Describes "Focus," a software tool for collecting reader comments more efficiently. Discusses the design and rationale of the software. Notes that results obtained using Focus were compared to the reader feedback collected under the plus-minus method. Concludes that Focus participants appeared to comment more from a reviewer's and less…

To investigate whether and how commercial software products for literature do or could complement response-based pedagogy, an extensive review of existing applications was undertaken. Teams of language arts teachers, both preservice and inservice, met weekly to initially discuss and share observations regarding the potential of multimedia to…

The National Center for Research on Literature Teaching and Learning's review of 45 commercial hypermedia literature applications from a response-based perspective suggests that applications currently available, though not supportive of response-based literature teaching and learning, indicate how such applications could be developed. Includes the…

Reports on a survey designed to identify how Talking Book software is being used to support reading development in U.K. classrooms and the potential benefits of adapting such software to meet individual learners' needs. Preliminary results highlight the success of this software for both early readers and older children experiencing difficulties in…

A response-based pedagogy encourages the exploration of multiple perspectives regarding literary works and student construction of defensible interpretations of the same, with the quality of students' critical and creative thinking being the focus of assessment. The National Center for Research on Literature Teaching and Learning's ongoing…

A project reviewed 54 commercially available multimedia products with literature as the subject matter, to determine what pedagogical approaches steered the design of literature software, and whether these were aligned with response-based views of literature teaching/learning. Findings indicated that the design of commercial products advocates an…

This paper argues that while hypermedia and multimedia contain great promise for supporting literacy learners engaged in reading children's literature, software in this area has generally failed to consider the potential of connecting reading and writing experiences within the same electronic environment; reading and writing software has generally…