Abstract:

Digital environments make up an increasingly large part of the environment in which we spend our time. Children are also spending more and more time in digital world. Primary school children (6- to 11-years olds) are children who live and grow up in a world of digital devices. This is also the most important characteristic, after which they are also referred to as Generation Alpha and digital natives. However, even though they grow up using digital devices, research shows that students do not have the appropriate skills to read and learn successfully in the context of online learning. Looking for answers to the question of whether we can help younger students learn online, we became interested in how to teach them the basics of learning in digital environments. The Internet Reciprocal Teaching (IRT) method, developed for adolescents, proved successful for teaching online research and comprehension skills. We tested the model at the primary level of education.

55 case studies were conducted, in which the implementers worked individually with students, according to the IRT model. The results so far showed that the IRT method can be used for teaching at the primary level, although certain adaptations are needed depending on the age of the students. The starting point for the current study are the results of a previously conducted study which showed that the reasons for discontinuation of the program were as follows (from most frequent to least frequent): too demanding, Corona, other, highest level reached.

To determine when the discontinuation occurred, in the current study we further examined the qualitatively obtained data that were used in previous studies only to validate the quantitatively obtained data. A look at the mean, standard deviation, and the minimum and maximum scores on each measurement shows that there was a greater decline in participants' digital literacy, which is further supported by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test that showed that a IRT program produces a statistically significant change in digital literacy from the pretest to the fourth measurement. Thereafter, the differences in acquired digital literacy was no longer statistically significant. To identify the specifics of digital literacy development during the reading process in digital learning environments in primary school, we analyzed the children's records and the implementers' reports in more detail, relying on the steps of the thematic networks as an analytical tool. In the first step, the text was shortened, in the second step, the text was evaluated, and in the third step, the results were integrated.

The main results show that the biggest obstacle in the first grade is the lack of mastery of reading technique (in the first grade 6- or 7-year-old students learn to read). In the second and third grade (7- to 9-year-old students) and at the same time in the first grade when the child is assisted by a teacher in reading, insufficient cognitive development has proven to be the biggest problem, which does not allow students to understand individual concepts of basic computer use and critical thinking.

Keywords:

Digital literacy, digital learning environments, Generation Alpha, primary school.