Putting the Joy Back into Reading

In the summer, I published a short piece with Times Higher Education, entitled ‘Putting the joy back into reading’ in which I outline some of the challenges and opportunities of online reading practices and technologies. It offers something of a background for the Active Online Reading project. You can read the piece here (no paywall).

The Keyword Conundrum: How We Read Primary Sources

In addition to student reflections on their reading practices (see here for our first one), academic members of the Active Online Reading project are sharing insights into various aspects of their own reading pedagogies and practices. Dr Jon Chandler (UCL) is the first to offer his thoughts – on the reading of primary sources. ItContinue reading The Keyword Conundrum: How We Read Primary Sources

‘Reading’ History at University – what does the Subject Benchmark Statement say?

It’s maybe a bit outdated to talk about ‘reading’ subjects at University these days, but there’s no doubt that History is a reading-intensive discipline. Relatively low direct contact hours, the fundamental role of independent, self-directed working, and the expectation (realistic or not) that full-time students treat their studies as the equivalent of a full-time job,Continue reading ‘Reading’ History at University – what does the Subject Benchmark Statement say?

Sharing pedagogic resources on (online) reading

As part of the Active Online Reading project, we will be collating and sharing pedagogic resources focused on supporting students in developing reading skills. Although the AOR project focuses on online reading, we want to share resources the are relevant to reading offline too! Dr Lucinda Matthews-Jones, Reader in History at Liverpool John Moores UniversityContinue reading Sharing pedagogic resources on (online) reading

An interview with Katherine Fennelly – Digital Mapping of the 18th and 19th-century British Landscape

Unfortunately, it’s taken me a while to get the second interview in this series written up. In any case, I’m very please to be able to share my discussions with Dr Katherine Fennelly, an historical archaeologist at the University of Sheffield, about her use of digital mapping technologies when teaching in the School of HistoryContinue reading An interview with Katherine Fennelly – Digital Mapping of the 18th and 19th-century British Landscape