Dr. Stefanie Lange
born in 1990 in Hanover. She studied German Philology and Biology to become a teacher and completed her studies at the University of Göttingen with a Master of Education. From October 2014 graduate student at the Research Training Group GRK 1787.
Doctoral project: Enhanced eBooks. An examination of the reading process of a new form of literature
For the last few years digital literature has increasingly drawn the attention of science, since with the spread of smartphones and tablet PCs not just our use of media but also our reading behaviours have changed. Enhanced eBooks make up a new genre, where the literature demands a new form of reading with multimedia processing and multi-dimensional networking (hyperlinks). In view of the limited research papers in this area I wish to examine the basis of reading of enhanced eBooks and bring the reader into the frame. The focus of the paper is how the modes of reception are characterized, which strategies are used to interpret content and which aspects are considered compatible. Additionally it should be examined whether reading enhanced eBooks increases immersion. In this context the most diverse distinguishing features should be considered as the way they are edited with pictures, sounds, videos and/or hyperlinks influences reading. The goal of the dissertation is to make visible the reading process of these new forms of literature in order to be able to lend the discussion of the possible effects of digital reading an academic grounding.