Literacy Project Research Articles

A realist evaluation of a regional Dementia Health Literacy Project.

BackgroundA Dementia Health Literacy Project was undertaken in the north coast region of NSW, Australia, after it was identified as having a high prevalence of dementia. A Dementia Support Kit was produced with service user engagement to provide useful information to people with dementia and their families.ObjectiveTo evaluate the Dementia Health Literacy Project using a realist evaluation framework.Setting and participantsThe setting was the region of the north coast of New South Wales. Eight people diagnosed with dementia and their carers, 13 members of social groups of older people in the local area, and 22 local GPs and other health‐care and service providers participated in this study.ResultsTwo context‐mechanism‐outcome configurations were identified: (a) co‐design workshops where the stakeholders’ opinions were equally valued (context) led service users to feel listened to and prompted them to provide feedback (mechanism) to develop a practical resource that they would use (outcome); and (b) use of health professionals to distribute the resources (context) that they consider useful and valuable (mechanism) resulted in the target audience receiving the resources (outcome).Discussion and conclusionsThe Dementia Health Literacy Project produced a Dementia Support Kit that is likely to provide locally relevant and useful information for people with dementia and their carers. The results highlight the value of the co‐design approach in producing and disseminating dementia health literacy resources. Further evaluation is required to confirm the impact of the Kit over time on service users’ behaviour and consequently on their health outcomes.

Da formação docente tecnológica às práticas de letramentos em uma escola da rede pública

Este estudo e decorrente do projeto de pesquisa O uso de mídias digitais por professores de Língua Portuguesa no Pacto pelo Fortalecimento do Ensino Médio (PNEM). Detemo-nos agora a apresentar algumas reflexões acerca das práticas de (multi)letramentos nos (des)dobramentos das ações e/ou atividades, decorrentes da linha de pesquisa: Ensino e Linguagens, do Programa do Mestrado Interdisciplinar em História e Letras (MIHL), da Universidade Estadual do Ceará. Optamos, por razões metodológicas, pela observação e análise das práticas discursivas e interacionais mediadas pelas TDICs no desenvolvimento de pesquisas de letramentos múltiplos com um grupo de professores do ensino médio de uma escola da rede pública estadual, E.E.M. Egídia Cavalcante Chagas. Nesse contexto educacional, discutimos como tais projetos de (multi)letramentos podem constituir-se em estratégias da prática docente que possibilitem ampliar os conhecimentos linguísticos, discursivos e tecnológicos quanto à leitura e à escrita de gêneros textuais/discursivos multimodais em ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem, sobretudo nas aulas e práticas no laboratório de informática (LEI). Concluímos a posteriori que, muitas vezes, os professores sabem muito pouco sobre o que os alunos conhecem acerca das tecnologias digitais, em sala de aula, e, ainda, quanto ao uso de textos multimodais e multissemióticos nos vários contextos de construção da linguagem na era das tecnologias digitais de comunicação e informação (TDICs), na atual sociedade tecnologizada e globalizada.

Projeto de Letramento na Educação Infantil: práticas orais e escritas

This paper show the reflection about oral and written practices developed in kindergarten from a literacy project that enabled children to expand their cultural experiences with discursive genres. The pedagogical work involved children from kindergarten between 4 and 6 years old. Historical-Cultural Psychology (LEONTIEV, 1978a, 1978b, 2014a, 2014b; VYGOTSKI, 1995) and the New Literacy Studies (KLEIMAN, 2000; TINOCO, 2008) were the theoretical basis of this study. It is concluded that the child's access to different oral and written practices favors them to feel literate, while allowing her to assume different social roles and to appropriate the socio-historically elaborated knowledge.

CULTURA ESCRITA E ESCOLARIZAÇÃO

O tema deste estudo é a ampliação dos usos sociais da escrita por alunos oriundos de um programa de correção de fluxo. Tendo como fundamentação teórica os Estudos do Letramento, a pesquisa objetiva descrever analiticamente um processo de ensino escolar desenvolvido a partir de um projeto de letramento. Busca formas de empreender um processo escolar que promova participação em eventos de letramento, ampliação das práticas de letramento e imersão na cultura escrita. As compreensões provenientes desta pesquisa repercutiram no desenvolvimento de ações movidas pelo compromisso de contribuir para o processo de imersão dos alunos na cultura escrita.

An exploratory analysis of missing data from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Learn to Play \u2013 Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL) project

BackgroundPhysical literacy comprises a range of tests over four domains (Physical Competence, Daily Behaviour, Motivation and Confidence, and Knowledge and Understanding). The patterns of missing data in large field test batteries such as those for physical literacy are largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to explore the patterns and possible reasons for missing data in the Royal Bank of Canada Learn to Play–Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (RBC Learn to Play–CAPL) project.MethodsA total of 10,034 Canadian children aged 8 to 12 years participated in the RBC Learn to Play–CAPL project. A 32-variable subset from the larger CAPL dataset was used for these analyses. Several R packages (“Hmisc”, “mice”, “VIM”) were used to generate matrices and plots of missing data, and to perform multiple imputations.ResultsOverall, the proportion of missing data for individual measures and domains ranged from 0.0 to 33.8%, with the average proportion of missing data being 4.0%. The largest proportion of missing data in CAPL was the pedometer step counts, followed by the components of the Physical Competence domain and the Children’s Self-Perception of Adequacy in and Predilection for Physical Activity subscales. When domain scores were regressed on five imputed subsets with the original subset as the reference, there were small and statistically detectable differences in the Daily Behaviour score (β = − 1.6 to − 1.7, p < 0.001). However, for the other domain scores the differences were negligible and statistically undetectable (β = − 0.01 to − 0.06, p > 0.05).ConclusionsThis study has implications for other researchers or educators who are creating or using large field-based assessment measures in the areas of physical literacy, physical activity, or physical fitness, as this study demonstrates where problems in data collection can arise and how missing data can be avoided. When large proportions of missing data are present, imputation techniques, correction factors, or other treatment options may be required.

Physical literacy levels of Canadian children aged 8\u201312\xa0years: descriptive and normative results from the RBC Learn to Play\u2013CAPL project

BackgroundThe current physical literacy level of Canadian children is unknown. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Learn to Play – Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL) project, which is anchored in the Canadian consensus statement definition of physical literacy, aimed to help establish the current physical literacy level of Canadian children.MethodsThe CAPL was used to assess the physical literacy (and component domains: Daily Behaviour, Physical Competence, Knowledge and Understanding, and Motivation and Confidence) of Canadian children aged 8–12 years. Data were collected from 11 sites across Canada, yielding a sample of 10,034 participants (5030 girls). Descriptive statistics by age and gender were calculated and percentile distributions of physical literacy scores, including each domain and individual measure, were derived.ResultsThe mean age of participants was 10.1 ± 1.2 years. Total physical literacy scores (out of 100) were on average 63.1 ± 13.0 for boys and 62.2 ± 11.3 for girls. For boys and girls respectively, domain scores were 19.9 ± 4.7 and 19.3 ± 4.1 (out of 32) for Physical Competence; 18.6 ± 7.9 and 18.5 ± 7.4 (out of 32) for Daily Behaviour; 12.7 ± 2.8 and 12.2 ± 2.6 (out of 18) for Motivation and Confidence; and 11.8 ± 2.8 and 12.2 ± 2.6 (out of 18) for Knowledge and Understanding. Physical Competence measures were on average 28.1 ± 8.4 cm (sit-and-reach flexibility), 33.5 ± 9.4 kg (grip strength, right + left), 23.4 ± 14.1 laps (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run [PACER] shuttle run), 61.8 ± 43.8 s (isometric plank), 19.0 ± 3.8 kg/m2 (body mass index), 67.3 ± 10.8 cm (waist circumference), and 20.6 ± 3.9 out of 28 points for the Canadian Agility and Movement Skill Assessment (CAMSA), with scores for boys higher than girls and older children higher than younger children for grip strength, PACER, plank, and CAMSA score. Girls and younger children had better scores on the sit-and-reach flexibility than boys and older children. Daily pedometer step counts were higher in boys than girls (12,355 ± 4252 vs. 10,779 ± 3624), and decreased with age.ConclusionsThese results provide the largest and most comprehensive assessment of physical literacy of Canadian children to date, providing a “state of the nation” baseline, and can be used to monitor changes and inform intervention strategies going forward.

Teacher Inquiry Develops Elementary Teachers’ Disciplinary Literacy

ABSTRACTWe examined how infusing an inquiry-based Disciplinary Literacy Project (DLP) into a graduate literacy education class influenced elementary teachers’ knowledge about disciplinary literacies and how this knowledge influenced their instructional practices. Through the DLP, teachers in this study developed an awareness of the nuances of the literate practices within particular disciplines and demonstrated various ways of blending this disciplinary literacy knowledge into their instructional practices.Implications include using this form of inquiry as a means for professional development and collaborating with disciplinary experts to support teachers’ inclusion of discipline-specific habits of mind into their instruction.

“GOD’S NOT DEAD 2” DILEMMA: SELECTED RELIGIOUS LIBERTY ISSUES OF K-12 SCHOOL TEACHERS

The aim of the research is to confirm whether “God’s Not Dead” (2016) production is an adequate portrayal of religious liberty of school officials in present-day K-12 schools in the United States. The author limited the discussion to the essential problem questions inspired by the production, such as teachers’ right to express their religious views both in the formal setting of a class discussion, and out-of-class informal exchange with students and fellow faculty members. The problem was discussed against the backdrop of selected legal and legislative acts that determine the scope of teachers’ religious expression, such as selected courts’ decisions, official federal guidelines issued by the Department of Education as well as the guides published by non-government organizations. The results of the Bible Literacy Project as well as interviews with several school officials were utilized to further verify the basic concepts of the research. The source texts were analyzed using a close reading method. The study seems to prove that due to the complexity of the legal system as well as the discrepancy between the lines of decisions reached in lower courts it difficult to unambiguously assess the probability of the scenario featured in the movie. However, observable trends in case law and governmental control over teachers’ in-class speech appear to imply that the script is definitely accurate in its portrayal of a legal liability of teachers, and possibly less so in respect of the favorable outcome of the dispute.

Decolonizing the reading landscape: A conversation with Kgauhelo Dube

Reading and literacy projects in South Africa have a long and fascinating history. In this conversation, Kgauhelo Dube talks about a contemporary Pretoria-based initiative which seeks to promote reading and literacy through the showcasing of African authors and texts. The discussion explores some of the social and material dynamics which inform the post-apartheid reading project, including the lack of reading and library facilities in township settings and the ongoing alienation experienced by black students and scholars in white-dominated institutions. It points to the importance of the contemporary revival of the discourse of decoloniality as a means of framing the project, and as a route to understanding the broader contexts in which African literature is produced and consumed. The discussion also engages with the importance of the short story form for the public reading event and considers some of the ways in which the written text is subsequently reshaped as a dynamic and mobile digital product.

Developing occupational therapy students’ information and historical literacy competencies: an interprofessional collaborative project

ObjectiveThe study examined the efficacy of an interprofessional information and historical literacy project implemented by an occupational therapy educator and a librarian.MethodsA graduate course was revised to include information and historical literacy objectives and instruction. A course-specific questionnaire administered on the first and last day of class, assignment grades, and course evaluations provided measures of project outcomes for six years. Differences between questionnaire pre- and post-test means were determined using t-tests. Course evaluation comments were analyzed to obtain qualitative perceptions.ResultsA significant difference (p<0.0001) was found between pre-test (M=3.93, SD=0.48) and post-test (M=4.67, SD=0.30) scores of total information and historical literacy competence across all years (n=242). Responses to individual items also differed significantly (p<0.0001). Student ratings (n=189) from the course evaluation historical literacy objectives were high (M=4.6 on a 5-point scale). Assignment quality and grades improved, and course evaluation comments reflected student satisfaction.ConclusionsThe findings supported the hypothesis that students’ self-reported information and historical literacy competencies would increase after project participation. Acquired skills were evident in students’ assignments. Research to determine if these capabilities were used post-graduation is needed. Because this was a course-specific project, findings are not generalizable; however, the instructional methods developed for this project can serve as a model for effective interprofessional collaboration. The broadening of information literacy instruction to include discipline-specific historical literacy provides a unique opportunity for health sciences librarians and educators. Developing students’ historical literacy in their chosen fields can help them understand their profession’s present status and be informed participants in shaping its future.

Of primary importance: applying the new literacy guidelines

PurposeWritten by a librarian and history professor, the purpose of this paper is to describe a collaborative, primary source literacy project and report its effectiveness in teaching undergraduates to critically analyze information and develop primary source literacy.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology used included a research project with 24 undergraduates and a pre- and post-survey. The research project and student survey incorporated principles from the “Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy”, published in 2017 by the ACRL’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Section and the Society of American Archivists. The paper offers research and practical implications for librarians and instructors interested in strategies to teach information literacy. For instance, the paper includes a review of literature on “archival intelligence” or “primary source literacy” and describes the 2017 Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy.FindingsSocially, the paper includes implications for how to create an inclusive learning experience for students with mechanisms such as a scaffolded assignment, hands-on instruction, imposter syndrome awareness and a no-Google policy.Originality/valueGiven that this is one of the first articles to document how practitioners are incorporating the new 2017 Guidelines, this is sure to be an original and valuable essay.

Film literacy in secondary schools across Europe: A comparison of five countries’ responses to an educational project on cinema

Abstract We present the results of an exploratory study framed within a large film literacy project carried out simultaneously in five European Union countries (Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom). The study looks at students’ responses to an educational project on cinema designed to be implemented regionally for five months in high schools to increase film literacy and to favour more positive attitudes towards European cinema. The results show that students’ film preferences remain stable after the programme and vary only slightly. Major changes occur in their knowledge about film production and expression. The aspects that change the least are their conceptions about cinema and their preferences. Moreover, the student attitudes towards national and European cinema are more positive. However, the results also show that the implementation of a film literacy programme at a cross-cultural level can affect different aspects depending on the cultural context (country) in which it occurs. Indeed, they provide data about the specific impact of the programme in each country. The information offered by this study could enhance film literacy programmes, inform theory, and nurture the debates about the common European identity and the particular traits of the diverse cultures of the European Union.

Hamburg’s Family Literacy project (FLY) in the context of international trends and recent evaluation findings

The authors of this article begin with an introduction to the holistic concept of family literacy and learning and its implementation in various international contexts, paying special attention to the key role played by the notions of lifelong learning and intergenerational learning. The international trends and experiences they outline inspired and underpinned the concept of a prize-winning Family Literacy project called FLY, which was piloted in 2004 in Hamburg, Germany. FLY aims to build bridges between preschools, schools and families by actively involving parents and other family members in children’s literacy education. Its three main pillars are: (1) parents’ participation in their children’s classes; (2) special sessions for parents (without their children); and (3) joint out-of-school activities for teachers, parents and children. These three pillars help families from migrant backgrounds, in particular, to develop a better understanding of German schools and to play a more active role in school life. To illustrate how the FLY concept is integrated into everyday school life, the authors showcase one participating Hamburg school before presenting their own recent study on the impact of FLY in a group of Hamburg primary schools with several years of FLY experience. The results of the evaluation clearly indicate that the project’s main objectives have been achieved: (1) parents of children in FLY schools feel more involved in their children’s learning and are offered more opportunities to take part in school activities; (2) the quality of teaching in these schools has improved, with instruction developing a more skills-based focus due to markedly better classroom management und a more supportive learning environment; and (3) children in FLY schools are more likely to have opportunities to accumulate experience in out-of-school contexts and to be exposed to environments that stimulate and enhance their literacy skills in a tangible way.

From Apprehension to Critical Literacy

This paper presents a pragmatic approach to introducing critical literacy to a group of in -service teachers. It begins with "stirring up" the in-service teachers' existing beliefs about literacy education. Then it shows how to prepare them to understand and implement critical literacy in their classrooms. In the end, one of the in-service teachers' critical literacy projects is discussed in detail. The project documents the in-service teacher's struggle with as well as change in attitude toward critical literacy as she explored the meaning and potentiality of literacy education with her student.

Northern NSW Health Literacy Project

Introduction: 60% of Australian adults do not have the level of health literacy needed to understand and act on day to day health information. Low health literacy is linked to poorer health status, low use of preventive health services and higher rates of preventable hospitalisation. Faced with a growing and aging population and increasing rates of chronic and complex conditions, Northern NSW health services and health professionals must provide clear, accessible information that empowers patients, families and carers to understand and manage health conditions. Practice change implemented: The Northern NSW Health Literacy Project empowers people to understand and manage health conditions by: Developing health information that is easy to access, understand and act upon. Partnering with consumers to develop health information, assess service design and deliver health education. Building the capacity of the health workforce to improve communication with people in their care. Aim and theory of change: The Project aims to improve health communication and engage the community to empower people to be partners in their health care and understand and manage health conditions. Improving health literacy in this way can improve health outcomes and health service quality, safety and efficiency. Targeted population and stakeholders: The target population are people with chronic and complex conditions, their families and carers. Key stakeholders are the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSW LHD) and North Coast Primary Health Network (NCPHN). Timeline: The Project commenced in July 2016. Highlights: The Project is jointly funded and implemented by NNSW LHD and NCPHN, allowing a unique whole of health system approach. The Health Literacy Website is the first of its kind in Australia. It contains information, resources and an online library of patient resources developed to meet health literacy standards. Visit http://healthliteracy.nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/. Health Literacy Awareness and Workshops have been designed and delivered to over 700 health professionals and community members with significant impact on heath literacy knowledge and skills. 100% of surveyed attendees intended to implement at least one health literacy strategy. Health professionals are now developing and reviewing resources and communication practices in partnership with consumers to ensure health information is easy to access, understand and act on. Community members engaged in these processes report greater health literacy as a result of their involvement. Sustainability: The Project has resulted in systemic changes, building the foundations for a culture of health literacy. Health literacy is embedded in policy, and there is an increase in health literacy knowledge, confidence and skills among patients and workforce. The Website ensures sustainability, already continually expanding and improving. Transferability: The Website is easily transferable and accessible across health settings and geographical boundaries. Utilising digital technologies allows transferability within and outside NNSW. Conclusions: Improving the health literacy of health services and health professionals and empowering people to understand and manage their health can improve health outcomes and health service quality, safety and efficiency. The NNSW Health Literacy Project has demonstrated significant progress towards these aims and continues to build on these achievements.

Bringing critical discourse analysis into the classroom: a critical language awareness project on fairy tales for young school children

ABSTRACTIn this article, we report on the results of a critical literacy project on fairy tales, which was implemented with a class of first graders (6–7 years old) in Greece in the context of teaching Greek as a mother tongue. As a teaching approach, critical literacy entails a radical change in the school culture, being at odds with the Greek educational reality at the moment. In consideration of the controversies of the Greek educational context, we decided to adopt critical language awareness, which proposes the use of critical discourse analysis for teaching purposes. Therefore, through this approach, we explore to what extent young children may be transformed into ‘critical language researchers’, by delving into the textual mechanisms of fairy tales for the construction of hegemonic social meanings.

Creative and critical approaches to language learning and digital technology: findings from a multilingual digital storytelling project

ABSTRACTThis article presents findings from the global literacy project, Critical Connections: Multilingual Digital Storytelling (MDST), which provides a means of nurturing and reflecting multiliteracies in practice. It recognises the power of storytelling and the space stories offer both for self-representation and for engaging with otherness. It draws on affordances of the digital medium for multimodal composition and for collaborative and dialogic ways of working and sharing across boundaries of home, school and community. It values and supports multilingual repertoires recognising that every language is a distinct medium with its own expressive resources, its own palette of colours, its own sounds and rhythms, all shaped by and representing history, culture, values and beliefs. The core argument is that greater attention needs to be given to the multilingual dimension within multiliteracies research. We outline the theoretical framework underpinning our research and the rationale for adopting a critical ethnographic approach. We explore the significance of MDST for young people and their learning; the effective pedagogical framework for carrying out MDST; and the implications for policy and teacher development. This research enabled us to demonstrate the importance of an integrated and inclusive approach towards languages within the multiliteracies framework.

Teacher Learning for European Literacy Education (TeL4ELE): genre-based pedagogy in five European countries

AbstractThis article gives two perspectives on an action-research literacy project based on the pedagogy of Reading to Learn (R2L). The project, organized in a cascade structure, introduced the functional linguistics-based pedagogy for reading and writing across the curriculum to national teams of key educators, who then took it to practising teachers, who used it with their pupils. The impact of the project on the three groups of 'learners' involved was then evaluated through questionnaires for educators and teachers and reading and writing tests. Knowledge of the texts of their subjects, and of the R2L interaction cycle, changed participants' practice, resulting in student inclusion and improved written production. The paper first presents a broad view of the project and results in its European context, and, second, a more detailed picture of one of the countries involved, Spain, including examples of implementation by participating teachers, their responses to the pedagogy, and student up-take in samples of their texts. The paper closes with reflections and future directions the project is taking in Spain, opening to new contexts for the R2L pedagogy.

Youth Health Literacy: Lessons from the Field

ABSTRACTThe Youth Health Literacy Project targeted middle and high school students in a rural county who were enrolled in health and physical fitness classes. Students were instructed on good, reliable health information websites using the Internet. The authors also loaned each student an Amazon Kindle Fire tablet to gauge the student’s grasp of health literacy information. A pretest and posttest measured the effectiveness of the instruction.

Advancing open data: Aligning education with public sector data challenges

ABSTRACTLIS education has invested heavily in workforce development for data services in research institutions, however little work has been done on open data competencies needed in public libraries and government agencies. The Open Data Literacy (ODL) project is working to prepare students to build infrastructure and to curate and sustain open data resources for the public by advancing data curation and data science curriculum and providing field experiences in collaboration with city and state agencies. To determine the expertise students need to meet workforce demands, we are examining the current data challenges faced by these public sector organizations. Based on the first year of student field experiences, we found that data organization and access, data quality, and data visualization were prominent areas of competency needed across the sites. While these areas are captured to some degree in current frameworks meant to catalog “data expertise” we find that additional competencies are required, in particular the need for developing and following metadata standards, evaluation and use of storage and cloud services, APIs, law and ethics, and public sector and not‐for‐profit organization knowledge. In future work these emerging areas of data expertise will be prioritized and deepened in our curriculum and better articulated for application in data education more generally.