| This study documents the literacy interests, | | | | because of their indicative and representative |
| motivations, and practices of two middle school | | | | dimensions--that is, they signal practices inherent to |
| literacy learners. In former studies (Burke & Rowsell, | | | | digital reading practices that can be explored in future |
| 2005; 2006), we interviewed students as they | | | | research. We adopt Anne Haas Dyson and Celia |
| worked online to access what reading practices | | | | Genishi's (2005) definition of case studies in On the |
| students invoked in their use and understanding of | | | | Case: |
| digital texts. In these studies, we had larger samples | | | | Any detailed "case" (e.g., a studied teacher's |
| with a focus on reading path (Burke & Rowsell, 2005) | | | | pedagogy, a child's learning history) is just that--a |
| and multimodal assessment (Burke & Rowsell, 2007). | | | | case. It is not the phenomenon itself (e.g., effective |
| What we found previously is that student’s use | | | | teaching, writing development). That phenomenon |
| interface design to understand content, and more | | | | may look and sound different in different social and |
| often than not, they Chanel Replica Jewelry think in | | | | cultural circumstances, that is, in different cases. This |
| terms of redesigning content to improve the | | | | relationship between a grand phenomenon and |
| meanings of texts. In this study, we broaden our | | | | mundane particulars suggests key theoretical |
| perspective to include a U.S. site and a Canadian site. | | | | assumptions of qualitative case studies, particularly |
| During the interviews, we asked the following | | | | those involving production of meaning and its |
| questions: • Do you have access to a computer? | | | | dependence on context, (p. 4) |
| • What websites do you like? • What do you | | | | In our study, the particular situations of both |
| like about them? • What do you not like about | | | | participants and their relationship to their school |
| them? • How might you change them if you | | | | settings contribute to our analysis of interviews and |
| could? • How do these sites relate to texts that | | | | observational data. Case studies provide a unique |
| you study in school? | | | | picture of the reading practices that offer compelling |
| To explore digital reading practices of the students | | | | research evidence. Denscombe (1998) provided a |
| while working, we used stimulated recall as a way of | | | | helpful insight into case study research, stating that |
| having participants talk through their actions and | | | | "the aim is to illuminate the general by looking at the |
| movements. To complete the stimulated recall, we | | | | particular" (p. 30). Golby (1994) has made it clear that |
| asked participants our research questions as they | | | | case studies are not a study of uniqueness, but of |
| read through a website and audio taped the dialogue. | | | | particularity. Golby also argued that to understand a |
| The recordings were transcribed and compared with | | | | "particular" case, connections to other cases need to |
| our anecdotal notes taken right after each | | | | be made, and an acute awareness of how this |
| 40-min¬ute session. To conduct this research, we | | | | understanding is reached is required. In our study, we |
| sat beside student participants Peter and recorded | | | | take an analytic generalization Chanel Jewelry |
| their responses to the questions. In addition to the | | | | Wholesale from the data to offer some insight into |
| 40-minute interviews, we conducted follow-up | | | | how we can learn about digital reading practices by |
| interviews to probe unanswered questions. | | | | interviewing a child while she works online in |
| Further interviews were conducted with participating | | | | conjunction with a text analysis of the site. |
| teachers. In this way, the study used observational | | | | The analytic framework drew on Kress and Van |
| data alongside transcribed interview data. | | | | Leeuwen's (2001) framework of discourse, design, |
| Pseudonyms are used to protect the identity of the | | | | production, and distribution. To analyze online reading, |
| participants. | | | | we interpreted the specific learner, taking into |
| Two case studies of digital reading practices are | | | | consideration their chosen sites and their actions as |
| featured in this article. We opted for case studies | | | | they explored the sites. |