Chapter 16 – Electronic texts
Consider the following statements and click to reveal the answer.
1. Give three examples of everyday situations in which you may need to read an electronic text.
Answer:
Examples of everyday situations in which you may need to read an electronic text include:
- Reading a web page;
- Reading a pdf document;
- Reading a text message on your mobile phone or the instructions on an ATM screen.
2. What are the three main characteristics that make electronic texts different from traditional print-media texts?
Answer:
The three main characteristics that make electronic texts different from traditional print-media texts are:
- They are interactive;
- They have different structures;
- They employ special symbols (icons/features).
3. What implications do these differences have for the teaching of literacy?
Answer:
The implications these differences have for the teaching of literacy are that teachers must ensure that children have access to both paper-based and electronic texts in order to develop their reading skills and digital literacy, and that they have opportunities to write in both media for a range of purposes and audiences.