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Hi All A brief note to those of us interested in issues around reading - in response to Sue Purnell's message from back in mid July about reading research, AND as a reminder to all of us in our LD research - it is often worth a quick look back into the LDHEN archives for ideas and contacts! For example, there was a debate in Feb 2007 initiated by Kate Smith on similar issues ... I'm personally fascinated by how reading has changed in an era of multi-connectivity and hypertextuality and look forward to hearing from Sue what she and her colleagues find in their study. To search the archives, go to http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/LDHEN.html and click the top link - there are search facilities! You may also be interested to know that the LearnHigher CETL is funding some research into the themes and contents of the LDHEN contributions which will help us map the LD territory and develop practitioner links that we will all have access to. This work will begin soon in the new academic year and will be undertaken by Caroline Cash, Research Fellow at Falmouth. I'm sure Caroline will let us know when she has got going and will report to the list from time to time ... All the best for now John John Hilsdon Co-ordinator, Learning Development University of Plymouth Drake Circus Plymouth PL4 8AA 01752 232276 [log in to unmask] http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/learn -----Original Message----- From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of TH Johnson Sent: 16 July 2007 15:40 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Reading Research Dear colleagues, This is not so much research as observations based on an exercise I have carried out several times with undergraduate literature students, but I hope it is of interest. As part of my role in developing academic skills, I currently teach a seminar within one of our modern languages departments here at Bristol on how to critically analyse a literary text. I based it on some work I used to do with new first years when I used to teach English literature a few years ago. I ask the students, starting off in pairs to get them talking, to produce a list of the classic or canonical writers in their area of study by asking them what they think they *should* be reading for their degree. Previously, on a specifically English literature course, this would usually throw up names such as Shakespeare, Chaucer, Joyce, Eliot, the Bronte sisters, etc. With my German students, we get Goethe, Schiller and Kafka, too. Once we've established this list, I then ask them what they actually *like* to spend their time reading: the Harry Potter books, Philip Pullman, Patricia Cornwell, Stephen King, Mario Puzo, John Le Carre... There is usually very little overlap between what students deem as 'worthy' reading and what they choose to read for pleasure. Of course the point is not to berate the students for their tastes in popular fiction! What I try to facilitate is a discussion about how all fictional texts are open to analysis by looking at the culture within which they were produced, and encouraging the students to adopt a more critical attitude generally, asking them to consider questions such as, why do we read? What do we hope to find in Literature? Do we read differently if we are simply reading for pleasure and escapism? How can we read in more depth? What kinds of questions should we ask when reading to help us open up a text? I then get them to work on a piece of critical analysis in the form of a short piece of poetry or prose, asking them to work in small groups and then present their findings to the main group. The exercise has made for some interesting discussions, and has been well-received by the academics who teach the rest of the unit. The students are also quite surprised when I tell them that I have published academic research on popular crime fiction of the kind they like to read on holiday; the aim is to establish a critical mind set when approaching all texts and to encourage them to ask questions and process what's in front of them, rather than absorbing it and moving on. Kind regards, Tracy Johnson ---------------------- Dr Tracy Johnson Teaching Support Unit University of Bristol [log in to unmask] 0117 331 7168 (x17168) --On 10 July 2007 15:18 +0100 "Purnell, Sue" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Dear colleagues > > > > A colleague and I are exploring the possibility of a long(ish) term > research project which will look at 'reading cultures' in 6th form and > Ist year FE/HE, and how interventions might be made to enhance the > transition into FE/HE. > > > > Our interest was, of course triggered by the oft-heard cry 'students just > won't read any more' > > > > Clearly much has been written about strategies for helping students to > read more effectively, critically etc, but has much work been done into > why they don't think they need to read academic texts in FE/HE in the > first place? As aside it is interesting that one seldom hears people > talking about 'reading for a degree' these days! > > > > We plan to explore what they are reading- both in hard copy and on line > and see if there are ways of setting up our expectations more explicitly > before they arrive, as well as ways of implementing some of the many > strategies already 'out there' > > > > Are we reinventing the wheel? Any comments/suggestions/work already done? > > > > Thanks in advance for any assistance > > Sue > > > > > > Sue Purnell > > Educational Development > > Centre for Lifelong Learning > > University of Liverpool > > 128 Mount Pleasant > > Liverpool L69 3GW > > 0151 794 1160 > >