The Multi-layered Reading Goals of Expert Readers: Bridging Between Knowledge, Interest, and Strategy Use Emily Fox Liliana MaggioniDaniel L. DinsmorePatricia A. Alexander University of MarylandPaper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association,March, 2008, New York 1AbstractExpert readers’ pursuit of multi-layered reading goals was examined within the framework of Alexander’s Model of Domain Learning (MDL). Seven experts in the field of reading completed knowledge pre-tests, think-aloud protocols using both reading and history passages, and open-ended outcome questions. The think-aloud protocols were coded for strategic and evaluative/monitoring behaviors in addition to evidence of reading goals. Evidence supported theexperts’ pursuit of multi-layered reading goals, as they evaluated the text and their understandingof it on multiple levels. Higher-level goals differed for the reading and history passages, and were also associated with specific knowledge for the topic of the reading passage.2The Multi-layered Reading Goals of Expert Readers: Bridging Between Knowledge, Interest,and Strategy UseAlexander’s Model of Domain Learning (MDL) provides a characterization of the trajectory followed by learners on the path to expertise in academic domains in terms of distinctive profiles for knowledge, interest, and strategy use at different stages of development (Alexander, 1997, 1998, 2002). In particular, experts are expected to have breadth and depth of knowledge in their domain of expertise, to be driven primarily by individual interest in domain-related activities and materials, and to use deep-level processing strategies as they learn. Such a multidimensional developmental characterization implies that knowledge, interest, and strategy use are bound up together in shaping our understanding of both the learner’s progress over time in a domain and also the nature of the learner’s activity in a given learning situation at a specific point in their developmental trajectory. How might knowledge, interest, and strategy use interact for the learner in a given learning situation? In this study, we will investigate the interaction of knowledge, interest, and strategy use for expert readers in terms of their pursuit of multi-layered reading goals. Theoretical FrameworkReaders actively construct their understanding of the text as they read (RAND Reading Study Group, 2002). As they read, they monitor their progress toward a desired level of understanding, typically by reference to some standard of coherence (Pressley & Afflerbach, 1995; Tapiero, 2007). Because reading is a complex and multi-layered task, readers must monitortheir understanding on multiple levels. In order to build a connected understanding, the reader has to understand at the level of words, phrases, propositions, and paragraphs, as well as at the level of an entire argument or an entire passage. These local and global levels of understanding 3make up a hierarchy of tasks and related goals. Beyond an understanding of the text, readers mayalso evaluate the text in a number of ways, including its qualities as a piece of writing, its credibility, fairness or balance, and for its accuracy in relation to what they may already know concerning the topic or in relation to other texts (Pressley & Afflerbach, 1995; Scaradamalia & Bereiter, 1991). Yet another set of possible tasks and goals for the reader would be the development of such evaluations (Fox, Maggioni, & Riconscente, 2005). Pursuit of these reading goals typically requires activation of knowledge, metacognitive awareness, and strategic processing. However, goals at different levels are likely to require different levels of effort from the reader, as well as variable reliance on domain-specific or domain-general knowledge and strategies. Thus, we would expect that higher-level goals would be more likely to be pursued by readers at a higher level of experience or expertise. This understanding of goals as guiding self-regulatory activities on multiple levels during learning andas reflecting the learners’ level of expertise in terms of their task definition is in line with the relevant literatures on both self-regulated learning (e.g., Pintrich, 2000) and expertise (e.g., Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1991). The specific framework used here, the MDL, offers an account ofhow learners’ varying levels of knowledge, interest, and strategy use are related to their level of development in an academic domain (Alexander, 1997, 1998, 2002). Looking specifically at the reading goals pursued by readers provides a way to illuminate the interaction of knowledge, interest, and strategy use in a particular learning situation for individuals at a given point in expertise development. In particular, we would expect that the learner’s levels of knowledge and interest related to the text would drive their selection of higher-level reading goals and their levelof effort in interacting with the text, and would require them to use the appropriate type of strategic processing necessary to achieve those goals. Reading goals are thus an indicator of the 4reader’s level of engagement and act as a bridge between readers’ knowledge and interest and their strategic processing. Knowledge in the MDL has two aspects, with both breadth of domain knowledge and depth of topic knowledge increasing across the stages of development. The broadness of domain knowledge refers to coverage of topics relevant to a given domain, while depth of topic knowledge concerns the extent of learners’ familiarity with specific domain-related topics and the principled nature of that knowledge. Interest in this model can take the form of either situational or more temporal interest and individual or long-term interest in a particular domain. An individual interest in a subject-matter, by definition, implies the desire to learn more about it. Readers are therefore expected to be more highly engaged in reading about a content area in which they have an individual interest. In early stages of learning, situational interest plays more of a role, while the influence of individual interest is low. These roles are reversed for an expert learner in the domain. Strategy use also displays dual aspects for learning in the MDL. In the early stages of learning, surface-level strategies (e.g., rereading the text or ascertaining word meanings) play thepredominant role and the learning outcome is