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Audiobooks: Reading Practices and
Educational Technologies
Natalia Mikidenko1,2*, and Svetlana Storozheva2
1Novosibirsk state technical university (NSTU), Novosibirsk, Russia
2Siberian State University of Telecommunications and Information Science, Novosibirsk, Russia
Abstract. Digital technologies have made it possible to create and
replicate educational content in various forms: text, video, and audio. The
post-PC generation actively uses audio content. There is a tendency to
demand audiobooks as a format of educational resources. The purpose of
the article is to identify and describe educational technologies and reading
practices related to audiobooks. The novelty of the research is the analysis
of student practices of audio reading. Methods: The first stage includes a
desk study of audio reading as an educational technology, its capabilities
and limitations, the representation of audiobooks in universities' electronic
libraries and the use of audiobooks in the educational process, educational
technologies and practices of working with audiobooks. The second stage
includes an empirical study of students 'practices of accessing and using
electronic libraries in the process of educational (1), leisure (2) activities,
readers' preferences for the reading format (traditional, audio reading) (3).
Research results: With the development of digital technologies, electronic
libraries have become a popular educational resource. The e-libraries
extend the representation of the audio books. The possibilities and
limitations of audio reading remain debatable. Audio reading as a resource-
saving technology (carefulness to vision, time optimization) has a number
of advantages and at the same time requires the development of listening
skills and critical perception of audio text.
1 Introduction
Digital technologies that are actively penetrating the educational process have raised a
number of questions in the search for new educational technologies. How should the
educational environment change under the influence of digital technologies? What digital-
based educational technologies allow you to solve the problem of forming a professionally
competent specialist? What educational technologies activate the student's creative
potential and maximize their capabilities? There was a discussion and search for solutions.
A model of "smart education" based on the following principles is proposed: 1) free
access to knowledge; 2) individual approach to learning for everyone; 3) mutual learning of
a group or community [1].
* Corresponding author: nl_nsk@mail.ru
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
SHS Web of Conferences 97, 01016 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20219701016
TEDUVIS 2020
A whole field, called smart pedagogy for smart learning, is being developed,which aims
to answer questions about the use of artificial intelligence in educational systems, the
impact of digital technologies on the perception and cognition of reality, social interactions,
and educational practices. Digital objects are transformed from tools of educational
technologies or educational environments into learning subjects whose mission is to
digitalize achievements to help the student and their mentor. Digital technologies allow you
to build individual educational trajectories.
One of the elements of the educational smart environment is a new format of library
systems that integrate educational content of various types: electronic printed books,
multimedia sources (audiobooks, audio and video materials, electronic periodicals, etc.).
However, despite the resources that are spent on the development of electronic libraries and
the accumulation of experience in creating electronic libraries with different types of data
(e-books, audiobooks, music collections, catalogues of museum collections, video
materials, etc.), their use in educational practice remains insufficiently active.
The growing popularity of audiobooks and the transformation of modern reading
practices, one of the most popular variants of which is audio reading, determine the
problem of their inclusion in educational technologies and evaluating the use of audio
content in educational practices. This led to the choice of the focus of this study, which is
aimed at describing the practices of using different types of electronic library resources and
identifying user preferences for the reading format (traditional, audio reading).
2 Background theory
2.1 Resources for "smart education"
There is an opinion that smart learning can be implemented in various ways, including non-
formal learning opportunities. However, formal education in schools and universities is still
a trend and it is their mission to generate and promote new educational technologies.
Improving access to the network, enriching training terminals, creating a training support
system, and improving information security are the most important steps to create a smart
environment [2].
The education system is facing the pressure of Industry 4.0, which requires new
competencies, the formation of which is no longer possible with the help of reproductive,
monologue-based teaching methods that met the needs of the previous stage of
development [3].
Dron J., examining ways to create a "smart" learning environment, implies creating an
intelligent environment. The intelligence of the environment arises as a result of the
interaction of structural and dynamic elements, the most significant of which (especially in
online education) are creative, motivated subjects [4].
2.2 Audio reading: reading practice and educational technology
The demand for audiobooks increases [5] along with the consolidation of audio reading
practices [6]. Audio reading is an alternative to paper and screen reading. Among the
research on audio reading and audiobooks, a number of areas can be noted. This is a study
of the history of audio culture in the twentieth century [7], the phenomenon of audio
reading and its types [8]. Attempts to classify audio reading raise the question of the
anthropology of audio consumption [9]. A separate direction is formed by works related to
the study of audio formats [10]. The article discusses the use of audiobooks in the process
2
SHS Web of Conferences 97, 01016 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20219701016
TEDUVIS 2020
A whole field, called smart pedagogy for smart learning, is being developed,which aims
to answer questions about the use of artificial intelligence in educational systems, the
impact of digital technologies on the perception and cognition of reality, social interactions,
and educational practices. Digital objects are transformed from tools of educational
technologies or educational environments into learning subjects whose mission is to
digitalize achievements to help the student and their mentor. Digital technologies allow you
to build individual educational trajectories.
One of the elements of the educational smart environment is a new format of library
systems that integrate educational content of various types: electronic printed books,
multimedia sources (audiobooks, audio and video materials, electronic periodicals, etc.).
However, despite the resources that are spent on the development of electronic libraries and
the accumulation of experience in creating electronic libraries with different types of data
(e-books, audiobooks, music collections, catalogues of museum collections, video
materials, etc.), their use in educational practice remains insufficiently active.
The growing popularity of audiobooks and the transformation of modern reading
practices, one of the most popular variants of which is audio reading, determine the
problem of their inclusion in educational technologies and evaluating the use of audio
content in educational practices. This led to the choice of the focus of this study, which is
aimed at describing the practices of using different types of electronic library resources and
identifying user preferences for the reading format (traditional, audio reading).
2 Background theory
2.1 Resources for "smart education"
There is an opinion that smart learning can be implemented in various ways, including non-
formal learning opportunities. However, formal education in schools and universities is still
a trend and it is their mission to generate and promote new educational technologies.
Improving access to the network, enriching training terminals, creating a training support
system, and improving information security are the most important steps to create a smart
environment [2].
The education system is facing the pressure of Industry 4.0, which requires new
competencies, the formation of which is no longer possible with the help of reproductive,
monologue-based teaching methods that met the needs of the previous stage of
development [3].
Dron J., examining ways to create a "smart" learning environment, implies creating an
intelligent environment. The intelligence of the environment arises as a result of the
interaction of structural and dynamic elements, the most significant of which (especially in
online education) are creative, motivated subjects [4].
2.2 Audio reading: reading practice and educational technology
The demand for audiobooks increases [5] along with the consolidation of audio reading
practices [6]. Audio reading is an alternative to paper and screen reading. Among the
research on audio reading and audiobooks, a number of areas can be noted. This is a study
of the history of audio culture in the twentieth century [7], the phenomenon of audio
reading and its types [8]. Attempts to classify audio reading raise the question of the
anthropology of audio consumption [9]. A separate direction is formed by works related to
the study of audio formats [10]. The article discusses the use of audiobooks in the process
of teaching native [11] and foreign languages [12]. The attention of researchers is paid to
the reader's practice of reading different book formats (paper, screen, audio) [13].
Audiobooks have special features in comparison with a printed book: they help save
time, make reading more comfortable for the audience, allow them to perceive familiar
stories in a new way and even take care of their health, and at the same time require the
skill to maintain attention for a long time [14]. Evaluating listening to an audiobook in
comparison with reading, experts note that "this is a passive activity" in comparison with
traditional reading, which requires active behaviors, including, for example, decryption and
interpretation [15]. The issue of concentration of attention in the perception of an
audiobook remains debatable, and opposite opinions are expressed. Thus, M. Rubery notes
that "audiobooks do not require the same level of concentration as printed books" [15, p.
14], on the other hand, noting the formation of methods of "attentive listening". A
comparative analysis of book perception practices is presented in the study by B. A.
Rogowsky, where it is noted that no significant differences were found depending on
whether a part of a popular science book was presented in an audiobook, electronic text, or
in double mode, and a comparable understanding and memorization of the text is recorded
regardless of the way it is presented [16]. S. Barinova notes that an audiobook requires the
ability to maintain attention for a long time [14].
The growing popularity of audiobooks, according to experts, may be one of the main
drivers of the growth of the e-book market [17], which, according to the forecasts of the
Russian company EKSMO-AST, may show a sales growth of about 40% (in comparison,
sales of printed books are projected to increase by only 5%). Publishers are optimistic about
the development of new book formats, but buyers still prefer paper products. In 2018
printed books accounted for 92.1%, electronic books for 6.7%, and audiobooks for only
1.2%. But by 2022 demand for e-books is expected to increase by almost 15%, and for
audiobooks by 3.2% [18].
E. Lee (2020), assessing the current state of the main audiobook markets, pays attention
to the use of audiobooks for educational purposes, their distribution and institutionalization
for educational purposes [19].
K. Dali and L. Brochu, based on the analysis of the growing popularity of audiobooks
as an accessible media and the choice for readers with and without disabilities, justify the
equal status of audiobooks with printed books, wider recognition of audiobooks, and
integration of audiobooks into the library collections of public, academic, and special
libraries [21].
The review of the sources shows that the issues of theoretical understanding of the use
of audiobooks as an educational technology require research attention, not only in the
context of learning foreign languages, but also in a broader cultural context, and practical
issues of creating and using audiobooks as educational content require attention.
3 Results
3.1 Research method
Methods and methodology. The first stage: a desk study of audio reading as an educational
technology, its capabilities and limitations, the representation of audiobooks in universities'
electronic libraries and the use of audiobooks in the educational process, educational
technologies and practices of working with audiobooks.
The second stage: an empirical study of students' practices of accessing and using
electronic libraries in the process of educational (1), leisure (2) activities, readers'
preferences for the reading format (traditional, audio reading) (3). The study was conducted
3
SHS Web of Conferences 97, 01016 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20219701016
TEDUVIS 2020
among students of higher educational institutions in Novosibirsk in March -May 2020. The
sample size was 478 people.
The questionnaire included questions that reflect the opportunities that e-libraries
provide to their users based on the resources placed in them: e-books, electronic
periodicals, and multimedia (Figure 1).
Fig. 1. Structure of electronic library resources.
Limitations of the study. Since audiobooks were considered as one of the possible
resources offered by electronic libraries, the survey did not take into account more
differentiated practices of using audiobooks, such as the frequency of listening, types and
genres of texts listened to, commercial purchase of books or use of university subscriptions,
user experience of listening to audiobooks, subjective assessments of the perception of
audio information, etc.
3.2 Audiobooks in students' reading practices
Electronic libraries include various types of texts in their content: electronic printed books,
audiobooks, and video materials. The frequency of access to different types of sources
varies. According to the results of the study, the least popular approach was to the media
content of electronic libraries. More than half of the students who took part in the study did
not turn to media sources at all and do not consider electronic libraries as a resource that
provides access to audio and video materials. This may be due to technical reasons, the
quality of the material, or a subjective lack of motivation to use such content.
Table 1. Distribution of answers to the question "What features of electronic libraries have You used
this academic year?" (closed question).
Answers
Answers
N
%
Very often
41
8.7
Often
77
16.3
Occasionally
112
23.7
I don't use it at all
243
51.4
Total, %
473
100
4
SHS Web of Conferences 97, 01016 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20219701016
TEDUVIS 2020
among students of higher educational institutions in Novosibirsk in March -May 2020. The
sample size was 478 people.
The questionnaire included questions that reflect the opportunities that e-libraries
provide to their users based on the resources placed in them: e-books, electronic
periodicals, and multimedia (Figure 1).
Fig. 1. Structure of electronic library resources.
Limitations of the study. Since audiobooks were considered as one of the possible
resources offered by electronic libraries, the survey did not take into account more
differentiated practices of using audiobooks, such as the frequency of listening, types and
genres of texts listened to, commercial purchase of books or use of university subscriptions,
user experience of listening to audiobooks, subjective assessments of the perception of
audio information, etc.
3.2 Audiobooks in students' reading practices
Electronic libraries include various types of texts in their content: electronic printed books,
audiobooks, and video materials. The frequency of access to different types of sources
varies. According to the results of the study, the least popular approach was to the media
content of electronic libraries. More than half of the students who took part in the study did
not turn to media sources at all and do not consider electronic libraries as a resource that
provides access to audio and video materials. This may be due to technical reasons, the
quality of the material, or a subjective lack of motivation to use such content.
Table 1. Distribution of answers to the question "What features of electronic libraries have You used
this academic year?" (closed question).
Answers
Answers
N
%
Very often
41
8.7
Often
77
16.3
Occasionally
112
23.7
I don't use it at all
243
51.4
Total, %
473
100
Users were asked about their preferences in choosing how to get acquainted with the
source: reading, listening, and video viewing. The distribution of responses to the question
is shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Distribution of answers to the question about choosing a way to read a book.
Question
Answers
N
%
Read books
252
53.3
Listen to books
15
3.2
Both (depends on the information that is required)
172
36.4
Other
8
3.7
I can't answer
26
5.5
Total, %
473
100
About 40% of students turned to audiobooks during the school year. The choice of
reading form depends on the type of information that the respondent needs. The received
responses confirm the growing popularity of audio reading among students. At the same
time, only 3% of students listen to books all the time. This may also be due to the special
chronotope of listening to audiobooks, its pace, formed earlier practices of listening to
audiobooks.
4 Discussion and conclusion
Digitalization and portability of information sources create new opportunities for
technology development in the educational environment. The acceleration of digitalization
of education determines the interest in the development of educational technologies related
to the use of audio formats of educational information (audiobooks, audio podcasts) against
the background of the projected growth of Generation Z interest in audiobooks and audio
reading. At the same time, the innovative use of audio content for educational purposes
requires understanding and solving issues related to the search for ways to create
educational audio content, taking into account its communicative and cognitive capabilities
and limitations, integrating audio content into the educational process, developing
educational technologies for working with audio content, and solving issues of acoustic
presentation of educational information.
V. Y. Bal' notes the emerging transition from scoring printed texts to creation of texts
specifically for scoring; the shift of interest from novel to story, the relevance of sound
design when editorial treatment of audiobooks and audiostream, composite building of
several voices of the narrators, arranges a single idententical field [9, p. 56].
There is a need to develop content and stylistic strategies for preparing educational
audio content, in accordance with the goals and objectives of the educational process, based
on the possibilities and limitations of the audio channel of information perception. There is
a need for specialists who design audio content, methods and technologies for its creation
and application in the education of different types of subjects (school students, students,
adults).
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SHS Web of Conferences 97, 01016 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20219701016
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16-21, (2019). Audioknigi: krossmediynyi podhod i rabota s auditoriey (in Rus)
eLIBRARY ID: 41266061
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State University Journal of Cultural Studies and Art History, 36, 5-12, (2019) /
Audiochtenie kak sovremennaya modifikatschiya sluhovogo chteniya (in Rus) DOI:
10.17223/22220836/36/1
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and Technical Libraries, 9,45–50, (2008) / Audiochtenie: isoricheskie istoki i
sovremennaya situatschiya (in Rus) eLIBRARY ID: 12876010
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methodology, Herald of the Chelyabinsk State Academy of Culture and Arts, 3(39),
82-88, (2014) / Chtenie kak kul'turnaya praktika: obosnovanie metodologii
issledovaniya (in Rus) eLIBRARY ID: 21990351
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mediaprostranstva (in Rus) DOI: 10.20913/18153186202015663
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Rezeption: V&R unipress, Götting: V&R Unipress. 463 s. (2008)
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language and its classical speech in urban settings, in Modern problems of studying
Bashkir and native languages. Materials of the III All-Russian (with international
participation) scientific and methodological conference 15 February 2018, Ufa, Russia,
490-492, (2018) / Audioknigi kak effektivnyi metod izucheniya bashkirskogo
literaturnogo yazika i ego klassicheskoy rechi v gorodskih usloviyah Materials of the
III all-Russian (with international participation) scientific and methodological
conference (in Rus) eLIBRARY ID: 32454619
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TEDUVIS 2020
