Ever wondered about the psychology of literature or stories? Or how a certain narrative might change our attitude or perspective?
This free course, What happens to you when you read? explores our relationship with books and the ways in which engaging with fiction in particular can change readers.
Research shows that as well as providing us with a form of entertainment, the activity of reading can bring benefits to our wellbeing in challenging times. People have experienced and explored these benefits throughout history.
A good story can entertain us, develop our creativity and imagination, and transport us to different fictional worlds, but it can change us psychologically as well.
As you work your way through this course, you will have the chance to participate in both reading and writing activities and experience for yourself what happens to you when you read.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
understand some of the ways in which reading books can potentially transform you
understand more about the psychological processes happening when you read
demonstrate familiarity with the positive impacts of reading on mental wellbeing in some distressing times in history.
I did this as part of a course on learning design. I quite enjoyed it. I noted the other comment about Covid. We locked down for nearly two years in New Zealand. If this course is ever updated you might think about providing some non-fiction work as examples of work from different genres and maybe some more recent writing from an Indigenous perspective such as Nigeria or New Zealand.
A very good introduction. Very well presented with a good mixture of theory and practical example including testing the effect of reading on ourselves. The short simple exercises were very striking in showing the effect of reading on well being, transportation etc. with good examples from research included. The courses has enthused me to read more than I do already, and with more of an understanding of the effect reading is having on me.