NCSeT Typology of Supported eText Resources
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Resource Type |
Description |
Examples |
Presentational |
Enables the text and accompanying graphics to be presented in varying ways, hence customizable to meet the needs of individual readers |
Font size and style, text and background color, line and page length, page layout and juxtaposition with other pages, graphics in relationship to text |
Navigational |
Provides tools that allow the reader to move within a document or between documents |
Within-document links, across-document links, embedded menus, links from other resources such as Table of Contents, Glossary, Bibliography |
Translational |
Provides a one-to-one equivalent or simplified version that is more accessible or familiar to the reader. May focus on a word, phrase, paragraph, picture, or whole document. Translation may or may not be of the same modality or media. |
Synonyms, definitions, digitized or synthesized text-to-speech, alternate language equivalents (Spanish), video of ASL translation, text descriptions for images, captions for video |
Explanatory |
Provides information that seeks to clarify the what, where, how, or why of some concept, object, process, or event.
|
Clarifications, interpretations, or descriptions that point to causes, operations, components, mechanisms, parts, methods, procedures, context or consequences; list of influencing factors |
Illustrative |
Provides a visual representation or example of something in the text. Designed to support, supplement or extend comprehension of the text through illustrations or examples.
|
Drawings, photos, simulations, video, photos, reenactments, sounds, music, information that something is representative of its type (“…. is a typical example of…”) |
Summarizing |
Provides a summarized or condensed way of viewing some feature of the document.
|
Table of contents, concept map, list of key ideas, chronology, timeline, cast of characters, abstract |
Enrichment |
Provides supplementary information that is not strictly needed to comprehend the text, but adds to the readers’ appreciation or understanding of its importance or historical context |
Background information, publication history, biography of the author, footnotes, bibliography, influence on other writers |
Instructional |
Provides prompts, questions, strategies or instruction designed to teach some aspect of the text or how to read and interpret the text |
Tutorials, self-monitoring comprehension questions, annotations, instructional prompts, study guides, embedded study strategies, online mentoring, tips for effective reading |
Notational |
Provides tools for marking or taking notes on the text to enable later retrieval for purposes of studying or completing assignments. |
Electronic highlighting, bookmarking, post-its, margin notes, outlining, drawing. Ways to gather and group these notes for post-reading review. |
Collaborative |
Provides tools for working or sharing with other readers, the author, or some other audience. |
Threaded discussion, online chat, email links, podcasts, blogs |
Evaluative |
Provides materials, prompts, and assignments designed to assess student learning from the text |
Questions, quizzes, tests, surveys, online interviews, assignments leading to products |
© 2007 National Center for Supported eText, University of Oregon
From Anderson-Inman, L. & Horney, M.A. (2007). Supported eText: Assistive technology
through text transformations. Reading Research Quarterly, 42(1), 153-160.