
Cracking the Reading Code: An Audio-Visual Resource for Students on how to read Academic Texts
Status
Completed: 16 September 2012
Project Details
A project completed in 2012, undertaken by Whitireia New Zealand, to develop audio-visual resources for students wanting to improve their academic reading skills and another audio-visual tool for tutors to understand the reading needs of their students.
Aims:
The project aims were to:
- produce audio-visual resources aimed at students who experience reading difficulties in the tertiary context
- repackage the audio-visual resources, with accompanying notes, as a literacy resource for tutors working with students with low literacy levels
- re-create a model session of a tutor working with a student on strategies to enable him to unpack and read an academic text
- record the experiences of a student with dyslexia and Irlens syndrome, who used these 'disabilities' as an inspiration for courses in her creative arts degree.
Methodology:
The audio-visual resources produced by the project were evaluated and the content of each clip and the number of clips were modified as a result of feedback from students, academic advisors, educational film-makers and tutors.
Team

Mary Silvester
Project Leader
Whitireia New Zealand
Clare Hazledine
Whitireia New ZealandKey Findings
- The audio-visual resource is a complete resource in a practical format that has been trialled with students and proven useful in improving academic reading skills.
- Students with reading difficulties, when canvassed, stated that they were more likely to access an audio-visual resource than a text to help them learn to unpack academic texts.
- The reading guide has been used with many classes over the last couple of years and found to be a systematic and accessible collection of effective strategies. It has been revised several times and adapted to generate a series of one-page hand-outs.
- The tutor resource complements the video-clips and enables tutors to easily direct students to the resource as well as informing tutors.
Key Recommendations
A report prepared by Clare Hazledine and Mary Silvester.
(PDF, 453 KB, 8-pages).
- 30 April 2012
Video
Peri’s story
A video clip to be used with the Cracking the Reading Code project resources.
(YouTube, 6.03 min, 240p).
- 30 September 2012
Video
Worried about reading?
A video clip to be used with the Cracking the Reading Code project resources.
(YouTube, 2.06 min, 240p).
- 30 September 2012
Video
7 step Poutama Model
A video clip to be used with the Cracking the Reading Code project resources.
(YouTube, 5.46 min, 240p).
- 30 September 2012
Video
Maria’s story
A video clip to be used with the Cracking the Reading Code project resources.
(YouTube, 3.14 min, 240p).
- 30 September 2012
Video
Peri’s study tips
A video clip to be used with the Cracking the Reading Code project resources.
(YouTube, 1.59 min, 240p).
- 30 September 2012
Video
Working with others
A video clip to be used with the Cracking the Reading Code project resources.
(YouTube, 1.44 min, 240p).
- 30 September 2012
Video
What tutors can do
A video clip to be used with the Cracking the Reading Code project resources.
(YouTube, 1.22 min, 240p).
- 30 September 2012
Video
Irlen Syndrome
A video clip to be used with the Cracking the Reading Code project resources.
(YouTube, 2.54 min, 240p).
- 30 September 2012