Methodology

This exhibit looks at four narrative features found in this subset of literacy narratives focusing on young people’s memories of computer use:

• the use of time and space to construct and create frames within the narrative
• the inclusion of specific, concrete details which link the narrator to experiences shared with their birth-cohort
• the population of narratives with other characters who show the relationships that scaffold early computer experiences
• the performance of a technology identity through paralinguistic cues and DALN metadata

These features were derived inductively by setting the narratives in conversation with each other to look for patterns and parallels. The patterns and parallels were then examined comparatively to analyze how they were being represented in different ways across the group of narratives as a whole.

Because this exhibit focuses on technological literacy development, the narratives all describe early experiences with computers. These narratives are part of the DALN (http://daln.osu.edu/), a public collection of stories about literacy and literacy development created by Cynthia Selfe and H. Lewis Ulman, along with many contributing partners and field researchers. DALN narratives come from self-sponsored contributors, special collection drives, and students who choose to contribute assignments they have completed for classes.