Reading together as a Leisure Activity: Implications for E-reading

Abstract

Abstract.Reading from devices such as Kindles, Nooks, and tablets ("ereaders") is an increasingly common practice. A primary reason users purchase e-readers is to read for pleasure, as opposed to reading for work or school purposes. With paper, people sometimes read together from a single book (e.g., reading a bedtime story with a child) -a practice we call partnered reading. This practice, and the goals of e-reading for pleasure more generally, remain underexplored in the HCI literature. This paper contributes findings from a deployment study wherein participants used an e-reader application to read with a partner. These findings (a) provide descriptive accounts of how people use ereaders to read together, and (b) identify opportunities to improve the design of e-readers to support partnered e-reading for pleasure.

Engaging Children With Pleasure Reading: The E-Reading Experience

“…Several studies have investigated shared and individual electronic readings. For example, Massimi et al (2013) emphasized collaborative e-reading in a social context and developed a prototype for design of e-readers to support shared reading experiences with children. A study by Roskos et al (2012) derived typology of e-book reading to compare shared and individual settings using iPads and iPods and reported that children generally exhibited similar types of behavior as they engaged in interactive settings.…”

Evaluating Engagement in Reading

“…On a similar line was the study by Miranda et al [17] looking at how reluctant adolescents would be more engaged if presented with electronic books. Only recently we find studies looking at pleasure reading of electronic books with Massimi et al [15] using a diary approach to explore children's partnered reading (or co-reading) practices while reading for pleasure at home. However it is clear how the body of research on children's engagement with electronic books is rather limited [22] and e-reading for pleasure more generally, remain underexplored in the HCI literature [15].…”

“…Only recently we find studies looking at pleasure reading of electronic books with Massimi et al [15] using a diary approach to explore children's partnered reading (or co-reading) practices while reading for pleasure at home. However it is clear how the body of research on children's engagement with electronic books is rather limited [22] and e-reading for pleasure more generally, remain underexplored in the HCI literature [15]. An original approach is that by Huang et al [13] looking at Brain Computer Interface (BCI) as a mean to measure the level of reading engagement in children.…”

An accessible, large-print, listening and talking e-book to support families reading together

“…Drawing from the design implications listed in our previous study [6], an exploratory study is currently being planned which will explore how ALLT can improve on partnered reading experiences in collocated settings, both when reading for pleasure and for practical purposes (e.g. reading information brochures, with the help of a caregiver or social worker).…”

“…To better understand how people read together, and to inform future versions of ALLT, we conducted a study of pairs of people who currently read together with current e-book technologies [6]. We noticed that participants value audio playback of e-books, both when listening alone or together.…”