Yes, you read that right, and I feel joyous that I haven’t been a dreary naysayer without reason. I know times are a-changing; I understand the benefits of technology and using handheld devices, but one solution doesn’t fit all. Take workbooks for example, where learners make notes and mindmaps in order to fix information – is it as effective when doing it digitally? It seems not.
A recent article in the Washington post refers to research which I have found insightful and I would like to share some of it with you.
- Textbook makers, bookstore owners and college student surveys all say millennials still strongly prefer print for pleasure and learning, a bias that surprises reading experts given the same group’s proclivity to consume most other content digitally.
- A University of Washington pilot study of digital textbooks found that a quarter of students still bought print versions of e-textbooks that they were given for free.
- Textbooks are often regarded as superior to digital, as digital readers are distracting and comprehension suffers.
- In surveys students were asked what they liked least about reading in print, and a regular response was “It takes me longer because I read more carefully.”
- Researchers say readers remember the location of information simply by page and text layout – essentially creating a mental map of the text for themselves. But that is more difficult on screens, primarily because the time we devote to reading online is usually spent scanning and skimming, with few places (or little time) for mental markers. Research shows that readers spend a little more than one minute on Web pages, and only 16 percent of people read word-by-word. That behaviour can bleed into reading patterns when trying to tackle lengthier texts on-screen.
When do students say they prefer digital?
- For science and maths classes, whose electronic textbooks often include access to online portals that help walk them through study problems and monitor their learning.
- They prefer them for classes in which locating information quickly is key.
- They prefer them for cost — particularly when the price is free. If price weren’t a factor, the research shows that students overwhelmingly prefer print.
The article concludes with the following words: Around the country, school systems are buying millions of tablets and laptops for classroom use, promising easier textbook updates, lower costs, less back strain from heavy book bags, and more interactivity. But the potential downsides are not being considered.
Food for thought!
MacMo