A call to embrace social reading in higher education

Abstract

Social reading can broadly be described as the experience surrounding the reading of electronic books, more commonly known as eBooks. Utilising eTextbooks and social reading at a university offers some powerful potential to engage students and help them succeed in their studies. A broad overview of the current landscape and recent initiatives toward the use of eBooks and social reading are highlighted. Then some challenges and opportunities are discussed. Finally, some recommendations are suggested that may help instructors in higher education begin to embrace the concept of welcoming social reading into their classrooms.

Keywords:

• social reading
• higher education
• interactive learning