadband in nearly every
home that is 16 times faster than the
broadband in US homes for $22 per
month. (Bleha, 2005)
This generation’s defining technology for reading.

55. • Mexico has e-Mexico, a policy designed
to provide every citizen and every school
with an Internet connection (Ludlow,
2006).
This generation’s defining technology for reading.

56. • Finland provides every teacher with 5
weeks of release-time, professional
development with integrating the Internet
into classroom instruction.

57. International Assessment
Initiatives
 2009 PISA International Assessment of
Reading – Digital Literacies
 Programme for the International
Assessment of Adult Competencies
(PIAAC) – Problem Solving in
Technologically Rich Environments
This generation’s defining technology for reading.

58. Can We Weather This Storm?
Current Misalignments in Reading
Assessment, Public Policy, and
Instruction

59. State Assessment Policies in Reading
Not a single state in the U.S.
measures...
This generation’s defining technology for reading.

60. State Assessment Policies in Reading
Not a single state in the U.S.
measures...
 ...students’ ability to read search engine
results during state reading
assessments.
This generation’s defining technology for reading.

61. State Assessment Policies in Reading
Not a single state in the U.S.
measures...
 ...students’ ability to read search engine
results during state reading
assessments.
 ...students’ ability to critically evaluate
information that is found online to
determine its reliability.
This generation’s defining technology for reading.

62. Not a single state measures...
 ...students’ ability to compose clear and
effective email messages in their state
writing assessment.
 all students to use a word processor on
their state writing assessment.*
*See Russell & Plati, 1999; 2000; 2001. They report
effect sizes of .57 – 1.25 for word processor use on MCAS.
See also Russell & Tao, 2004 who report 19% more 4th grade
students classified as “Needs Improvement” would move up to
the “Proficient” performance level with word processors.

63. Instruction: The Rich Get Richer
and The Poor Get Poorer
 Neglecting research into online reading
comprehension perpetuates public policies that
help the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
 63% of children from households earning more than
$75,000 annually reported that they used the Internet
at school, but only 36% of children from households
earning less than $15,000 annually (Lazarus, Wainer,
and Lipper, 2005).
Leu, McVerry, O’Byrne, Zawilinski,
Castek, J., Hartman, D.K. (2009).

64. What Can We
Conclude?

65. What Can We
Conclude?
 The Internet is this generation’s
defining technology for reading.

66. What Can We
Conclude?
 The Internet is this generation’s
defining technology for reading.
 A Perfect Storm: Some states and
nations place their students, and
societies, at risk by continued inaction
or poorly informed public policies.

67. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

68. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

69. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

70. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

71. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

72. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

73. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

74. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

75. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

76. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

77. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

78. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

79. The Common Core State
Standards: Navigating To Safe
Harbor?
“To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in
a technological society, students need the ability to
gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct
original research in order to answer questions or
solve problems, and to analyze and create a high
volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts
in media forms old and new.” Online
Reading Comprehension:
(Introduction, p. 4) Identify a problem
Lo cate information
Evaluate information
Synthesize information
Communicate information

80. ELA College and Career Anchor Standards:
Online Reading Comprehension
Online Reading Comprehension:
Synthesize and Evaluate Online Information
Reading
AS7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media,
including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.*
Online Reading Comprehension:
Communicate Online Information
Writing
AS6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish
writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
AS8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources,
assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the
information while avoiding plagiarism.
Online Reading Comprehension:Locate, Evaluate, Synthesize

81. The Latest Research From The New
Literacies Research Lab:
Our Work to Inform The Passage

82. Teaching Models For The Future
 Within 7-10 years ALL classrooms will
have 1:1 computing
39

83.  The TICA Project, an IES-funded grant to
study online reading comprehension
instruction in 1-1 laptop classrooms.
The new literacies of online reading comprehension

84. Internet Reciprocal Teaching (IRT):
A Model To Teach Online Reading
Comprehension in 1-1 Classrooms:

85. IRT: Phase I
Teacher-led Basic Skills
 Teacher-led demonstrations of basic
Internet use skills and cooperative learning
strategies
 Explicit modeling by teacher
 Largely whole class instruction
 Mini-lessons as transition to Phase II

86. IRT: Phase II
Collaborative modeling
of online reading strategies
 Students presented with information
problems to solve.
 Work in small groups to solve those
problems.
 Exchange strategies as they do so.
 Debrief at the end of the lesson.
 Initially: Locate and Critical evaluation
 Later: Synthesis and Communicate.

87. A Phase II Task

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

89. Professional Development
 More important than even having the
technology in place.
46

90. The Maine Professional
Development Collaborative

91. The Summer Institute in New
Literacies

92. Assessment to Inform
Instruction
 How should we measure online reading
comprehension to support teaching?
49

93.  A project designed to develop valid,
reliable, and practical assessments of
online reading comprehension. CT,
Maine, and NC. (IES, USDOE)
 Three formats: Multiple Choice, Open
Internet, Closed Simulated Internet

94. What Can We Do, Together, to
Reach Safe Harbor?

95. What Can We Do, Together, to
Reach Safe Harbor?
 Institutes Like This One

96. What Can We Do, Together, to
Reach Safe Harbor?
 Institutes Like This One
 Better Standards

97. What Can We Do, Together, to
Reach Safe Harbor?
 Institutes Like This One
 Better Standards
 Better Reading and Writing Assessments

98. What Can We Do, Together, to
Reach Safe Harbor?
 Institutes Like This One
 Better Standards
 Better Reading and Writing Assessments
 Far Greater Professional Development

99. What Can We Do, Together, to
Reach Safe Harbor?
 Institutes Like This One
 Better Standards
 Better Reading and Writing Assessments
 Far Greater Professional Development
 Instruction with New Literacies

100. What Can We Do, Together, to
Reach Safe Harbor?
 Institutes Like This One
 Better Standards
 Better Reading and Writing Assessments
 Far Greater Professional Development
 Instruction with New Literacies
 Exceptional Online Curricula

101. What Can We Do, Together, to
Reach Safe Harbor?
 Institutes Like This One
 Better Standards
 Better Reading and Writing Assessments
 Far Greater Professional Development
 Instruction with New Literacies
 Exceptional Online Curricula
 Greater Research

102. What Can We Do, Together, to
Reach Safe Harbor?
 Institutes Like This One
 Better Standards
 Better Reading and Writing Assessments
 Far Greater Professional Development
 Instruction with New Literacies
 Exceptional Online Curricula
 Greater Research
 School Leadership and Vision

103. What Can We Do, Together, to
Reach Safe Harbor?
 Institutes Like This One
 Better Standards
 Better Reading and Writing Assessments
 Far Greater Professional Development
 Instruction with New Literacies
 Exceptional Online Curricula
 Greater Research
 School Leadership and Vision
 State and National Funding for 1-1 computing

104. The Challenges Of Change

105. As Challenging As Change
Appears, We Know This…
The Leadership That You
Provide…

106. Determines The Future Our
Students Achieve!
Thank you!

107. LET THE WORK AND
THE LEARNING BEGIN!
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