This was the Keynote talk presented at Day 1 at the Summer Institute in Digital Literacy 2015 at the University of Rhode Island presented by Julie Coiro, Jill Castek, and Dave Quinn

1. PersonalInquiryand
OnlineResearch:
ConnectingLearnersin
WaysThatMatter
Julie Coiro, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Education
University of Rhode Island
jcoiro@snet.net
uri.academia.edu/JulieCoiro/Papers
Jill Castek, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Portland State University
jcastek@pdx.edu
www.pdx.edu/linguistics/jillcastek
Dave Quinn
Student, Ph.D. in Education
University of Rhode Island
david_quinn@my.uri.edu
Twitter: @eduQuinn

2. What is digital literacy?

3. We define digital literacy as involving the
skills, strategies, and dispositions to use the
Internet productively to:
• Generate useful questions to solve problems
• Locate information
• Critically evaluate information
• Synthesize information
• Communicate answers/solutions
Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, Castek & Henry (2013). New literacies: A dual-level theory of
the changing nature of literacy, instruction, and assessment. Theoretical Models
and Processes of Reading, Sixth Edition.

4. Others define digital literacy in
slightly different ways
Renee Hobbs
Michael Eisenberg
Doug Belshaw
Henry JenkinsHoward Rheingold

5. Often, these varied definitions
reflect our varied roles in teaching
and learning
Classroom
Teachers
Librarians and
Library Media
Specialists
Community
Media Makers
Educational
Researchers

6. But…we have much in common (in
addition to special areas of
expertise)!
Classroom
Teachers
Community
Media Makers
Librarians and
Library Media
Specialists
Educational
Researchers

7. Turn and Talk (5 minutes)
• Introduce yourself and identify your role.
• What does digital literacy mean to you?
• Identify a similarity and a difference compared to your
partner’s definition.
Is there enough in common to support each other in
designing productive learning experiences?
How might you capitalize on your individual areas of expertise?

8. Where (and how) does
STUDENT-DRIVEN INQUIRY
fit into digital literacy?
• Quick context setting: Engaging Today’s Learners
• What is important to consider when planning
opportunities for personal (student-driven) inquiry?
• What role does the teacher play in the inquiry process?
• How can we choose technologies that can be used in
meaningful ways as part of the inquiry process?
• What does Personal Digital Inquiry look like in
classrooms across different grade levels?
• It is the core of everything!

9. The Challenge:Connecting Learnersin Ways
That Matter
• Move beyond industrial model of universal school toward
new era focused on lifelong learning and individual
choice – or lose learners emotionally & physically (Collins
& Halverson, 2009: Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology)
Gallup Poll (2012) - 500,000 US students, Gr. 5-12

10. • If we engage learners with rigorous academic content
and expect them to know why, when, and how to apply
knowledge to answer questions & solve problems
(National Research Council, 2012)
• “Lessen achievement gap in ways that lead to positive adult
outcomes for more young people”
• High school students engaged in deep, relevant, and
personal (student-driven) learning opportunities:
• Demonstrated higher levels of interpersonal and
intrapersonal skills (American Institutes for Research, 2014)
• Achieved better outcomes in every aspect of life, including
academic, career, civic, and health (Center for Public Education,
2009)
Optimistic Findings

11. Personal vs. Personalized:
What’s the differencewhenit comesto
studentdirected learning?
• “Personalized” is about a top-down designed or
tailored approach to learning; customized for the
student, but still controlled by the teacher (serve up
learning based on a formula of what a child needs)
• “Personal” is something human where the learner
initiates and controls the learning process; often
emerges from engagement with others about one’s
personal wonderings.
True personal learning:
It’s all about who’s doing it!
(Sarah Pasfield, 2013; Wendy Ng, 2010)

12. Sohowcanweusetechnology(and
goodteaching)todesignpersonal,
studentdirectedspacesfor
learning?
(JulieCoiro,JillCastek,&DavidQuinn,inpress,
TheReadingTeacher)

13. Choosing technology: What’s the
coolest new tool you’ve seen?
Hey, that’s
cool!
1.
How could I
use that?2.
Hmmm…how
might this
connect with
what I teach?
3.

14. Choosing technology: What’s the
coolest new tool you’ve seen?
Hey, that’s
cool!
1.
How could I
use that?2.
Hmmm…how
might this
connect with
what I teach?
3.Turn and talk
some more…

15. Are we asking the right questions?
Hey, that’s
cool!
1.
How could
I use that?2.
Hmmm…how
might this
connect with
what I teach?
3.
But how? Which
parts and why?
For whom?
How will your students
actively engaged with
this tool? To what end?
What will your
students know,
understand,
and be able to do
before/during/after
using this tool?

16. What if we refocus and flip the sequenceof
our planning questionsfor teaching with
technology?
1 2 3
What will my
students know,
understand, and be
able to do?
How will my students
be actively engaged in
a way that allows them
to use their own voice?
Which digital tool(s)
would work best and
in what ways?
1. Set learning
outcomes
2. Create authentic
opportunities for
students to be
actively engaged
3. Then…make
purposeful
choices about
technology (or no
technology)
1. Hey that’s
cool!
2. How could I use
that?
3. How might this
connect with what I
teach?
RATHER
THAN…

17. A critical piece is still missing…
A safe classroom culture that
values curiosity and honors student
voices while encouraging
collaboration, problem solving,
risk taking, and reflection.
Building a culture of inquiry is key!

18. 1. Set learning
outcomes
2. How will my students be
actively engaged in a way
that allows them to use their
voice?
3. Then…make purposeful
choices about technology
(or no technology)
trust and respect
risk-taking
problem-solving
collaboration

19. What might a culture of inquiry feel like in a
digitalage?(Foursetsofcorepractices)
Personal Digital Inquiry (PDI) Framework

20. Inquire
• Inquiry: “Learning that starts with lived
experience…where people actively shape their own
learning as they work on real problems in their own
communities” (Bruce & Bishop, 2008; Dewey, 1938)
• Generating their own wonderings about these
problems helps students connect their own
interests to real-life issues in ways that can lead
to real change (Hobbs & Moore, 2013)
• Opportunities for purposeful, self-directed inquiry
become personally fulfilling learning
experiences (Drive by Daniel Pink, 2009)

21. VariedLevels of [Digital]Inquiry
• Modeled inquiry: Students observe models of how
the leader asks questions and makes decisions.
• Structured Inquiry: Students make choices which
are dependent upon guidelines and structure given
by the leader (may vary).
• Guided Inquiry: Students make choices during
inquiry that lead to deeper understanding guided
by some structure given by the leader.
• Open Inquiry: Students make all of the decisions.
There is little to no guidance.
Alberta Inquiry Model of Inquiry Based Learning (2004)

22. Collaborate & Discuss
• Learning is social! Today’s learners prefer and
expect opportunities to collaboratively construct
meaning and support each other’s thinking in ways
that lead to action (Schofield & Honore, 2010).
• Expand discussion based reading practices such
as reciprocal teaching (Palinscar & Brown, 1984),
collaborative reasoning (Anderson et al, 2013), quality talk
(Wilkinson, Soter, & Murphy, 2012), and CORI (Guthrie, Wigfield, &
Perencevich, 2004) to support satisfying one’s personal
wonderings while working with peers to co-
construct new knowledge in complex digital
spaces.

23. Collaborate & Discuss
Cognitive
Social
Social Practices: Request & give information;
jointly acknowledge, evaluate, & build on partner’s
contributions
Cognitive Strategies: Read, question, monitor, repair, infer,
connect, clarify, and interpret

24. Participate & Create
• Student action through creation and participation
is the ultimate goal of learning (Casey, 2013)
• When students investigate personally meaningful
problems in their community they want to make
positive changes or build awareness by creating
a digital product (Hobbs, 2011).
• Through participation, individuals assert their
autonomy and ownership of learning (Zhao, 2009);
in turn, their inquiry becomes more personal and
engaging while seeing meaningful connections
between home, school, and community (Ito et al.,
2013)

25. ReneeHobbs(2013)
The Life Of A
Homeless Person
(after a photo walk
Discovery)
Discussion…
Research….
Composition…
Revision…
10 page
Comic book
Participate
& Create

26. Reflect
• Final stage = reflection; but also the beginning
stage!
• Inquiry should lead to a student’s next burning
question (Thomas & Brown, 2011)
• Reflecting on action enables students to reframe
problems, identify gaps in their knowledge, and
decide what additional inquiries may be necessary
(Casey & Bruce, 2011).
• It also challenges students to develop and consider
social and ethical impacts of their creation and
ideas (Hobbs, 2010).

27. Reflect What decisions informed your design?

28. 1. Set learning
outcomes
2. Create authentic
opportunities for
students to be
actively engaged
3. Then…make
purposeful
choices about
technology (or no
technology)
INQUIRE
COLLABORATE
& DISCUSS
PARTICIPATE & CREATE
REFLECT

29. Knowledge-Based Learning Outcomes
How will studentsuse their knowledge?
Knowledge
Acquisition
Acquire knowledge as a first step toward
knowledge building
Knowledge
Building
Build their content & process knowledge
Knowledge
Expression
Express/share convergent and/or divergent
understanding of content
Knowledge
Reflection
Publicly and/or privately discuss what they
brought to the content and what ideas they
constructed
Adapted from Harris & Hofer (2009)

30. Inquiry Practices
How activelyengage withlearning outcomes
acrossdifferent stages of inquiry?
Inquire Generate personal wonderings
Collaborate
& Discuss
Co-construct understanding and/or
new knowledge (which type?)
Participate
& Create
Express knowledge to build awareness
and/or make positive changes
Reflect Reflect on action during and/or after
Coiro, Castek, & Quinn (in press)

31. Purposeful Technology Use
Howcantechnologysupportorenhance…
Teachers
Giving
Use technology to give information (direct
instruction; digital resources); students
passively acquire information
Teachers
Prompting
Use digital tools, prompting questions, and
selected materials to guide knowledge
building
Students
Making
Use digital tools/technologies to make/create
new content that expresses their knowledge
Students
Reflecting
Use digital tools/networked technologies to
examine content learned and reflect on
choices made during inquiry to improve
Adapted from Hammond & Manfra (2009)

32. VariedPurposesfor Using Technologyto
Support DigitalInquiry
Knowledge-Based Learning
Outcome (adapted from
Harris & Hofer, 2009)
Curricular-Related Purposes of
Technology Use (adapted from
Hammond & Manfra 2009)
Knowledge Acquisition Teachers Giving
Knowledge Building Teachers Prompting
Knowledge Expression Students Making
Knowledge Reflection Students Reflecting
 Choices in inquiry-based learning can progress from teachers
using technology for giving information and prompting knowledge
toward students actively using technology to make and reflect on
new content

33. TEACHER
DIRECTED
INQUIRY
STUDENT
DIRECTED
INQUIRY
Technology for
Knowledge Expression
Technology for
Knowledge Building
Modeled
Inquiry
Guided
Inquiry
Open
Inquiry
Giving
Prompting
Making
Structured
Inquiry
Reflecting
INQUIRE
COLLABORATE
& DISCUSS
PARTICIPATE
& CREATE
REFLECT

34. PersonalDigitalInquiryPlanningGuide
Learning
Outcomes
Self-Directed Inquiry
Practices
Purposes of
Technology Use for
Teaching and/or
Learning
Curricular:
Participatory:
Inquire:
Collaborate & Discuss:
Participate & Create:
Reflect:
Giving:
Prompting:
Making:
Reflecting:
 Useful for building curriculum-based models of how personal
inquiry, online research, and digital tools can connect and engage
young learners in ways that matter

35. Some examples

36. Guided Inquiry, Grade 4

39. In Summary
• The Personal Digital Inquiry (PDI) Framework can serve as
a springboard to inspire ways of engaging learners in the
full range of digital inquiry practices while planning
strategically for how students use technology to acquire,
build, express, and reflect on new knowledge gained during
their inquiry.
Learning
Outcomes
Self-Directed Inquiry
Practices
Purposes of Technology
Use for Teaching and/or
Learning
Curricular:
Participatory:
Inquire:
Collaborate & Discuss:
Participate & Create:
Reflect:
Giving:
Prompting:
Making:
Reflecting:

40. Possibilities: Using Inquiry and Technology
to Enhance Wondering, Dialogue,
Participation & Reflection in Kindergarten

41. Opportunities to learn more this week:
• Organizing Learning: Extending Collaboration, Cognition, &
Connection (Jill Castek) Tuesday Promising Practices
• 20 Time Projects (Dave Quinn) Wednesday Research Roundtable
• Designing Supports for Digital Inquiry (Julie Coiro)
Thursday Tips and Tools
To read more:
PersonalLearningandOnlineResearch:ConnectingLearnersinWays
ThatMatter(Julie Coiro, Jill Castek, & Dave Quinn, in press, The
Reading Teacher)
Personal Digital Inquiry (PDI) Framework

42. The BIG QUESTION:
Howcanwefoster
inquiry,collaboration&
dialogue,participation&
creation,andreflectionusingacommon
instructionalframeworkandeffective
teachingpracticestosupportdigital
literacyeducation?
After the break…

43. Things to consider when planning a lesson
• Context: Your personal values about
teaching and learning; learner
needs, school resources and values
• Purpose: Curricular goals and learning
standards
• Materials: Texts, tools, and technologies
• Pedagogy: Organizing instructional strategies to
shape learning (informed by your values and beliefs)
• Assessment: Work products and criteria for
judging quality

44. The DigitalLiteracy CurriculumFramework
(Coming up next!

45. More examples