Home PublicationsJRTEPast IssuesVolume 36 Number 2

	Edited by Dr. Lynne Schrum, University of Utah
formerly Journal of Research on Computing in Education

Volume 36 Number 2 Winter 2003-2004

Using Computer-Mediated Discussion To Facilitate Preservice Teachers’ Understanding of Literacy Assessment And Instruction
Tamara L. Jetton
James Madison University

Abstract
The author summarized research conducted with preservice teachers who participated in the case study of struggling readers via asynchronous Computer Mediated Discussion (CMD) on Blackboard. Results revealed that themes about assessment and instruction of struggling readers emerged within and across discussion fora. Also, CMD both facilitated and limited these preservice teachers’ understandings of literacy assessment and instruction. This and other research studies in this area served as a base for recommendations regarding the use of CMD in university teacher education courses. Recommendations focused on issues of communication, collaboration, and the learning environment. Specific recommendations reveal that instructors should carefully consider the purpose and tasks for employing CMD in a university course. Also, instructors must find ways to increase motivation for those students with writing apprehension. Further, instructors can practice methods to facilitate increased interaction during CMD. Lastly, by having preservice teachers engage in discussions of case study research, instructors can provide an effective learning environment for preservice teachers to learn about the multifaceted nature of literacy assessment and instruction.

Contributors
Tamara Jetton, Associate Professor of Reading, holds a doctorate in Educational Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in literacy. Currently, she is a member of the faculty at James Madison University. Prior to her current position, Dr. Jetton was a faculty member at the University of Utah and a public school teacher. Her research focuses on understanding how teachers and students engage in a variety of learning environments that include electronic and face-to-face discussions. She also examines how students learn with text and how teachers facilitate text learning.

Contact
Tamara L. Jetton
James Madison University
Reading Department, MSC 1904
Harrisonburg, VA, 22807
jettontl@jmu.edu

Copyright © 2003, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). All rights reserved.