Constructivism in Practice: The Potential of Ubiquitous, “Low-Tech” Audio Devices for Literacy Development in the 21st Century

• Main Author: Dennis Jablonski
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Portland State University 2012-01-01
• Series: Northwest Journal of Teacher Education
• Online Access: http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/25317

In this study, four graduate level preservice teachers used inexpensive, MP3 players preloaded with audiobooks with the objective of increasing the reading fluency and digital literacy of elementary school children. The data collected included preintervention surveys, pre/post oral reading fluency scores, a log of daily listening experiences, and preservice teacher journals. The findings indicated that student-participants‘ oral reading fluency scores improved along with the students‘ confidence in reading. Additionally, both the preservice teachers, and the student-participants reported an increased awareness of how technology can be used for literacy development and enjoyment, suggesting an enhancement of digital knowledge and skills.