State-of-the-Art Report on Literacy in a Social Media Culture, presented at the EMSOC referendum on 10-01-2012 in Brussels

1. State-of-the-Art report on studies of literacy and
learning in and through social media
Joachim Vlieghe, Dr. Kris Rutten, Prof. Dr. Ronald Soetaert

2. CONCEPTS RESULTS &
METHODOLOGY EXAMPLES
& THEORY DISCUSSION
LITERACY
Technological changes continue
to increase intercultural contact.
Cause a shift from literacy
(singular) to multiliteracies.

3. CONCEPTS RESULTS &
METHODOLOGY EXAMPLES
& THEORY DISCUSSION
CULTURE
Language remains important
for education, but…
CONSTRUCTIVIST TURN
Culture and literacies as social
constructions evolving over time.
COMMUNICATIVE TURN
Increased focus on functional
literacies: situated symbol-use.

4. CONCEPTS RESULTS &
METHODOLOGY EXAMPLES
& THEORY DISCUSSION
MULTILITERACIES
PERSPECTIVE
Understanding that education and literacies are more than reproduction.
Literacies also empower people to negotiate and change meaning.

5. CONCEPTS RESULTS &
METHODOLOGY EXAMPLES
& THEORY DISCUSSION
RESEARCHING
EMERING LITERACIES
Multiliteracies perspective focus on
communities (of practice).
Emerging literacies imply
emerging communities.
Broader focus needed:
(affinity) spaces.

6. CONCEPTS RESULTS &
METHODOLOGY EXAMPLES
& THEORY DISCUSSION
RESEARCHING
EMERING LITERACIES
Multiliteracies perspective focus on
communities (of practice).
Emerging literacies imply
emerging communities.
Focus on community Broader focus needed:
formation through the (affinity) spaces.
strategical use of symbols
(genres and repertoires)

7. CONCEPTS RESULTS &
METHODOLOGY EXAMPLES
& THEORY DISCUSSION
RESEARCHING
EMERING LITERACIES
Multiliteracies perspective focus on
communities (of practice).
Emerging literacies imply
emerging communities.
Ethnographic methods for describing the new
(gradually narrowing focus)

8. CONCEPTS RESULTS &
METHODOLOGY EXAMPLES
& THEORY DISCUSSION
REFLECTION
Suggestion from digital ethnography:
evaluating insights and methods
through comparison with other ethnographies.

9. CONCEPTS RESULTS &
METHODOLOGY EXAMPLES
& THEORY DISCUSSION
FURTHER RESEARCH
Hypotheses: continued importance of language and literature
Selection cases: Changes in literary culture and the future of libraries?

10. CONCEPTS RESULTS &
METHODOLOGY EXAMPLES
& THEORY DISCUSSION
FURTHER RESEARCH
Subcases:
• Social reading
• Curating collections in social media environments
• Social media and the death of literary criticism
• Social media and selfpublishing authors