New Literacies: A Dual-Level Theory of the Changing Nature of Literacy, Instruction, and Assessment

We begin by making a central point: Social contexts have always shaped both the function and form of literate practices and been shaped by them in return. We discuss the social context of the current period and explain how this has produced new information and communication technologies, and the new...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of education (Boston, Mass.) Mass.), 2017-04, Vol.197 (2), p.1-18
Main Authors: LEU, DONALD J., KINZER, CHARLES K., COIRO, JULIE, CASTEK, JILL, HENRY, LAURIE A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communication
Information technology
Literacy
Social Environment
Theory
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Summary:We begin by making a central point: Social contexts have always shaped both the function and form of literate practices and been shaped by them in return. We discuss the social context of the current period and explain how this has produced new information and communication technologies, and the new literacies that these technologies demand. Second, we explore several lowercase new literacies perspectives that are emerging. We argue that a dual-level New Literacies theory is essential to take full advantage of this important and diverse work. Third, we identify a set of principles, drawn from research, that inform an uppercase theory of New Literacies. Then, we present one lowercase theory of new literacies, the new literacies of online research and comprehension, to illustrate how a dual-level theory of New Literacies can inform new literacies research that takes related but different theoretical perspectives. We conclude by considering the implications of a dual-level theory of New Literacies for both research and practice.
ISSN:0022-0574
2515-5741
DOI:10.1177/002205741719700202