| The purpose of this qualitative case study was (a) to describe adolescents' use of the e-readers, (b) to discover if e-readers increase adolescents' intrinsic motivation to read and, if so, why, and (c) to examine the possibility of creating a learner-centered environment for students using e-readers.;Five seventh and eighth grade students from an urban school district participated in this qualitative case study. The students involved were a cross-section of readers: an avid reader, a student with dyslexia, two English as Second Language (ESL) students, and a reluctant reader. An embedded single case design was utilized so that an in depth analysis could be made for each student and the students as a group. The following data collection methods were used: (a) interviews, (b) observations, and (c) documents. Finally, the constant comparative method was used for data analysis.;The following findings were demonstrated from this study: (a) the e-reader increased motivation to read, (b) the e-reader created a learner centered environment, (c) the need for support in using digital text in school, and (d) choice and interest in reading materials is important to increasing motivation to read.;Furthermore, the major implications were the use of other multimodal devices with students to support their in school and out of school literacy experiences. Next, the e-reader tools allowed the students to stay actively engaged during the reading process. In addition, this study strengthens and confirms that choice in reading materials is vital to motivation.;Finally, a recommendation for future research is to determine if the use of an e-reader increases vocabulary acquisition with students.;KEY WORDS: E-reader, Digital literacy, Multimodal text, Adolescents, Student-centered learning, Learner-centered environment, Reading, Reading circle, Intrinsic motivation, Technology. |
