Turn, Or Click? Considerations on the Adoption of a Digital Delivery System for an Extensive Reading Program

In the spring of 2016, the English for Liberal Arts (ELA) program at International Christian University (ICU) obtained an opportunity, through the Xreading scholarship program, to trial Xreading (a digital platform for extensive reading) in its extensive reading (ER) program. Firstly, this discussion looks at some of the current issues and viewpoints surrounding the potential effects of digital technologies on the brain. Next, an introduction to the Xreading digital delivery system is presented, followed by a focus on issues related to reading online or with physical books. The article concludes with some thoughts on the adoption of Xreading at ICU for the ER program, and on issues of online digital delivery systems and physical mediums for study texts suggesting that decisions should be approached with caution, with careful assessment of the purposes of the reading, and of the needs and priorities of both students and institutions.