Popular culture in the literacy curriculum
Abstract
As institutions offer more online courses in their teacher certification and literacy master's programs, research is needed to address issues of quality assurance in online instruction. This multicase study analyzes qualitatively elements for addressing quality assurance of the implementation of an online content literacy teacher education course offered at two different universities. Students' online discussion board posts responding to course readings, partner feedback on literacy intervention lessons, and course evaluations were examined using Erickson's (1986) multistage inductive analysis. The analysis made visible opportunities for students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate course materials and activities in relation to their discipline. Some students questioned the textual authority of the course readings, materials, and activities as they related to their disciplines. Student critiques of the online format and insights gained from our qualitative analysis are shared.
Reference
Marsh, J. P., Lammers, J. C., & Alvermann, D. E. (2012). Quality assurance in online content literacy methods courses. Literacy Research and Instruction,51(3), 233-253.
Journal
Literacy Research and Instruction
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
yes
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
- Southeastern United States
- Southwestern United States
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
- Content area literacy course
- Literacy methods course
Preservice Participants
- Masters
- undergraduate preservice teachers
Preservice Sample Size
Other Participant Data
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- online discussions
- peer feedback
- reflections
Data Analysis Tools
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
To what degree did the materials and activities built into the course offer participants a sufficient depth and breadth of experiences in analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating their course work?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
In what ways (if any) did the participants’ online interactions lead to a questioning of textual authority of the course readings, materials and activities in relation to their disciplines?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes