O'Byrne Dissertation 2012
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Abstract
Facilitating Critical Evaluation Skills through Content Creation: Empowering Adolescents as Readers and Writers of Online Information. W. Ian O'Byrne, Ph.D., University of Connecticut, 2012.
This quasi-experimental, mixed-method study investigated the extent to which critical evaluation skills required during online reading comprehension can be improved using a three-phase instructional model designed to engage students as creators of online information. It also examined the effectiveness of this instructional model in cultivating the dispositions students need when they read online. Finally, the study examined the themes and patterns that emerged as students thought critically about and constructed online content.
The study drew on multiple theoretical perspectives including critical literacy (Friere, 1970; Luke, 2000), new literacies (Leu, O'Byrne et al., 2009), and cognitive apprenticeship (Brown, Collins & Duguid, 1989). Three areas of previous research guided the study: (a) critical evaluation, (b) multimodal design, and (c) dispositions of online reading comprehension.
Quantitative findings suggest that the ability to recognize and construct surface-level markers of credibility and relevance can be improved through this instructional model. Qualitative results and interpretive case studies provide insight into the classroom context that shaped student success. Findings inform future theory, research, and practice in online information use in school settings.