Abstract
This multiple case study investigated four university-level international students’ reading of digital texts on tablets. The study describes these students’ experiences with and strategies for mobile reading. The participants were four international students in the United States, and their first language (L1) was not English. The data were collected through observations, verbal reports, interviews, and field notes. The findings showed that participants had both positive and negative experiences using tablets for reading and that mobile reading facilitated their learning about their lives, language, culture, and technology. The study shows that the participants used six reading strategies: (a) setting up the purpose, (b) deciding what to read, (c) accessing a digital text, (d) dialoguing, (e) making a connection, and (f) using applications and digital literacy skills. The article discusses mobile reading, with a focus on strategies, affordances and processes, as well as cultural learning and empowerment.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, T. L. (2012). Examining elementary students’ use of electronic readers for independent reading (Doctoral dissertation). University of Tennessee. Retrieved from http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/1262.
Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006). Teaching and learning multiliteracies: Changing times, changing literacies. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Bakhtin, M. M. (1981). The dialogic imagination: Four essays by M. M. Bakhtin (C. Emerson & M. Holquist, Trans.). Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
Bakhtin, M. M. (1986). Speech genres and other late essays (V. W. McGee, Trans.). Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. (Original work published 1979).
Carrell, P. L., & Eisterhold, J. C. (1983). Schema theory and ESL reading pedagogy. TESOL Quarterly, 17(4), 553–573. https://doi.org/10.2307/3586613.
Chai, Z., Vail, C. O., & Ayres, K. M. (2015). Using an iPad application to promote early literacy development in young children with disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 48, 268–278. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022466913517554.
Chang, C.-K., & Hsu, C.-K. (2011). A mobile-assisted synchronously collaborative translation-annotation system for English as a foreign language (EFL) reading comprehension. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 24(2), 155–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2010.536952.
Chen, C.-M., & Lin, Y.-J. (2016). Effects of different text display types on reading comprehension, sustained attention and cognitive load in mobile reading contexts. Interactive Learning Environments, 24(3), 553–571. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2014.891526.
Cho, B.-Y., Woodward, L., Li, D., & Barlow, W. (2017). Examining adolescents’ strategic processing during online reading with a question-generating task. American Educational Research Journal, 54(4), 691–724. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831217701694.
Chou, I.-C. (2012). Understanding on-screen reading behaviors in academic contexts: A case study of five graduate English-as-a-second-language students. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 25(5), 411–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2011.597768.
Coiro, J. (2003). Exploring literacy on the Internet. The Reading Teacher, 56(5), 458–464. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20205224.
Coiro, J. (2011). Predicting reading comprehension on the Internet: Contributions of offline reading skills, online reading skills, and prior knowledge. Journal of Literacy Research, 43(4), 352–392. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086296X11421979.
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Crowley, K., McLaughlin, T., & Kahn, R. (2013). Using direct instruction flashcards and reading racetracks to improve sight word recognition of two elementary students with autism. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 25, 297–311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-012-9307-z.
Cunningham, I., Hyman, J., & Baldry, C. (1996). Empowerment: The power to do what? Industrial Relations Journal, 27(2), 143–154. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2338.1996.tb00764.x.
Ericsson, K. A., & Simon, H. A. (1980). Verbal reports as data. Psychological Review, 87(3), 215–251. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.87.3.215.
Fraser, M., & Abbott, M. (2016). Using electronic readers: Action research in an intermediate adult ESL class. The Canadian Journal of Action Research, 17(2), 3–18. Retrieved from http://journals.nipissingu.ca/index.php/cjar/article/view/259.
Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York, NY: Continuum International.
Galante, A. (2014). Developing EAL learners’ intercultural sensitivity through a digital literacy project. TESL Canada Journal, 32(1), 53–66. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1057308.
Gilster, P. (1997). Digital literacy. New York: Wiley Computer Publications.
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter.
Gu, Q., Schweisfurth, M., & Day, C. (2010). Learning and growing in a ‘foreign’ context: Intercultural experiences of international students. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 40(1), 7–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057920903115983.
Hartman, D. K. (1995). Eight readers reading: The intertextual links of proficient readers reading multiple passages. Reading Research Quarterly, 30(3), 520–561. https://doi.org/10.2307/747631.
Hazaea, N. A., & Alzubi, A. A. (2016). The effectiveness of using mobile on EFL learners’ reading practices in Najran University. English Language Teaching, 9(5), 8–21. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v9n5p8.
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to learn: Introduction to digital literacy. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell.
Hobbs, R., & Coiro, J. (2019). Design features of a professional development program in digital literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 62(4), 401–409. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.907.
Hsu, C.-K., Hwang, G.-J., & Chang, C.-K. (2013). A personalized recommendation-based mobile learning approach to improving the reading performance of EFL students. Computers & Education, 63, 327–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.12.004.
Huang, H. (2013). Online reading strategies at work: What teachers think and what students do. ReCALL, 25(3), 340–358. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344013000153.
Huang, L. L., & Lin, C. C. (2011). EFL learners’ reading on mobile phones. The JALT CALL Journal, 7(1), 61–78. Retrieved from http://journal.jaltcall.org/articles/7_1_Huang.pdf.
Keene, E. O., & Zimmermann, S. (1997). Mosaic of thought: Teaching comprehension in a reader’s workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Kellner, D. (2010). New technologies/new literacies: Reconstructing education for the new millennium. Teaching Education, 11(3), 245–265. https://doi.org/10.1080/713698975.
Kim, M. S. (2005). Culture-based conversational constraints theory: Individual and cultural-level analyses. In W. B. Gudykunst (Ed.), Theorizing about intercultural communication (pp. 93–118). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Kimbell-Lopez, K., Cummins, C., & Manning, E. (2016). Developing digital literacy in the middle school classroom. Computers in the Schools, 33(4), 211–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2016.1249731.
Lan, Y.-J., Sung, Y.-T., & Chang, K.-E. (2007). A mobile-device-supported peer-assisted learning system for collaborative early EFL reading. Language Learning & Technology, 11(3), 130–151. Retrieved from http://llt.msu.edu/vol11num3/lansungchang/.
Lan, Y.-J., Sung, Y.-T., & Chang, K.-E. (2009). Let us read together: Development and evaluation of a computer-assisted reciprocal early English reading system. Computers & Education, 53, 1188–1198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.06.002.
Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2015). Digital literacy and digital literacies: Policy, pedagogy and research considerations for education. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 9(4), 8–20. Retrieved from https://www.idunn.no/dk/2006/01/digital_literacy_and_digital_literacies_-_policy_pedagogy_and_research_cons.
Lin, C. C. (2014). Learning English reading in a mobile-assisted extensive reading program. Computers & Education, 78, 48–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.05.004.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. London: Sage.
Loeb, M. (2002). Literacy marriage: A study of intertextuality in a series of short stories by Joyce Carol Oates. Bern: Peter Lang.
Mayer, R. E. (2017). Using multimedia for e-learning. Journal of Computer Assisted learning, 33, 403–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12197.
McClanahan, B., Williams, K., Kennedy, E., & Tate, S. (2012). A breakthrough for Josh: How use of an iPad facilitated reading improvement. TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 56, 20–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-012-0572-6.
Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education: Revised and expanded from case study research in education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Miranda, T., Johnson, K. A., & Rossi-Williams, D. (2012). E-readers: Powering up for engagement. Educational Leadership, 69(9), 1–3. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/summer12/vol69/num09/E-Readers@_Powering_Up_for_Engagement.aspx.
Nasab, H. S., & Taki, S. (2016). Effect of MALL in blended learning on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, 6(1), 854–869. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-4319882291/effects-of-mall-in-blended-learning-on-iranian-efl.
O’Malley, J. M., & Chamot, A. U. (1990). Learning strategies in second language acquisition. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Oxford, R. L. (1990). Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. Boston, MA: Heinle, Cengage Learning.
Park, H.-R. (2012). Four English language learners’ experiences and strategy use in learning environments of multiliteracies (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of South Florida, FL.
Park, H.-R. (2017). Influences of reading online texts in Korean English language learners’ cultural identities. The Journal of Educational Research, 111(4), 385–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2017.1284038.
Park, H.-R., & Kim, D. (2011). Reading-strategy use by English as a second language learners in online reading tasks. Computers & Education, 57(3), 2156–2166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.05.014.
Park, H.-R., & Kim, D. (2016). English language learners’ strategies for reading computer-based texts at home and in school. CALICO Journal, 33(3), 380–409. https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.v33i3.26552.
Park, H.-R., & Kim, D. (2017). English language learners’ strategies for reading online texts: Influential factors and patterns of use at home and in school. International Journal of Educational Research, 82, 63–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2017.01.002.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Pew Research Center. (2015). Technology device ownership: 2015. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/29/technology-device-ownership-2015/.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1978). The reader, the text, the poem: The transactional theory of the literary work. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1982). The literacy transaction: Evocation and response. Theory into Practice, 21(4), 268–277. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/1476352.
Rumelhart, D. E. (1980). Schemata: The building blocks of cognition. In R. J. Spiro, B. C. Bruce, & W. F. Brewer (Eds.), Theoretical issues in reading comprehension: Perspectives from cognitive psychology, linguistics, artificial intelligence, and education (pp. 33–58). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Shimray, S. R., Keerti, C., & Ramaiah, C. K. (2015). An overview of mobile reading habits. DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, 35(5), 343–354. https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.35.5.8901.
Short, P. M., Greer, J. T., & Melvin, W. M. (1994). Creating empowered schools: Lessons in change. Journal of Educational Research, 32(4), 38–52. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578239410069106.
Thornton, P., & Houser, C. (2005). Using mobile phones in English education in Japan. Journal of Computer Assisted learning, 21, 217–228. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2005.00129.x.
Tingir, S., Cavlazoglu, B., Caliskan, O., Koklu, O., & Intepe-Tingir, S. (2017). Effects of mobile devices on K-12 students’ achievement: A meta-analysis. Journal of Computer Assisted learning, 33(4), 355–369. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12184.
van Lier, L. (2004). The ecology and semiotics of language learning: A sociocultural perspective. Norwell, MA: Kluwer.
Viswanathan, P. (2017). What is a mobile device? Retrieved from https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-a-mobile-device-2373355.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Wallace, R. M., Kupperman, J., Krajcik, J., & Soloway, E. (2000). Science on the web: Students online in a sixth-grade classroom. The Journal of the Learning Science, 9(1), 75–104. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327809jls0901_5.
Wang, S., & Smith, S. (2013). Reading and grammar learning through mobile phones. Language Learning & Technology, 17(3), 117–134. Retrieved from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/october2013/wangsmith.pdf.
Ware, P., Kern, R., & Warschauer, M. (2016). The development of digital literacies. In R. M. Manchón & P. K. Matsuda (Eds.), Handbook of second and foreign language writing (pp. 307–328). Boston/Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.
Williams, L., & Guikema, J. P. (Eds.). (2014). Digital literacies in foreign and second language education. San Marcos, TX: Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium (CALICO).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Park, HR., Kim, D. & Vorobel, O. International students’ reading digital texts on tablets: experiences and strategies. J Comput High Educ 32, 476–504 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-019-09242-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-019-09242-x