Multiple text comprehension in contemporary contexts: Integrating broader understandings of affect, culture, and technology

As notions of reading have expanded in terms of what is read (e.g., screens, varied modalities, multiple texts), considerations of what influences reading processes (e.g., digital platforms, culture, emotions) have also expanded. Multiple text comprehension (MTC) researchers have long sought to understand the processes of reading within these broader contexts. However, study designs have largely focused on cognitive processes and text sets separated from larger changes in technology and society. In this paper, we propose an expansion of the focus of MTC research from its historical roots in individual cognition, classroom instruction, and static text sets, taking a broader contextualized view of reading in multiple text situations. We argue for the need to conduct more holistic research concerning how readers construct meaning in multiple text situations, emphasizing (a) the transformational nature of algorithmic technologies on comprehension and meaning-making; (b) the influence of historical/cultural contexts on comprehension; and (c) the role of affect and emotions in readers’ construction of meaning.