TL;DR: Adolescents and Long Form Fiction in the Digital Age

Hurried, fragmented, distracted reading associated with digital formats is becoming the norm—pushing aside reflective, deep reading associated with print. Students’ reading and writing is increasingly moving to digital platforms associated with hyper-reading, whereas the school environment places emphasis on more focused attention and commitment to the text based on deep reading principles. Students aged 13–16 as well as educators were involved in a series of activities including interviews, co-creation, and user-testing, looking into how print associated reading skills could be translated and facilitated in a digital format. Focusing on bringing the positive aspects of the digital format into play: reader customization, interactive activities and annotation, the proposed system situates itself within the classroom, building upon the Guided reading comprehension strategies. This project is guided by the convergence of various notions and theories including: guided reading, the connection between ow and deep reading, the notions of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation and the role of gamification. With those strategies in place, the project seeks to add to the spectrum of reading choices as well as to the conversation of extending deep reading into the digital realm.