On May 15, Hanoi Open University organized a seminar "Reading books in the digital age".
Speaking at the opening of the program, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Duong Thang Long - Vice Rector of Hanoi Open University - emphasized the important role of reading books in the process of studying, researching and self-improvement of students.
According to Mr. Long, in the digital age, the approach to knowledge has changed a lot, but the core value of reading is still affirmed. The school always pays attention to building an open learning environment, encouraging reading culture, and developing a modern library system to meet the increasingly diverse learning and research needs of learners.
Sharing at the seminar, Mr. Nguyen Huu Gioi - Chairman of the Vietnam Library Association - said that in the digital age, printed books and e-books both have their own roles and need to be maintained in parallel instead of replacing each other.
If you go to a place without electricity, without internet signal, reading e-books will be difficult. Conversely, people who read paper books when going to remote and isolated areas may have books but are not sure to have the right book titles they want" - he said.
From a lecturer's perspective, Dr. Tran Thi Le Dung - Deputy Head of the Faculty of English, Hanoi Open University - believes that reading books not only helps absorb knowledge but is also a process of training thinking, questioning ability and patience for students.
According to Ms. Dung, technology is both a challenge but also opens up opportunities to spread reading culture if effectively utilized. Printed books help learners access systematic knowledge, convenient for taking notes and marking important content; while digital documents have the advantage of being updated quickly and conveniently when searching, exchanging and learning anytime, anywhere.
The important thing is to flexibly combine paper books and electronic documents instead of absolutizing one form" - she emphasized.
From teaching experience, Ms. Dung said that students today tend to read quickly, read a lot but read superficially, easily confusing between receiving information and receiving knowledge. Therefore, learners need to change their reading methods in a more proactive direction such as taking notes, summarizing, asking critical questions and discussing after reading to understand the problem deeply.
To read deeply, first of all, you must accept reading slowly. It is necessary to shift from the mindset of reading to finish to reading to understand and think" - she shared.
In addition, Ms. Dung believes that lecturers also need to innovate their approach, helping students realize the practical meaning of reading through discussions, real-life situations and interactive activities in learning.
Sharing at the seminar, Nguyen Thi Nhu Nguyet (Faculty of Chinese, Hanoi Open University) said that the most important thing is to maintain the habit of reading books every day, even for only 20 - 30 minutes.
According to Nhu Nguyet, in the information explosion era, choosing the right books is more important than reading too many books. Readers need to clearly define their reading goals for learning or developing skills, and at the same time choose books suitable for their current level to avoid feeling overloaded and difficult to absorb.
Affirming that, in any form, reading still plays a fundamental role in learning and knowledge development, M.A. Ngo Thanh Tung - Director of the Library, Hanoi Open University - said that the school's library is invested in both paper books, digital resources and large databases connected to many universities in and outside the country. In the coming time, the school's library resources will continue to be expanded, in order to spread reading in the digital age.
