Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Journal

Goodreads elevates the user to a level of content producer, which increases student engagement with literature. As all themembers within the group are simultaneously promoted in statusand begin developing relationships, they create trust and are more willing to take book recommendations from each other, tying in the readers’ advisory component of the site. As a result, Goodreads users are being encouraged to read novels recommended by their peers and are given autonomy to choose based off trusted recommendations. The combination of autonomy and connection that Goodreads offers creates not only a more culturally relevant classroom, but one filled with students more likely to see being a reader as part of their identity significant.