Do students engage with academic reading lists? And if they do, in what format do they like their books - paper or e-books? After secondary education and strategies they have adopted to be successful at A level, many undergraduates fail to engage with non-assessed extension tasks when they transition to HE. A generation ago the sources of information available to students were comparatively few: lectures, journals and reading lists of carefully selected books. In some disciplines, literature has remained the focus of study, but in others, science in particular, online information has out-competed traditional sources. As the ubiquity of online interactions has increased with services such as Facebook and Twitter, important information becomes submerged in the chatter. Non-assessed reading to broaden knowledge does not compete effectively with just-in-time sources such as Wikipedia. I surveyed 550 undergraduate students and discovered that only 30% claimed to have read any of the books on the reading list given to them. 25% claimed to have read an e-book in the previous year but only 5% of these used a specialized e-book reader such as a Kindle or iPad application. *survey results in graphical form To encourage students to engage with reading lists, I created a low cost interactive website with a familiar Amazon-style format allowing students to leave star ratings, reviews and recommendations (SciReadr.com). This low cost solution is based on WordPress and Google Forms. Working in partnership with the university library, student's union and a student society, I began a series of regular face to face student-led meetings in the format of a book discussion group to reinforce the online component of the project, held as casual twilight sessions in informal learning spaces in the students union. Responses to the website indicate that the face to face element of the blended program is more important in driving engagement than the online element. The role of technology in driving engagement will be discussed.

1. Student's
Online
A.en/on
and
Reading
lists
(0015)
Alan
Cann,
School
of
Biological
Sciences,
University
of
Leicester
All
students
are
given
a
printed
reading
list
in
The
Solu/on?
The
Cult
of
the
Individual
the
first
week
of
term.
But:
Survey
Says:
Two
pronged
approach:
Some
students
sAll
read
books,
but
they
don't
feel
1. SciReadr.com
–
Amazon
clone
the
need
to
aggregate
into
social
groups
to
share
2. Face
to
face
book
group
meeAngs
in
a
social
their
feelings.
Instead,
the
literate
may
express
seCng
(with
beer
or
coffee)
themselves
as
individuals.
Facebook
is
the
new
de
facto
social
but
it
breaks
larger
units.
The
losers
are
clubs
and
socieAes,
and
insAtuAons.
DisintermediaAon
breaks
the
social
raAonale
for
these
groupings.
Students
study
as
individuals,
socialize
with
their
Facebook
friends.
They
have
no
need
for
socieAes.
Social
networks
are
not
the
cause,
merely
a
reflecAon
of
change.
Where
are
we
going
with
these
technologies?
Is
it
fuAle
to
work
against
them,
should
we
culAvate
the
zeitgeist?
What
does
this
mean
for
educaAon?
How
do
we
influence
student
behavior,
give
them
the
reading
habit
if
they
don't
arrive
in
H.E.
with
it?
Where
next?
Assessment
required?
The
Great
Book
Vote:
• Go
to
SciReadr.com
and
pick
one
of
the
books
Students
Said:
listed.
•
I
was
not
made
aware
the
reading
list
existed
• Read
the
book
you
have
chosen.
un3l
the
end
of
my
first
year.
I
think
if
would
be
• Write
a
review
of
the
book
you
have
read
and
good
to
make
this
list
known
to
freshers
when
they
first
arrive
at
university.
add
it
as
to
the
appropriate
page
on
SciReadr.
•
I
was
not
aware
of
the
existence
of
a
reading
list.
Marks
will
be
awarded
for:
•
Unless
the
School
reading
list
happens
to
have
• Quality
of
wriAng
(including
spelling,
grammar)
journals
specific
to
each
module
and
assessment
I
• Clarity
of
expression
personally
do
not
see
the
use
in
it.
Did
it
work?
“Too
busy”
for
book
group
•
I
can
only
vaguely
remember
receiving
this
list.
I
• Detailed
knowledge
of
the
book
you
have
remember
having
read
some
books
on
the
list,
by
reviewed
(demonstrated
by
the
content
of
your
coincidence.
review,
specific
quotaAons
to
support
your
•
I
have
never
been
provided
with
a
reading
list
argument)
and
wasn't
even
aware
of
where
to
find
it.
•
It
contains
pointless
books
&
are
a
waste
of
3me.
• Persuasiveness
-­‐
does
your
review
persuade
•
I
was
told
not
to
worry
about
it.
other
people
to
vote
for
your
chosen
book
(or
•
Is
it
actually
essen3al?
I
was
given
a
reading
list
not,
if
you
thought
it
wasn't
very
good)?
when
I
started
my
first
year
back
in
2008.
Didn't
read
anything
from
it.
Also,
didn't
need
to.