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What is Meaningful Reading?

In Meaningful reading, we invite students to connect the readings to their own personal questions and their own lives. In other words, meaningful reading means reading literature not just for literary criticism but for personal development.

We see this as a way of reading literature that may leave a lasting impact on a student’s life. The student is invited to read with an open attitude and to be aware of both the intellectual and emotional responses that they may have to the characters, perspective or plot in a literary text.

This type of reading increases intellectual openness, attentiveness, curiosity, empathy, and intellectual autonomy. 

Why do universities need to incorporate meaningful reading practices?

University students are expected to make a difference in the world by becoming leaders in business, enterprise, civic society, and politics. However, students need a strong sense of self, and a general sense of how they want to serve society in order to make a meaningful contribution. Several studies indicate that students feel that their university is not offering enough opportunities for them to reflect on meaning in life, and there are increasing concerns about students’ mental health. Although a primary motivation to enter university may be the preparation for a specialized career, that is, to become a professional (doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc), it has been observed that 18 to 25 year olds are “emerging adults” who postpone major life decisions and, instead, use their university years for exploring identity, values, and meaning in life.

The premise of REMAP is that the meaningful reading of literature in the university classroom provides students with opportunities to reflect on their own lives, find meaning and purpose, and a supportive environment in which to read and discuss great works of literature together.

What is the place of meaningful reading in a university curriculum?

Most modern universities are organized by disciplines. This is necessary, but we see an increasing need for generally formative undergraduate education. Integrating meaningful courses and practices into the university curriculum meets this need.

For example, reading a good literary text may provide a perspective on reality that can complement what a student learns in their regular university courses, thus achieving the interdisciplinary knowledge essential for their university education. Overall, the meaningful reading of literature will develop an intellectual mindset that helps the student flourish both personally and academically.

When we talk about great books and foundational texts, what do we mean?

REMAP will include suggestions in the Meaningful Reading Manual, which will be digitally accessible. In general, great books are classics that have endured and continue to be significant to this day, and there is consensus about them. But there are also more recent books considered classics because they offer vital experiences, and there are certain literary texts from the participating countries – Spain, Netherlands, Latvia, and Slovakia – that we may want to include. The researchers who are part of the REMAP-project have many years of experience with texts and authors that resonate with students. We seek to share this knowledge.

The “magic” lies in a professor being able to transmit their own enthusiasm for reading and teach the student to develop this habit beyond their years at university. That is why the Meaningful Reading Manual will include a preselection of classics, which is always subjective and changing, and can be updated. Literature is life itself, not something artificial or from another era.

What will be the deliverables of the REMAP project?

The results will be fourfold:

1. An accessible meaningful reading manual for university teachers in any disciplinary field interested in preparing a course based on great works of literature or incorporating literature in their disciplinary courses. The idea is for any specialist at universities to be able to use it. In addition, we will publish two short practical guides, one for university teachers and one for high school teachers, that translates the meaningful reading manual into convenient and concise guidelines.
2. We will design a course, which will be taught at all four participating universities, and which will validate the Meaningful Reading Manual.  
3. We will develop a teacher training guide.
4. The University of Navarra has developed a project at the Faculty of Communication: Reading Mentors, which involves upper-year students who help first-year students with cultivating the pleasure of reading. REMAP is dedicated to transmit the mentoring practices to the other participating universities as well.