Digital vs. Print Reading

I watched a webinar sponsored by Pearson this week about the differences between reading digitally and reading on paper.   One interesting fact was that 40% - 50% of students are reading their textbooks on the small screens of their cell phones.   Some concerns with reading on a small screen are:

• The action of scrolling down promotes reading faster and skimming, leaving the reader less time to process or analyze the information.
• With the hyperlinks it is easy to get lost or distracted.
• It is cognitively more demanding because of the many decisions about what to pay attention to.
• The are many unreliable sources providing questionable information.
• Because the reader sees such a limited amount of the information it is difficult to see patterns and the overall picture.

Some things you can do:

• Use the standard reading strategies such as previewing, taking separate notes, actively striving to understand the overall picture.
• Plan on spending a bit more time and effort to successfully accomplish the above point.  Previewing and understanding the overall organization of the piece is harder on screen than when leafing through a book.
• Know your purpose for reading and adjust speed accordingly.
• Plan ahead about how to handle the hyperlinks. Perhaps look at them before reading or wait and view after.

It is bit easier on a computer screen, laptop or iPad because the screen is larger, but the distractions and how the material moves (by pages or scrolling down) are still an issue.

Whether reading digitally or on paper, comprehension and understanding are expected.   Use the same strategies for both with some adaption and extra effort for the screen.

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First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.