Literacy skills are declining in The Netherlands. In preparatory vocational education (vmbo) this trend is more visible than elsewhere. Educational professionals are looking for alternative ways to...Show moreLiteracy skills are declining in The Netherlands. In preparatory vocational education (vmbo) this trend is more visible than elsewhere. Educational professionals are looking for alternative ways to stimulate reading activity, particularly the sustained reading activity that is carried out when reading long-form fiction. Reading long-form fiction has considerable cognitive and emotional effects, but many vmbo-students struggle with this type of sustained reading activity. It is currently being discussed if literacy can perhaps be improved through audiobooks. However, it is not clear if ‘reading’ through other modalities has similar intended and unintended effects on literacy as the reading of alphabetic text has. In this thesis, the properties of visual and auditory reading technologies are compared to see how different methods of reading influence the reading process, both cognitively and in terms of reading motivation. The question is explored along the attentional, cognitive, emotional, phenomenological and ergonomic dimensions. The thesis considers embodied reading, modality-specific affordances, impact of (environmental) factors and the way these affect mental interaction with the text. This demonstrates that audiobooks can be used to improve skills related to literacy, but they do not invoke every skill used when reading alphabetic text. The most significant shortcoming of audiobooks is that decoding skills and attention retention are not strengthened as they are with print reading. However, audiobooks can increase vocabulary knowledge, comprehension and reading motivation, particularly for struggling readers. For them, the underexplored option of dual channel reading can also be a worthwhile reading alternative. Existing research suggests that dual channel reading diminishes the cognitive load and working memory effort which typically interfere with the development of high order reading skills. Ultimately, the question which reading method suits best is dependent on the abilities of students and the intended effects and purposed with which is being read in school.Show less
According to Frank Furedi in his book 'Power of Reading', the act of reading runs the risk of being culturally devalued. The reason for this risk is accoring to Furedi, that reading is perceived...Show moreAccording to Frank Furedi in his book 'Power of Reading', the act of reading runs the risk of being culturally devalued. The reason for this risk is accoring to Furedi, that reading is perceived nowadays as a cognitive skill without cultural value. In this thesis, I show that reading is treated not as a cognitive skill, but as a moral skill in Dutch education. I do this by discussing multiple definitions for reading and types of reading, addressing the process of learning to read in Dutch education, and investigating the moral connotations that literary education bears in Dutch high schools. Although I do not agree with Frank Furedi, I acknowledge in my thesis that reading is under threat - and thereby society as well. In response to this, I propose a number of changes to Dutch primary and secondary education.Show less
During the late nineteenth and twentieth century newspaper front pages have evolved quite homogeneously across Western society. At the same time, the general public became much more familiar with...Show moreDuring the late nineteenth and twentieth century newspaper front pages have evolved quite homogeneously across Western society. At the same time, the general public became much more familiar with images and imagery thanks to the rise of photography and the growing popularity and accessibility of art. In this thesis, it is researched how newspaper front pages function as free-standing images themselves. First, the technological, societal, and cultural history of newspapers is discussed. Next, several art historical theories on composition are discussed. These two elements are put together in the third chapter for a case study of 100 years of front pages of Nieuwsblad van het Noorden. The compositions of the front pages of this Dutch regional newspaper aren't very pleasing from an art historical perspective, but do tend to some form of balance. The recognisability of newspaper front pages is confirmed with this research.Show less
With the first generations of digital natives growing up, and digitization becoming the standard in our society, questions about the effects reading digitally has on end-users is finally becoming a...Show moreWith the first generations of digital natives growing up, and digitization becoming the standard in our society, questions about the effects reading digitally has on end-users is finally becoming a priority among scholars. This thesis will examine the effects digital reading has had on the book trade and readers by looking at its quick rise (and possible fall), the development of digital literacy and the machine that drives digitalization. A comprehensive literary review will shed light on the question why people are switching to digital, clinging to printed books, or becoming a hybrid reader.Show less
This paper revolves around the changes that the academic library of the 21st century has to go through because of the e-book. It analyses the different acquisition methods, the implications for the...Show moreThis paper revolves around the changes that the academic library of the 21st century has to go through because of the e-book. It analyses the different acquisition methods, the implications for the library’s administration as well as the user experiences with the electronic book. Finally, it explores the possibility of the library transforming into an institution of access instead of an ownership which was the status quo for many years.Show less
In the thesis Lore, Commands, and Strategy Guides: Reading as part of Gaming Culture the relation between text and contemporary video games was scrutinised in order to investigate whether video...Show moreIn the thesis Lore, Commands, and Strategy Guides: Reading as part of Gaming Culture the relation between text and contemporary video games was scrutinised in order to investigate whether video games contribute to the reading culture. This investigation was accomplished through the examination of twelve case studies that have been selected by the criteria of relatively recent release dates, broad spectrum of genres, and different gaming industries, i.e. AAA/mainstream and Indie developed games. Additionally, the background section of the thesis provides an insight in how text has played a role in the video game culture as well as to create an understanding of what video games are and what the reading culture entails. From this information and evidence it was concluded that contemporary video games contain sufficient amounts of texts to contribute to the reading culture, yet in varying degrees on account of the three factors, namely genre, industry, and realism that influence to what extent and in what manner text is incorporated in video games.Show less
The thesis is discussing enhanced e-books in the realm of new media. Enhanced fiction novels as a literary genre of narrative still have low acceptance in the market of digital publishing. The...Show moreThe thesis is discussing enhanced e-books in the realm of new media. Enhanced fiction novels as a literary genre of narrative still have low acceptance in the market of digital publishing. The present thesis is focusing on two aspects which might account for the low popularity of reading enhanced fiction novels: the thesis questions first if enhanced e-books and their additional embeddings neglect the tradition of linear storytelling, a defining feature of the literary genre of narrative. Second, the thesis analyses if and to what extent enhanced e-books restrict imaginative freedom of narratives. These two characteristics, the linearity of storytelling and the power of imagination, are the raison d'être of narratives and might suffer from the enhanced form of fiction novels. The paper analyses these two aspects with a look at the precise nature of enhanced e-books and what function digital amplifications fulfill within them. Above the thesis raises the questions if enhanced fiction novels still follow the traditional idea of narrative in the sense of a story embedded in a narrative discourse and, finally, how digital enhancement influence the interpretation of the narrative.Show less
Sherry Turkle, Jaron Lanier and Douglas Rushkoff have studied the effects of digital technology on our social lives for over thirty years. This thesis links their ideas and provides an overview of...Show moreSherry Turkle, Jaron Lanier and Douglas Rushkoff have studied the effects of digital technology on our social lives for over thirty years. This thesis links their ideas and provides an overview of the central themes in their thinking. It will turn out that digital technology was met with great enthusiasm in the twentieth century but has turned out to be increasingly downgrading our social interactions over time.Show less
This thesis gives an overview of the developments in scholars'awareness and attitudes towards open access publishing between 1992 and 2014. The results show that awareness and attitudes change as...Show moreThis thesis gives an overview of the developments in scholars'awareness and attitudes towards open access publishing between 1992 and 2014. The results show that awareness and attitudes change as open access publishing itself changes.Show less
The internet is greatly improving the impact of scholarly journals, but also poses new threats to their quality. Publishers have arisen that abuse the Gold Open Access model, in which the author...Show moreThe internet is greatly improving the impact of scholarly journals, but also poses new threats to their quality. Publishers have arisen that abuse the Gold Open Access model, in which the author pays a fee to get his article published, to make money with so-called predatory journals. These publishers falsely claim to conduct peer review, which makes them more prone to publish fraudulent and plagiarised research. This thesis looks at three possible methods to stop predatory journals: black- and white-lists, open peer review systems and new metrics. Black- and whitelists have set up rules and regulations that credible publishers and journals should follow. Open peer review systems should make it harder for predatory publishers to make false claims about their peer review process. Metrics should measure more aspects of research impact and become less liable to gaming. The question is, which of these three methods is the best candidate to stop predatory journals. As all three methods have their drawbacks, especially for new but high quality journals, none of them stop predatory journals on its own can. Rather, we need a system in which researchers, publishers and reviewers communicate more openly about the research they create, disseminate and read. But above all, we need to find a way to take away incentives for researchers and publishers to engage in fraudulent practices.Show less
The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of digital technologies such as computers, iPads and digital textbooks on the authority of the teacher in Dutch primary schools. The used...Show moreThe purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of digital technologies such as computers, iPads and digital textbooks on the authority of the teacher in Dutch primary schools. The used methods were a research of the available literature and a simplified version a Delphi Panel. It was concluded that the authority of the teacher is undermined by the use of digital technologies in the classroom, because the teacher is at risk of losing control over the classroom and it is hard for the teacher to keep up with the increasing pace at which digital technologies are introduced.Show less
Education is becoming increasingly digital. However, the scientific foundation for this trend does not seem to be very strong. It is in no way certain that digital materials enhance learning...Show moreEducation is becoming increasingly digital. However, the scientific foundation for this trend does not seem to be very strong. It is in no way certain that digital materials enhance learning outcomes. This thesis researches ways of representing knowledge through digital text, with a specific focus on education. When digitising a text, different elements of that text might change, like the structure and its navigational options. This thesis examines those elements with the help of literature research and practical examples of digitised text. Theories of reading are discussed, and the relationship between medium and message is seen to be central. Case studies exemplify different possible elements of digital text. Next, educational theory related to digital text is discussed to assess the potential of those elements in digital educational material. A conclusion is that developers should be careful adopting digital material without proper research into the consequences. Multimedia material seems the most promising of the options discussed. Learning to read long-form text seems to remain crucial, even though shorter texts are the trend. Deep, sustained and active reading is required for a good learning experience. When developing new learning materials, the quality of that material should come first, before the choice of the medium. This evaluation should be made carefully, and right now paper seems to offer better educational potential.Show less
