**2. Theoretical framework**

#### **2.1 Literacy as a social practice**

This study is based on the conception of literacy as a social practice by focusing on both social uses of and the contexts in which literacy occurs [5]. This conceptualization of literacy is derived from the field of New Literacy Studies (NLS), which emerged in the 1990s from the works of Gee [39] and Street [5]. NLS scholars propose that literacy practices in school do not represent all forms of literacy that people use in their daily living [9]. They also argue the limited view of literacy by reducing it to a series of personal skills. Instead, NLS scholars emphasize the significance that various literacy practices hold for individuals as they engage in the learning process [5]. Indeed, NLS views literacy practices as multifaceted social practices, depending on the context in which they take place, and that are a part of the various social norms, social relations, and individuals' diverse life circumstances [9]. Thus, it is important to observe literacy

events in context [5]. These events include all the moments when reading and writing are a part of the interaction or when they contribute to the interpretation process [5]. These clustered literacy events make it possible to discern literacy practices as social practices [40]. Morgan et al. [41] highlight the need to understand the various literacy practices of people with ID, which sometimes go beyond the scope of school-based literacy practices and cannot be evaluated with standardized tests.

In this article, the focus is specifically on digital literacy events and practices related to the use of technologies. When referring to "technologies", all those tools that provide access to information or facilitate communication, encompassing both material technologies (e.g., smartphone, computer, tablet, CD, DVD) and intangible technologies (e.g., Internet and online networks) [42], are considered.

#### **2.2 Capability approach**

While the exploration of literacy events and technological practices can facilitate discussions about their meanings and the motivations driving participants to engage with them [43], it may not necessarily be the case for adolescents with ID. This is because adolescents with ID may experience difficulty with expressing themselves verbally. However, as a concerted effort to practice the inclusion of youths frequently excluded from research projects [44], the meanings of their literacy practices is analyzed through the lens of the capability approach. This framework enables the examination of individual choices as the conversion of available resources [45].

The capability approach was developed by Amartya Sen [36]. For Sen, poverty is not only a lack of goods, but a lack of possibilities to make choices—a lack of capabilities. To determine one's possibilities of choosing, Sen [35] distinguishes "functionings" from "capabilities". Functionings are the active realizations of one or more capabilities [36], that are the result or implementation of capabilities [45]. In other words, it is what a person does and is able to do. Within this article, functionings are made up of all the digital literacy events and the experiences they entail. While Sen [36] was careful not to identify a list of capabilities, Nussbaum [45] established 10 central capabilities, necessary for a dignified life. These are life (i.e., not dying prematurely), bodily health (i.e., being able to eat, have shelter), bodily integrity (i.e., moving around, being protected from violence), senses, imagination, and thought (i.e., using one's senses, imagining), emotions (i.e., to attach oneself to people, to love, to regret), practical reason (i.e., to form a conception of the good, having a critical reflection on one's life), affiliation (i.e., living with, and for, others, engaging in different social interactions), other species (i.e., being in relation with animals, plants, and the natural environment), play (i.e., being able to play, laugh, have hobbies), and control over one's environment (i.e., political environment or being able to voting, freedom of speech and association, and material environment or being able to own property and being employed) [45].

The implementation or application of these capabilities depends on the individual's characteristics (or internal resources), the external circumstances (or external resources) [46]. According to Fernagu [46], internal resources are those that are developed over time and can be considered as an individual's competencies, experiences, or abilities, while external resources are those that are made available like financial resources, materials, and tools. However, usefulness and relevance of resources can only be determined through the various conversion factors (i.e., personal, social, and environmental factors), which help transform resources (i.e., internal and external) into valued capabilities and functionings [47]. Conversion factors are important to

*Daily Use of Digital Literacy among Young People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Capability… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.114035*

analyze since no two individuals, having the same resources, will necessarily be able to achieve the goal(s) they set out to achieve. Indeed, both Sen [36] and Nussbaum [45] emphasized the importance of education to develop valued capabilities.

#### **2.3 Research goals**

Consequently, this study aimed to:


### **3. Methods**

This chapter presents a part of a larger project and focuses on the reading and writing practices of two adolescents with ID outside of school settings. The participants of the larger research project were four adolescents with ID. One participant was from Quebec, while the other three were from Switzerland. This chapter considers the data generated with two of the four participants, who talked about their digital literacy practices at length. The participant from Quebec, called Léa (16 years old; female), was recruited through an invitation sent by her school to her parents, while the participant from Switzerland, called Julia (15 years old; female), was recruited through an invitation sent to the organizations where she engaged in cultural activities.

The participants' literacy practices are explored using multiple qualitative case studies design [48, 49] and the mosaic approach. Clark and Moss [cited in [50]] defined the mosaic approach as "a multimethod approach that enables young children to participate actively in the decision-making process in matters that affect their lives, through the co-creation of meanings with adults. This approach combines a variety of verbal and non-verbal tools to enable adults to understand in greater depth the young children's lives" [50]. The multiple case studies design purpose was to develop an in-depth understanding of the similarities and differences between the two cases. In particular, a range of contexts in which the two adolescent participants engaged in literacy practices is explored.

Processes of data generation with each of the two participants began with an initial meeting designed to explain the research project to them after a brief discussion with their parents. During this initial meeting, visual aids were used to ensure that the participants' consent was informed. At each of the following meetings, this consent was reaffirmed. Subsequently, three meetings were organized with the two participants to film and photograph how they engaged with reading and writing at home (meeting 1), in a familiar place (meeting 2), and in a place suggested by the researchers (meeting 3). The third meeting place was suggested by the researchers in order to understand the young people's literacy practices within an unfamiliar space. The use of visual tools was premised on the understanding that visual productions lead to creative work, help engage the participants, and, thus, enhance

our understanding of their experiences [51]. Apart from the films and photographs produced by the participants using a GoPro or a DGI camera, the principal researcher also had a camera to document the entire process. Subsequently, the participants were offered the opportunity to video edit their creations and develop a "short film" which presented what reading and writing meant to them. Through the discussions in the various meetings, the participants described different literacy events, explained the stages of their engagement, and the differences between the various practices [52].

Data analysis for all three research objectives was done simultaneously. First, the production of written descriptions for each video recorded by the participants made it possible to segment the different literacy events. These also helped substantiate what the participants said about the events when they talk about them. Second, a deductive thematic analysis by following the six-phase framework recommended by Braun and Clarke [53] was conducted to describe the events, and then the literacy practices. Visual and textual data were analyzed concurrently and iteratively [51].

### **4. Results**

By combining the framework of literacy as social practice with that of the capability approach, the analysis considered digital literacy events and practices. To meet the three research goals, resources and conversion factors (goal 2), capabilities (goal 3), and functionings (goal 1) of the two participants will first be present, followed by a more detailed analysis of one specific digital literacy practice by each participant.

#### **4.1 Analysis of the concepts of capability approach**

The two participants' digital literacy events were grouped into literacy practices, which were conceptualized as functionings based on the capability framework. A list of these practices can be found in **Figure 1**.

#### *4.1.1 Internal and external resources*

The participants of this study demonstrated different internal resources, allowing them to execute the digital practices or achieve functionings. First, they both possessed some ability in reading and understanding texts in the digital format. Julia could make sense of the texts she read, while Léa was in the process of acquiring reading skills. They were also capable of producing certain texts on a digital medium (i.e., sentences, words, images, videos, drawings) and so also possessed fine motor skills to use digital devices. Finally, both Julia and Léa knew how digital devices worked (i.e., turning them on and off, charging them, navigating between different applications, and magnifying fonts, among others). External resources were present as well, enabling the two participants to carry out these activities. They not only had access to the digital devices at home (i.e., a tablet, a mobile phone, an iPad), but also had access to the different applications and games on these devices. The fact that their loved ones also use these different applications can be considered as external resources.

#### *4.1.2 Conversion factors*

The individual conversion factors were multiple and represent the agency of the participants. First, both participants demonstrated a desire to interact with others

*Daily Use of Digital Literacy among Young People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Capability… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.114035*

#### **Figure 1.**

*Diagram of the resources, conversion factors, capabilities, and functioning of the participants.*

and to nurture their relationships, as well as possessed an appreciation for digital devices. One of them also expressed her desire to learn new things. Social conversion factors pertained to the participants' relatives and friends' interest and availability to interact with them through text messages and social networking platforms. Finally, environmental factors pertained to the places (e.g., space with continuous supply of electricity or uninterrupted access to the device) and the availability of time for the participants to engage in their digital literacy practices. For example, Léa could use the applications on her iPad for a certain duration before her access was restricted. Moreover, the adaptability of font sizes on digital devices could also be considered as an environmental factor pertaining to the device. Finally, favorable family context for digital technology was also crucial. Participants' agency was manifested in the use of these conversion factors to attain certain capabilities that were important to them.

#### *4.1.3 From capabilities to functionings*

Through the transformation of resources by conversion factors, the two participants of this study displayed an array of capabilities which were also observed in

their functionings. Thus, digital literacy empowered the two adolescents to attain different capabilities, as categorized by Nussbaum [45]. These were bodily health, senses, imagination, and thought, emotions, affiliation, play, and control over one's environment. By reading recipes on the tablet or the menu on a self-service terminal, one of the participants was able to develop capabilities tied to her health. By searching for songs, reading words, or watching football games online, both the participants applied capabilities related to play and meaning. Through writing, texting, and using social media, they performed the capabilities of affiliation and emotions. Finally, by reading the news, they gain some control over their political environment.
