Intertextual Dynamics : Understanding the Reading and Inquiry Processes

Reading has been perceived as a dynamic transactional process wherein readers negotiate meaning with writers by virtue of their prior knowledge. The act of meaning construction is realized primarily through the exploration of intertextual links that connect various sources of texts the readers have composed or experienced. Readers utilize intertextuality as an inquiry tool to build their own perspectives of the ideas and thoughts communicated in the texts. Recent inquiries corroborate the possibility of investigating intertextuality by analyzing reader response to the readings without purposefully establishing an "intertextuality rich environment." A study investigated the intertextual dynamics of the reading and inquiry processes of 23 advanced adult readers at the graduate levels of education in an authentic collaborative learning context that capitalizes on an online course listsery for open discussions. The research questions this study sought to answer are: What are the intertextual intentions of advanced adult readers? What are the intertextual loci that ground their intertextual processes? and What are the intertextual strategies readers employ to construct the meanings of the texts? This paper first discusses the concepts of text and intertextuality to formulate a theoretical frame to locate the investigation. The paper then provides a detailed analysis of readers' reflections and responses to address the three research questions. It then delineates a preliminary model of intertextual dynamics and examines the advantages of the listsery format in fostering intertextual inquiry. Includes a figure and 2 notes. Contains 41 references and cites 17 materials. (NKA) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Intertextual Dynamics: Understanding the Reading and Inquiry Processes of Competent Readers in a Collaborative Learning Environment N 71-