Abstract:

Engaging and enabling undergraduates to become active readers and meet the demands of higher education expectations has led us to note limited abilities to source literature but even greater limitations in making sense of such literature, which proves to be a stumbling block to learning. As such there are individuals reluctant to engage in directed reading and free reading tasks that would help with their knowledge, their assignments and their seminar tasks. Stevenson and Okeefe (2011) identified such students to be searchers rather than early researchers’ and a need for them to develop the attributes of questioning and enquiry for higher education. Student and staff discussions on reading with a purpose were held, the students indicated a narrow view believing there to be single answers to any questions posed. Explanation was given to the students that they needed to read and think using a wider lens for themselves, and with their peers and tutors.
Learning from research peers in other institutions provided shared reading strategies (Kingston and Forland 2004) to stimulate thinking, this paper explains a socially mediated pedagogical approach that involves the whole class in ‘taking their turn on the hot seat”. What is required is the cooperation and openness to discussions, which we call “caring and sharing knowledge”. When individual students take their place on the hot seat identified by a red circle, they provide an evaluation of a journal or reading, and explore their own lens of understanding, knowledge and positionality. Students have indicated a dislike of the “hot seat” yet all claim it has merit in terms of a playful pedagogical approach, and it has extended their learning from the collegiate support of peers and tutors.

Keywords:

Engaging, enabling, demands, higher education, limited, abilities, knowledge, reluctant, thinking, reading.