A11.3: Week 11 Participation Memo

Aims and Objectives: My goal for this week was to complete the weekly assignments for this class and to write my I-search paper and turn it in by the due date. This week has been very overwhelming with two tests scheduled in other classes. Since I spent most of my week studying for tests I only had the weekend to complete my I-search paper. I was concerned about completing all my work on time, but I was able to accomplish this goal.

Declarative Knowledge:  I learned this week about a digital literacy skill that is very confusing. I am still unsure if I completely understand this literacy skill, but from the research I have done this is what I have learned. Branching literacy is the ability to navigate through the complex domains of the internet and not get lost or confused.  These skills require an individual create mental maps of where they have been and how they can get back to this place and other locations on the web. Branching literacy skills are important because with the development of the internet information is now being presented in a non-linear way which is different than the way information used to be presented. Since information is being presented differently people now need different skills to be successful in a digita world. I also learned this week what a difficult I have with writing research papers. I have a very hard time sorting through information to pull out what is important and then organizing that information in my paper.

Procedural Knowledge: This week I learned how to write a I-search paper. An I-search paper consists of four parts which include a summary of what the students knows before research, a statments explaing why they chose the topic and questions to answered by the research, a record of research activities, and results of the research.

Conditional Knowledge: I will use the skills and knowledge I obtained this week as a future student in that I am constantly required to use branching literacy skills as I search for information on the web. Being knowledgeable of these skills will help me in that I will be able to teach these skills to other individuals. ( I may be able to finally help my dad navigate throught the internet.) The information I learned this week while writing my I-search paper will be very benefitial to me as an SLP in that some day I may work with children who come from impoverished environments. I am now more knowledgeable of some delays that they may exhibit and some techniques to help improve their literacy skills.

A11.1: Branching Literacy

What do you know/can you find out about branching literacy skills?

I knew very little information about branching literacy before beginning my research on this topic. After concluding my research on this topic this is what I have found. Branching literacy is having the ability to use non-linear navigation skills to navigate through hypermedia environments without getting lost or confused. This skill came about after the development of hypermedia enviroments such as the internet where people were required to revert from obtaining knowledge in a linear way to obtaining knowledge in a non-linear way. Non-linear navigation skills must be implemented in hypermedia environments because users are required to pull information from various resources and databases and then combine the information to develop an understanding of a specific concept. The use of non-linear navigation in hypermedia environments has brought about this “new” type of digital literacy called branching literacy. As quoted from the EURODL, ”Branching-literate scholars are characterized by good multidimensional spatial orientation – the ability to remain oriented and avoid getting lost in hyperspace while navigating through complex knowledge domains, despite the intricate navigation paths they may take (Daniels et al.,2002; Horton, 2000; Piacciano, 2001). They also have good metaphoric thinking and the ability to create mental models, concept maps, and other forms of abstract representation of the web’s structure, which help branching-literate scholars overcome problems of disorientation in hypermedia environments (Lee & Hsu, 2002). Branching literacy skills are becoming very important as the internet continues to grow. In an article by Yoram Eshet-Alkalai he states, “branching literacy is increasingly becoming a “survival skill,” a necessity for learners  who are meant to perform knowledge-construction tasks in the information era.”

What are your reactions to the idea that there are such skills?

I am not surprised that individuals are now saying that there are branching literacy skills. I believe this because our way of obtaining knowledge has completely changed with the development of the internet. Before the internet individuals typically obtained information by searching through books. This required them to use linear navigation skills in which they pulled all the information they needed from that specific book. Now, with the development of the internet information can be found on various different sites and databases on the web. This requires non-linear navigation skills to obtain information and pull it all together. The internet can become very overwhelming for someone who does not have the ability to navigate around the web. I have seen first hand how the lack of branching literacy skills can become frustrating for individuals. For example, my dad grew up without the internet it was only until a few years ago that he began using the internet. At the time that he began using the internet he would become very frustrated if he could not find what he needed immediately. He did not have the skills to search and navigate through the internet to find what he needed. If he found a site on the internet that he found benefitial he would have a difficult time getting back to that site. He did not have the branching literacy skills to navigate through the “navigation paths” and “knowledge domains.” Since he has always lacked these skills he always creates shortcuts to ever site he feels in beneficial and may need to reference another day.

How do you think this “new” literacy will change education/schooling?

I feel this “new” literacy will change education/schooling because I feel that teachers are going to see textsbooks being phased out as resources. I feel that all the information a student will need will eventually be located on the web. We even see this now as whole books are being published on the internet. Since I feel this will be occuring, teachers will then be required to teach students a more non-linear approach to navigation skills. Students will be required to have branching literacy skills to be successful in navigating through the internet to find information, solve problems, and conduct research.

Eshet-Alkalai, Y., & Amichai-Hamburget, Y. (2004, August). Experiments in digital literacy. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(4), 421-429.

Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (2004). Digital literacy: A conceptual framework for survival skills in the digital era. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13(1), 93-106. Retrieved October 30, 2007, from the ERIC database.

Aviram, A., & Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (n.d.). TowardsTowards a Theory of Digital Literacy: Three Scenarios for the Next Steps. Retrieved October 30, 2007, from http://www.eurodl.org/materials/contrib/2006/Aharon_Aviram.htm