Copyright 2012 by the RESEARCH IN THE SCHOOLS Mid-South Educational Research Association 2012, Vol. 19, No. 1, 60-74 Spring 2012 60 RESEARCH IN THE SCHOOLS 21st Century Literacies in Teacher Education: Investigating Multimodal Texts in the Context of an Online Graduate-Level Literacy and Technology Course Rachel Karchmer-Klein and Valerie Harlow Shinas University of Delaware Web 2.0 tools, the current generation of Internet technologies, facilitate interactive, information sharing in collaborative digital environments. Accessibility, coupled with nominal usage costs, has dramatically increased their use in K-12 instruction, leading to the development of educational versions specific for student and teacher use. More importantly, research indicates web-based tools can support student learning in the development of critical reading skills, the ability to evaluate online texts, and provide opportunities to construct texts for authentic purposes (Baker, Pearson & Rozendal, 2010; Love, 2004). Examining multimodality in the context of Web 2.0 tools is a critical area of study for several reasons. First, writing is one of the most powerful modes of communication, allowing individuals to exchange ideas and transmit knowledge (MacArthur, Graham, & Fitzgerald, 2006). Likewise, reading is important because it supports content area learning and the development of critical literacy skills (Biancarosa & Snow, 2006). Many experts theorize that reading and writing are changed in a multimodal environment as the reader engages with texts in ways that might be different than those intended by the writer (Kress, 2003, 2010; Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, & Cammack, 2004). That is, the reader of a multimodal text decides which signs to attend to first, which links to follow, then synthesizes the meanings of modes and semiotic resources to construct a unified message. Web 2.0 tools are blurring the line between writer and reader as they allow readers to dictate their own reading paths (Kress, 2010). Second, consider technology’s role in today’s society. The global job market is in desperate need of workers with 21st century competencies such as critical thinking skills, knowledge of complex multimedia development, and problem-solving skills (U.S. Department of This study investigated the modes, semiotic resources, and intersemiotic relationships present in the design of multimodal electronic texts. The participants comprised 10 women and 2 men, who were enrolled in a graduate- level course focused on multimodality and who used a virtual poster tool to respond to a classroom assignment. Content analysis of the virtual posters and constant comparison analysis of case narratives revealed three important findings. First, the web tool used to develop the virtual posters influenced the participants’ responses by confining space, encouraging participants to shift away from words and rely upon video, images, and hyperlinks to convey information. Second, although participants incorporated numerous modes, many times the resources were not relevant to overall meaning, disrupting readers’ comprehension of their responses. Third, given the impact of reading path on the comprehension of multimodal texts, participants who incorporated textual features to help guide their readers were more successful at creating unified multimodal responses. The authors discuss these findings in detail and discuss important lessons learned from the study. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Rachel Karchmer-Klein, University of Delaware, 134B Willard Hall, Newark, DE 19716 Email: karchmer@udel.edu