The College of Humanities, in collaboration with the Department of English, has organized the second in a series of public lectures as part of the College-level celebration of the University of Ghana’s 75th anniversary. The lecture, which was titled “The Evolution of Reading in the Age of Digital Technology,” was delivered by Michael Burke, a Professor of Rhetoric at the University College Roosevelt/Utrecht University. The programme was chaired by Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, Provost of the College of Humanities and was held on Wednesday, 31st May, 2023.
In his welcome address, Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori thanked Prof. Michael Burke for accepting to share with the students and faculty of the College insights from his many years of research. He stated that the choice of the topic was timely because of the ongoing conversations on the impact of technology on education and especially, students’ reading habits.
Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, Provost, College of Humanities
Prof. Burke’s lecture was informed by observations from his work with a team of scholars on a project titled “Evolution of Reading in the Digital Age” and his book Literary Reading, Cognition and Emotion: An Exploration of the Oceanic Mind. He situated his discussion on contemporary reading practices within the history of reading, which he said began some 5000 years ago with the Sumerian Cuneiform script. Referencing the examples of the ancient libraries of Alexandria and Pergamon, Prof. Burke noted that in earlier times, reading was done aloud, not quietly. In the West, reading began with Christian books in monasteries, followed by the invention of the printing press. The invention of the paperback in the 1920s made it possible to sell cheaper and lighter books at train stations. Despite efforts to eliminate the book in contemporary times, bookshops continue to flourish offline and online. Reading is now in “a hybrid state of print and pixels,” he said.
Prof. Michael Burke, University College Roosevelt/Utrecht University
Speculating about the future of reading, Prof. Burke highlighted the influence of digital technologies on text comprehension, human memory, and human emotion. He argued that digital readers are more likely to be overconfident about their comprehension abilities, especially under pressure. This could lead to more skimming which would reduce people’s ability to comprehend long-form informational text as they veer away from reading on paper to screens. For primary school children, the indiscriminate swapping of print, paper, and pencils for digital technologies may affect the development of reading comprehension and emerging critical thinking skills.
Some suggested recommendations for responding to these challenges include the following: the school curriculum should include a dedicated time for reading paper books; strategies for deep reading on digital devices should also be taught; and finally, there should be interdisciplinary collaborations between policymakers, industry, those in the human social and technical sciences.
Professor Burke concluded by speculating about “The Return of the Orator & the Storyteller” as technology advances. He argued that “We are already living in a voice-controlled, spoken technological world” and there are several advanced technological tools that can transcribe texts to voice and vice versa. Soon, people would do more listening than reading.
A participant asking a question during the open discussion
Prof. Burke’s presentation was followed by poetic performances by Miss Rosina Antwiwaa Dompreh and Mr. Jeffrey Baiden. An open discussion after the performances provided participants with the opportunity to ask questions and comment on issues covered during the lecture. Before the lecture, a group of students thrilled the whole gathering with a dance performance.
Dance Performance by Students
In his closing remarks, the Provost of the College of Humanities, Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, thanked Prof. Michael Burke for an insightful lecture. Presenting his takes on the lecture, Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori stated that “Reading is pleasurable.What you read in a text stays longer and digital is not necessarily better.” He hoped that everyone will take pleasure in reading as it remains one of the most reliable means of acquiring information.
Participants at the event
Present at the event were the College Secretary, College of Humanities; Deans, Directors, Heads of Department, Faculty and Administrators of the College of Humanities; students, and staff. The lecture took place at the R.S. Amegashie Auditorium, University of Ghana Business School.
Dr. Nancy Henaku, Lecturer and MC, Department of English, University of Ghana
