Many schools are investing money into e-reader devices over the years, as well as teachers require digital reading (as they provide electronic format); thus it is vital to know whether the reading speed and comprehension for different types of passages differ based on different presentation format.
Reading is an act of contemplation …
an act of resistance in a landscape of distraction …
it returns us to a reckoning with time.
— David Ulin
Based on self-reports, students and our brain might still prefer reading paper-based, and the perception is that the concentration is better on that presentation format, but research brings evidence that reading speed and comprehension is not hindered significantly by the e-reading format and presentation device. These results mean that stakeholders in education need to research more to utilize this already popular and cost-effective way of providing textbooks/readings.
More information by October 17th. Link.
Illustrations are created by the author.
References
Baron, N. S. (2017). Reading in a digital age. Phi Delta Kappan, 99(2), 15–20.
The article explores the educational implications of digital learning while the digital revolution reshaped how students read, write, and access information, and are asked to read on digital screens rather than in print. Do digital screens make it easier or harder for students to pay careful attention to words and the ideas behind them, or is there no difference from print?
Jabr, F. (2013). Why the brain prefers paper. Scientific American, 309(5), 48–53.
The author examines the advantages of the paper-based reading by looking into some explanation of how the human brain interprets written language.
Margolin, S. J., Snyder, N., & Thamboo, P. (2018). How should I use my e-reader? An exploration of the circumstances under which electronic presentation of text results in good comprehension. Mind, Brain, and Education, 12(1), 39–48.
The study examines how reading comprehension on e-books via e-reader device differ from reading printed text by testing longer narrative and expository texts’ comprehension on both formats. The study also explores how reading on electronic devices impact the type of information we garner from the text, whether there are best use cases where each device can be matched with certain types of passages (i.e. narrative or expository). Working memory was also assessed to determine its impact on longer texts, as well as determine if the e-reader directs some of those resources away from comprehension.
Sackstein, S., Spark, L., & Jenkins, A. (2015). Are e-books effective tools for learning? Reading speed and comprehension: iPad®i vs. paper. South African Journal of Education, 35(4), 14.
The widespread popularity of e-books within education requires researching how learners read from these new platforms to determine whether students are able to read as effectively from the screen of an iPad as from paper, regarding reading speed and comprehension.
Zeng, Y., Bai, X., Xu, J., & He, C. G. H. (2016). The influence of e-book format and reading device on users’ reading experience: A case study of graduate students. Publishing Research Quarterly, 32(4), 319–330.
The authors explore the influence of e-book formats (PDF and the fluid EPUB) and reading devices on users’ reading experience via studying a group of graduate students’ reading speed and comprehension on four e-book reading devices: laptop, tablet, smartphone and dedicated e-book reader using a 2500-2550 character text.