Module 3:

New Literacies, Functional Literacy &

Multiliteracy

New Literacies
• Between 1950 & 1970, the development of literacy, both optional and functional
was established. Literacy was defined as reading and writing skills necessitated
for activities in modern societies (Gunes 2000).
• Beyond the the 1990’s, literacy had started to diversify in the light of
technological developments, change of living, conditions in cities, and the new
necessities.

Literacy in various types such as:

• Computer Literacy
• Technology Literacy
• Internet Literacy
• Media Literacy
- It became a lifestyle along w/ a person’s entire life in society that encompasses
• Information Literacy
• Cultural Literacy

• Universal Literacy

LITERACIES/LITERACY
- Lankshear & Knobel (2006) averred that literacies intend to generate and
communicate meanings through the medium of encoded texts within contexts in

various discourses .
- Kress (2003) posited that literacy can only happen when having a kind of
potential content through interaction with the text.
- Literacies can bear a coding system that can capture the meaning, such as
letteracy “(i.e., within language and recognition of alphabetic symbols).
- The primary English Teaching Association Australia (2015) asserts that 21 st
century literacy has expanded to include social changes increasing field
expertise and digital technologies.
- 21st century literacy combines cross curricular capabilities also called
“multiliteracies” and now commonly reffered to as new literacies

These broad skills include:

-Virtual literacy
-Information literacy
-Cultural literacy
-Digital literacy dynamics
• Leander (2003) noted that new literacies are often flexible, continous and open
where online and offline lives and “literacyscapes” merge.
• EXPLORING THE NEW LITERACIES
• There are seven new literacies tha are stressed in the 21 st century curriculum:
1. Multicultural Literacy
2. Social Literacy
3. Media Literacy
4. Financial Literacy
5. Digital Literacy
6. Ecological Literacy
7. Creative Literacy

THE TRUTH ON 21ST CENTURY LITERACIES

ACCORDING TO RESEARCH
• Since success with technology depends largerly on critical thinking and
reflection, teachers with relatively little technology skills can provide less useful
instruction. Therefore, schools must support the teachers by providing them
professional training and up-to-date technology for utilization in classroom.

The National Council of Teachers of English (2013)

came up with a research that reveals the following:
1. As new technologies shape literacies, they bring opportunities for teachers to
faster reading and writing is more diverse and participatory contexts.
2. Sites, like literature’s Voice of the Shuttle, online fanfiction, and the Internet
Public Library, expand both the range of available texts and the social dimension
of literacy.
3. Research on electronic reading workshops shows that they contribute to the
emergence of new literacies.
4. 4. Research also shows that digital technology enchances wriring and interaction
in several ways.
5. 5. K-12 students, who write with computers, produce compositions of greater
length and high quality are more engaged with and motivated toward writing than
those who do not write with computers.
6. 6. College students, who keep e-portfolios, have a higher rate of academic
achievement and overall retention rate than those wjo do not keep e-portfolios.
They also demonstrate a greater capacity for metacognition, reflection and
audience awareness.
7. 7. Both typical and atypical students, who receive an online response to writing,
revise their works better than those participating in traditional method.

Functional Literacy
• The term functional literacy was initially defined by UNESCO through William S.
Gray in his Teaching of reading and writing (1956) as adult training to meet
independently the reading and writing demands placed on them. It stresses the
acquisition of appropriate verbal, cognitive and computational skills to accomplish
practical results in specific cultural settings, survival literacy and reductionist
literacy. Over the decades societies evolved into technical innovations, the
definition of functional literacy has been modified to meet the changing
demands.

Referring to functional literacy

UNESCO states that the following:
1. Literacy programs should be integrated and correlated with economic and social
development plans.
2. The eradication of literacy should begin with population sectors, which are highly
motivated and need literacy for their own, and their country benefit.
3. Literacy programs should be linked with economic priorities and carried in areas
undergoing rapid economic expansion
4. 4. Literacy programs must impart not only reading, writing but also professional
and technical knowledge leading to greater participation of adults in economic
and civil life.
5. 5. Literacy must be an integral part of overall educational system and plan of
each country.
6. 6. The financial need for functional literacy should be met with various resources
as well as be provided for economic investments.
7. 7. The literacy programs should aid in achieving main economic objectives,
(increase in labor productivity, food production, industrializations, social and
professional mobility, creation of new manpower, diversification of economy)

• Literacy materials present reading, writing, numeracy concepts using words and
ideas needed in using information for learners to enhance sufficient literacy skills
and continue learning on their own.
• A number of functional Literacy programs carried out focus on different job skills
and development aspects. To name a few in the Philippine context, agricultural &
health industry, family planning, home making, arts and culture, technical-
vocational programs.
• A new functional literacy aspect called specific literacy is becoming a trend,
which the job of student is to analyze exactly what literacy skills needed and
those that are only taught. To prevent job skill mismatch.
 Significance of approach that includes literacy
that:
1. Starts in the workplace.
2. Use a diagnostic approach.
3. Identifies turning points in economic life that may act as an incentive to learning.
4. Assesses the limit of a short term intervention.
5. Looks for generic skills.

- Gunes (2000), Posited that functional literacy constitutes the second level of
literacy next to basic literacy, which literary and mathematical information skills
can be utilized in one’s personal, economic, cultural endeavors.
- Functional Literacy is to learn basic related information and skills and use them in
daily life. Functional literacy compromises both technical and functional skills
while encompassing social, citizenship, and economic rules.
- Capar (1998) cities that functionally literate person is someone who’s one step
ahead of literacy and maintains literacy activitu throughout his/her life in order to
keep living effectively, accommodate his/her surroundings.
- UNESCO defines functional literacy as the ability of an individual to take part in
significant activities in professional social, political and cultural aspects in society
where he/she lines using their literacy skills.

• Hatch(2010) defines it based on American Heritage college dictionary.

Accordingly, functional means building capacity and literacy as reading and
writing skill. It is the capability to proficiently read and write used in daily life
routines.
• Knoblauch and Brannon (1993) cited in Jabusch (2002) distinguished basic
literacy and functional literacy as having the expression functional to indicate
performance with text that includes mathematics

The Education for all Global Monitoring (UNESCO 2006)

• States that functional literacy means the ability to make significate use of
activities involving reading and writing that includes using information,
communicating with others and following a path of lifelong learning necessary for
the ability to express him/herself in.

• UNESCO defintion
Also adds that functional literacy includes skills for both official and unofficial
participation, as well as those necessary for national change and development
that can be used to aid an individual in contributing to his/her own development
and his/her family and society.
• NATIONAL STATISTICS AUTHORITY
defines functional literacy as the level of literacy that includes reading, writing
and numeracy skills that help people cope wiyh daily demands of life.
• IMPROVING FUNCTIONAL LITERACY IN THE PHILIPPINES
over the years, Philippines continously aspired to attain an increased functional
literacy rate.

• Manuyo (2019) Reported that based on the 2013 Functional Literacy Education
and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), the country registered 90.3% rate which
 means nine out of 10 Filipinos aged 10-64 were functionally literate. In 2003,
were still gaps at the community level. In study conducted by World Vision results
showed that the girls and boys aged 11-13 who’s functionally literate is at a
critical rate of 44% or below 50% of students were able to read comprehensively
by the end of basic education. It was evident that school dropouts contributed to
low functional literacy.

Integration of New Literacies in the Curriculum

In today’s world, students must become proficient in the new literacies of 21st
century technologies. (IRA) or meaning to say INTERNATIONAL READING
ASSOCIATION believes that literacy educators have responsibility to integrate
information and communication technologies.

The Multiliterate Learner

Today’s the internet and other forms of information and communication
technologies or (ICTs)are redefining the nature of reading, writing and communication.
And ICT required as it emerges and evolves.
Students would desire for:
(1) Teachers who use ICTs skillfully for teaching and learning. (2) Peers who use
ICT responsibility and who share their knowledge. (3)A literacy curriculum that
offers opportunities for collaboration with peers around the world. (4) Instruction
that embeds critical and culturally sensitive thinking into practice, standards and
assessments that include new literacies. (5) Leaders and policymakers who are
committed advocates of ICTs for teaching and learning. (8) Equal access to ICTs
for all classrooms and students.

FOUR COMMON ELEMENMTS AS BROADER DIMENSIONS OF NEW

LITERACIES (COIRO, ET. AL (2008)
(1) The internet and the other ICTs require new social practices, skills, strategies,
and disposition for their effective use(2)New literacies are central to full civic, economic,
and personal participation in a global community(3)New literacies rapidly, change as
defining technologies change; (4) New literacies are multiple, multimodal and
multifaceted, thus, they benefit from multiple lenses seeking to understand how to better
support the students on a digital age.

IMPACT OF NEW LITERACIES ON INSTRUCTION

Additional changes are taking place in literacy instruction (Grisham and Wolsey,
2006) henry (2008) Restated that engagement in literacy activities is being transformed
today like at no other time history. As students turn to the Internet and other information
communication technologies (ICTs) increasing rates to read, write and interact with text
they must develop new skills and strategies, ore new literacies, to be successful in
these multimodal, intertextual and interactive environments.
Although, there are multiple ways to view the changes in literacy and communication
emerging from new technologies. (Labbc and Reinking, 1999), It cannot be ignored that
literacy changes experiences at school and in everyday lives.
MULTILITERACIES IN THE EDUCATIONAL REFORM
In a broader essence, the concept of 21st century skills is motivated by the belief
that teaching students the most relevant useful, in-demand, and universally applicable
skills should be prioritized in today’s schools.
21st Century skills may be taught in a wide variety of school settings. Teacher
may advocate teaching cross-disciplinary skills, while schools may require 21 st century
skills in both instruction and assessment process.
Educational Strategies, that include authentic, outcome-based learning, project-
based learning and performance-based learning tend to be cross-disciplinary in nature.
Students complete research project, create multiple technologies, analyze and process
information and think creatively.
Likewise, schools may allow students to student to pursue alternative learning
pathways, in which students earn an internship, apprenticeship or immersion
experience.
Assessment of multiliteracies.
Assessment moves from usual memorization of facts and disconnected processes to
demonstration of understanding through application in a variety of contexts. Real-world
audiences are important part of the assessment process, including self-assessment.
Preparing teacher for multiliteracies.
New London Group (1996) underscored multi-literacies as multimodal ways of communication
that include communications between and among other languages using diverse channels
within cultures send an ability to understand technology and multimedia. As such applying
multiliteracies to teaching offers a new classroom pedagogy that extends and helps manage
classrooms.

Preparing teacher for multiliteracies

Biswas(2614)
- Help student sustainable literacy development through out schooling
Ajay (2011)
- Teacher education must prepare teacher to teach multiliteracies in school where there
are critical gaps between multiliteracies and classroom pedagogy
4 components of multiliteracies in learning
1.situated practice leads to students towards meaning ful learning by integrading primary
knowledge.
2.over instruction guides students to the systematic practice of learning process with tools and
techniques.
3.Critical framing teaches students how to question diverse perception for better learning
experiences.
4.Transformed action teaches students to apply the lesson they learns to solve real-life
problems.

Teaching multiliteracies can inform, engage and encourage students to embrace the multiptlicity
of learning practices (New London group 1996) Moreover, teaching multiliteracies can help
teachers blend and apply the following four instructional processes of multiliteracies in
classroom to ensure successful teaching and advacing students learning process.

Research shows that effective instruction in 21st Century literacies takes an integrated
approach helping students understand how to access, evaluate, syynthesize, and contribute to
information (New London Group, 1996).

Teachers insist to:

1.Encourage students to reflect regularly on the role of technology in their learning
2.Create a website and invite students to use it to continue class discussion and bring it in
outside voices 
3.Give students strategies for evaluating the quality of information they find on the Internet
4.Be open about one’s own opinion strength and limitations with technology and invite students
to help
5.eXplore technologies students are using outside the classroom and find ways to incorporate
them into one is teaching
6.Use wiki to develop a multi modal read this guide black last text
7.Give students explicit instruction about how to avoid plagiarism in a digital environment,
8.Ask students to create a podcast to share with an authentic audience.
9.Include a broad variety of media and genres in class text
10.Refer to the partnership for 21st century skills website

For school is in policymakers:

1.Teachers need both intellectual and material support for effective 21st century literacy
instructions
2.Schools need to provide continuing opportunities for professional development as well as up
to date technologies for use in literacy classrooms
3.Address the digital divide by lowering the number of students per computer and by providing
high quality access (broadband speed and multiple locations) to technology and multiple
software packages
4.Enrsure that students in literacy classes have regular access to technology
5.Provide regular specific professional development in technology for teachers and
administrators at all levels, including higher education
6.Require teacher preparation programs to include training in integrating technology into
instructions
7.Protect online learners and ensure their privacy
8.Affirm the importance of literacy teachers in helping students develop technological
proficiency
9.Adopt and regularly review standards for instructions in technology
Multiliteracies
-open a new pedagogical practices that create opportunities for future literacy teaching and
learning

As a result
-students learn to collaborate by sharing their though in online spaces
-student can be expected to become more knowledgeable and confident in their learning
through participatory and collaborative practices.