29th Annual Student Research Conference
The Effect of Online Literature Circles on Student Engagement and Responses
Sarah E. Pauley♦
Dr. Rebecca Dierking, Dr. Barbara Price, and Dr. Wendy Miner, Faculty Mentors
Current research shows that literature circles promote student engagement with texts by allowing students to collaborate, express personal interests, and respond to literature through multiple lenses. This study investigates how participation in online literature circles affects students' written and oral responses to literature and peer ideas. On group blogs, sixty-one twelfth-graders at a rural Midwestern high school wrote weekly posts in response to a specific literary element of a classic British novel, with each group examining a different novel. At the end of the unit, students met in class with members of other groups to discuss the role of given literary elements throughout multiple works. Types of data collected include student products and reflections, teacher observation, and conferences with students. Analysis is ongoing, but trends, such as student engagement, collaboration, and depth of understanding, are expected.
Keywords: literature circles, English education, classics, blog, online collaboration
Topic(s):English, Secondary MAE Research
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: -3
Location: VH 1224
Time: 10:00