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Material culture research has demonstrated how relationships to physical artifacts are central to human lives, and that people use artifacts in processes of constructing their own identities and representing those identities to other people—and that the display of artifacts is central to these practices (Douglas & Isherwood, 1979; Miller, 1987; 2010). Recent human-computer interaction (HCI) research has suggested that digital artifacts do not function in the same ways as physical artifacts for these (and other) purposes (Kirk & Sellen, 2010; Odom et al. 2014). Research on human interactions with physical and digital artifacts over the past decade has revealed that people see digital artifacts as less reliable, less “real,” and therefore less valuable than their physical counterparts (Golsteijn et al., 2012; Kirk & Sellen, 2010; Odom et al., 2012; 2014; Petrelli & Whittaker, 2010). Although we increasingly rely on digital technologies, we tend to see them (and the digital artifacts that they support) as “throwaway” things—exciting and even essential for a time, but quickly outdated and replaced with new versions. This has serious ramifications for the roles that digital artifacts and the technologies that support them can play in human lives more generally. This dissertation investigates interactions with physical and digital artifacts through an in-depth examination of two types of artifacts: paper and e-books. It examines vii readers’ everyday and long-term book-related practices through a multi-method approach consisting of a month-long diary study, home tours, and interviews with twenty-seven participants. This investigation revealed new nuances in the complexities of interactions with physical artifacts in home settings, and additionally found that participants valued digital artifacts differently depending on the rules for interaction with artifacts that applied within the digital system that supported access to those artifacts. This finding revealed, then, that it is possible to create digital systems that promote the value of the artifacts within them through supporting the visibility of digital artifacts, and supporting people in taking maintenance and collection management actions with those artifacts— that is, it is a combination of artifacts’ visibility and having reliable control over them (through ownership) that allows artifacts to become valuable for their owners.

Technology has altered how children experience language. As technology has taken root in society, literacy skills have expanded beyond simply reading and writing print texts to include interacting with digital texts and media. To prepare students to operate in this digital environment, teachers should integrate technology into language arts instruction; however, many teachers feel unprepared to do so effectively. Additionally, some teachers hesitate to implement technology into language arts instruction as a tool because of its supposed negative effects on literacy. Despite beliefs about technology inhibiting reading and writing, teachers can utilize technology to enhance literacy instruction. The digital age has laid the foundation for new literacies, and teachers must build upon it.

Abstract The impetus for this study was to understand a relatively new phenomenon, elementary students’ use of electronic readers for independent reading, and the impact it might have on reading behaviors. Interested in students’ perspectives, I examined third grade students’ experiences using electronic readers, including references to self-descriptions of reading motivation and engagement. This descriptive case study addresses the research question: In what ways does reading on electronic readers during independent reading affect third grade students’ reading experiences and behaviors? Daily observations of students’ reading behaviors during independent reading were recorded in detailed field notes. In addition, transcripts of conversations during weekly book discussions where my participants shared the books they were reading and their reading experiences were gathered. Transcripts of pre- and post- interviews, annotations made on the electronic reader, and reading logs recording the number of books read were also collected. In order to create narratives of young readers portraying the details of my participants’ experiences using electronic readers during independent reading, I completed descriptive analyses using the constant comparative method across my observations, interviews, and documents. Findings from this study capture the multidimensionality of participants’ lived experiences and provide insight for teachers integrating this digital tool into literacy to promote increased reading motivation and engagement. The five major findings include increased a) engagement in reading, b) motivation to read, c) positive attitudes toward reading, d) reading volume, and e) ease of reading using the electronic reader compared to regular books. This study illuminates the reading possibilities electronic readers offer elementary students by providing choice of and access to a multitude of reading materials based on students’ interests, the opportunity to read anywhere and anytime, and a context through which to interact socially with others about reading. Obtaining documentation directly from students sharing their experiences, this research provides teachers support to pursue the use of electronic readers by offering information on the perceived benefits of incorporating this digital tool into their literacy instruction. In my opinion, the electronic reader, according to this study, is one tool we need to ignite a passion for reading.

This study looked at the potential relationship that may exist between students’ intelligence strengths, in particular their spatial and kinesthetic strengths, and their combined cognitive and metacognitive levels of interaction with a CD-ROM storybook. The multiple intelligence strengths of a sample of students, measured via the MIDAS/My Young Child (Shearer, 1994-2002) was correlated with their levels of interactions with the CD-ROM storybook as measured by the researcher’s adaptation of a rubric used by Labbo & Kuhn (2000). It was predicted that correlational analysis would show different measures of positive relationships between all intelligence strengths but a higher positive relationship between both the spatial intelligence strength and combined cognitive and metacognitive levels of interaction with the CD-ROM storybook and also between kinesthetic intelligence strength and combined cognitive and metacognitive levels of interaction with the CD-ROM storybook. Results appeared to demonstrate that it was the unique student intelligence profile as an entity, as opposed to particular and individual intelligence strengths, in relation to the content of the storybook that was more informative concerning potential relationships at work.

The Future Relationship of Print and E-Readers was based on reviewing print formats as they have been, are becoming and could be in the future. This research focused on people's experience with e-readers, tablets, smartphones and laptops. Examining print includes how advertising is processed in different formats. The primary research for this study was done through an electronic survey, after obtaining IRB approval. The results are displayed through different charts and graphs, showcasing the different statistics. There was some cross tabulation as well. In the future, it appears that both mediums could prove themselves valid if they are willing to present themselves as two unique formats that are also able to provide unity to an overall product brand image as well as internal advertising. In the future, the public will be more aware of the different uses of these formats while increasingly using them. Advertising will parallel this trend by increasing as companies grow in utilizing this format to communicate with the public.