Digital reading for teaching and learning

Abstract

The term “digital reading” is defined. The author proves that digital reading is a natural stage of reading evolution as a civilizing process. Being “the other side” of writing, reading has been reflecting the changes of 5 thousand years of its history. The reading practices have been changing with changing writing practices. Today, as soon as the writing systems has been increasingly digitized and obtained some media features, the reading has been modifying itself, too.

Digital reading has become introduced into the sphere of learning and education. Firstly, it is due to the education sector being intensively digitized, and secondly, because the text (which means reading, too) forms the basis for education.

The author examines both advantages and risks of digital reading, in particular that of the hypertexts. She argues that student’s mastering digital reading requires to be supported by “a competent adult”. That is why the role of the libraries, and in particular, children’s, school, or academic libraries working in the digital environment, has been significantly increasing.