Designing a Flexible Web

Designing a Flexible Web-Based Reading Environment Essay Outline1 Abstract2 Introduction3 Integrating Technology in Reading Comprehension Instruction 2.1 Rethinking reading comprehension instruction4 Conclusions Abstract Reading has always been a foundational element of one’s education. The ultimate goal of reading, however, is not limited to word recognition; the reader’s success lies in comprehension. Comprehending a text is undoubtedly a complex process and it is even more difficult for all learners to acquire self-regulating reading skills. A framework of how a web-based reading environment should be designed in order to meet students’ diverse needs and help them develop reading comprehension skills through processes that favor self regulated reading is outlined in this paper. The attempted synthesis is based on the main premises of Self-regulation Theory and the pedagogical approach of Universal Design for Learning, taking advantage of the new possibilities offered by digital texts and Web 2.0 applications. Introduction Reading has always been a foundational element of one’s education. Learning to read is intended to provide students with skills that are necessary for proper word recognition and text decoding. The ultimate goal of reading though, is not limited to the recognition of isolated words, but lies in the reader accessing the meaning of the text. Reading comprehension is achieved when words are recognized and their meanings identified, relevant background knowledge is activated and inferences are generated as information is processed during the course of reading. It has also been pointed out that monitoring processes are essential in order to track both ongoing comprehension and the internal consistency of text, allowing the reader to apply repair strategies if there is a danger of comprehension breaking down . Comprehending a text is undoubtedly a complex process. Currently both primary and secondary education teachers are frequently confronted with the same dual problem: the lack o f reading comprehension skills on the part of many of their students and their own lack of experience on how to remedy this deficiency. It is therefore imperative that obstacles to reading comprehension instruction be overcome, that a shift towards a modern model of reading comprehension takes place and, crucially, that individual differences –a major factor that influences reading comprehension– are taken into consideration. Especially nowadays, as the emphasis on creating life-long learners increases, it is important that teachers not only foster reading comprehension but also help develop engaged selfregulated readers, i.e. readers â€Å"who set themselves realistic goals, select effective reading strategies, monitor their understanding of the text, and evaluate progress towards their goals† . This implies that the appropriate theoretical and technological tools are identified and used so that specific learning procedures are supported in order to help all students develop self-regulation reading skills. This paper addresses the aforementioned issues and aims to synthesize a framework based on which a web-based reading environment could be carefully designed to aid the instructor while at the same time fostering reading comprehension and self-regulated reading for diverse students. Integrating Technology in Reading Comprehension Instruction 2.1 Rethinking reading comprehension instruction There are three main obstacles to effective instruction in reading comprehension. The first is associated with teachers’ inadequate training and preparation for the teaching of comprehension strategies. Secondly, effective strategy instruction requires a multitude of means for teacher-supervised practice given that good results depend on regular and continuous practice with abundant, personalized feedback. Finally, the third barrier is related to the growing diversity in contemporary classrooms . There is no doubt that it is desirable to provide all students with the opportunity for significant improvement of their reading comprehension. This is indeed feasible firstly via the transition from the traditional to a modern model of understanding and the treatment of reading as a holistic process. In particular, the modern model perceives understanding as a result of the reader’s active engagement and interaction with the text, in contrast to the traditional model where the dominant idea is that the reader is a passive recipient of the message. Moreover, the traditional perception of reading comprehension focuses on the linear acquisition of a carefully sequenced list of reading skills, whereas according to the modern model these skills are regarded as a set of interactions. Effect of the Environment on Western Settlers EssayFigure 1. UDL Principles, Guidelines Checkpoints It is proposed that the above UDL principles are embedded in a web-based reading environment (WBRE) and that the UDL guidelines are correlated with a self-regulation scenario in order to help all learners acquire self-regulatory reading comprehension skills through a flexible technology-supported learning environment. Specifically, based on the main features of the self-regulation theory , Paraskeva et Al. have proposed a framework which can be used as a template for developing self-regulation teaching scenarios. The self-regulated learning strategies that can be used in each of the self-regulation phases are shown in Table 1. Table 1. Self Regulation (SR) Phases and Learning Strategies SR Phase A. Forethought Phase Intrinsic interest Goal Setting Modeling Keeping records monitoring Planning Strategic planning Self-motivation B. Performance Phase Rehearsing and memorizing Self-control Keeping records monitoring Self-instruction Self-observation Self-recording Seeking social assistance C. Self-reflection Phase Self-evaluation Self-monitoring Self-judgment Self-reaction Strategic planning Reflective Thinking The framework for self-regulation scenarios was based on these phases and incorporates most of these strategies, as suggested by Paraskeva et Al. This is presented in Figure 2 in correlation with the UDL checkpoints and along with the features and affordances of the proposed web-based reading environment (WBRE) which align both with the self-regulation scenario and the UDL principles. The proposed WBRE features comply with the research evidence provided by CAST and wish to extend the work already conducted in this field, with the integration of the latest web technologies. SR Learning Strategies Figure 1. Self-Regulation Scenario, UDL checkpoints WBRE features Conclusions The WBRE which will be based on the proposed framework should not be designed to replace the teacher, but it should aim instead to enable him/her to do his/her job more effectively. A carefully designed WBRE will take advantage of universal design for learning to customize a reading experience so that it offers the right level of challenge and support for each student while implementing a self-regulation scenario.