NEW LITERACIES: FAN-CREATED LITERARY CONTENT “In many ways, the online affinity space related to The Hunger Games trilogy is pioneering a new paradigm for young adult literature in a digital age.” —Jen Scott Curwood, digital literacy researcher
KEY FINDINGS
> > Affinity spaces, defined as physical, virtual, or blended spaces where people interact around a common interest or activity, offer new ways for adolescent readers to engage with young adult literature (Curwood, 2013). > > “Young men who struggle with reading in school and read below grade level when assessed on academic tests actually read above grade level when assessed on high-interest, video-game related texts.” The authors found that readers might vary as much as seven reading levels from one text to the next depending on the kind of text they were reading and whether they were motivated to read it (Steinkuehler, Compton-Lilly, and King, 2010). > > Technology can facilitate young people’s active participation in online spaces and promote the development of sophisticated literacy skills (Curwood, 2013). > > “Research suggests that when young adults read for enjoyment, it positively influences their performance on standardized tests, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).” > > “A crucial difference between students who perform well on the PISA and those who perform poorly lies in whether they read daily for enjoyment, rather than in how much time they spend reading. On average, students who read daily for pleasure score the equivalent of 1.5 years of schooling better than those who do not” (The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2011). > > “Research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project indicates that 80% of adolescents use online social network sites, 38% share original creative work online, and 21% remix their own transformative works, inspired by others’ words and images” (Curwood et al., 2013).
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NEW LITERACIES: FAN-CREATED LITERARY CONTENT
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