The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens - Scientific American

[Panich52]

This morning on Up With Steve Kornacki they had a brief discussion on whether cursive should be part of Common Core. The general opinion was 'no.' I was disappointed in their short-sightedness and educational ignorance. One even said that letter writing is a "lost art," implying it's pointless to teach kids to put pen to paper.

It's a shame that because something is a "lost art," some think it is not worth saving. But while there is still scientific uncertainty, studies indicate we're still a tactile species, meaning touch enhances learning -- the printed word neans more to our brains than mere images.

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The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens - Scientific American

Since at least the 1980s researchers in many different fields—including psychology, computer engineering, and library and information science—have investigated such questions in more than one hundred published studies. The matter is by no means settled. Before 1992 most studies concluded that people read slower, less accurately and less comprehensively on screens than on paper. Studies published since the early 1990s, however, have produced more inconsistent results: a slight majority has confirmed earlier conclusions, but almost as many have found few significant differences in reading speed or comprehension between paper and screens. And recent surveys suggest that although most people still prefer paper—especially when reading intensively—attitudes are changing as tablets and e-reading technology improve and reading digital books for facts and fun becomes more common. In the U.S., e-books currently make up between 15 and 20 percent of all trade book sales.

Even so, evidence from laboratory experiments, polls and consumer reports indicates that modern screens and e-readers fail to adequately recreate certain tactile experiences of reading on paper that many people miss and, more importantly, prevent people from navigating long texts in an intuitive and satisfying way. In turn, such navigational difficulties may subtly inhibit reading comprehension. Compared with paper, screens may also drain more of our mental resources while we are reading and make it a little harder to remember what we read when we are done. A parallel line of research focuses on people's attitudes toward different kinds of media. Whether they realize it or not, many people approach computers and tablets with a state of mind less conducive to learning than the one they bring to paper.

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http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/

[SheilaT]

1. I'm also reminded of research showing that people who take

notes by handwriting them, retain far more than those who type notes.

[appalachiablue]

2. That would be 2 in the family at least. The act of writing notes definitely does make a connection

and impression that is lacking with computers, even with highlighting, etc. Not the same. Ditto for making notations on paper itself. I find screen reading is fatiguing esp. for longer texts. I also like and remember better the distinct typeface, front cover, size and graphics of books, newspapers and magazines. Walls of print can become very dull IMO.

[SheilaT]

8. Oh yes, highlighting.

I'd almost forgotten about that.

As someone who has attended college on and off my entire adult life, I've noticed that those who highlight their texts are rarely the best students. I think there's something about the highlighting, and if I recall correctly it's widely recommending by people who give advice to students about how to study, that feels as if it's accomplishing something, but in reality it's not.

[Igel]

12. Highlighting is often misused.

By highlighting it, it's a box that's checked off. "Yes, I've said this is important." That means no more attention gets paid to it. For poor students. Those whom were told highlighting isn't a tool, but a goal.

A good student goes back and pays special attention to the highlighted text, reviews it several times more often than the plain text.

And a good student highlights not whole sentences, not whole paragraphs, but phrases and words. I've seen texts where it's almost like students bought highlighters by the case and used it to mark off the words that their eyes had passed over. Sort of like boldfacing an entire chapter ... The result is that highlighting means nothing even though great importance is ascribed to it.

Even better, a good student makes notes in the margin, showing that there's some interaction with the text. Highlighting is just dragging a marker over the text. No further mental engagement required for the process ... And often no further mental engagement is forthcoming.

I hate highlighters. But if I' confronted with a difficult text, I leave behind all kinds of marks and connections drawn between portions of the text, cross references, and even explanations, criticisms, and notes to self about what must be meant (even if it's unlikely) and things that cannot be meant.

[SheilaT]

13. Most of the highlighting I've seen is the kind where almost everything

is highlighted, often in different colors.

Making marginal notes makes much more sense.

Some years ago when I was running the used textbook sale at my kids' private school, I refused to accept books with more than a very minimal of highlighting. When the students would try to argue with me, I'd point out that the highlighting was meaningful to them, but wasn't going to be at all useful to the next user of the book. Basically, they'd made it entirely too personal to be resold.

[randome]

3. It's not just the screen itself, I think.

But all the distracting colors and links and ads and overly busy layouts that designers cram into the real estate.

Many of us aren't conscious of it all but our brains are. We are massively distracted while trying to read on most screens.

Designers don't think like users.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Most all of those on screen distractions can be avoided

Firefox gives us the option to see a page in view > page style > no style.
No style, along with ad blockers, offers a much more restful gray background with easy to see print.

Another plus to puter reading is that tired eyes can get help from font size and other screen adjustments.
90% of my reading is done on puter and/or Nook screens now.

[randome]

5. Yeah, the blinding white background for most websites is another distraction.

Not everyone has access to Firefox, especially if they work in IT. My company was just upgraded to Outlook 2013 and you cannot take away the white background, which to me is unconscionable. Everyone else at work hates it, too. Clearly Microsoft did not do the user testing they claimed.

It's insane the way IT companies -and Microsoft specifically- demand we adjust to them instead of the other way around.

We ceased being concerned with information in the Information Age some time ago. Maybe we've entered a sort of Digital Glitz Age, instead. It's a shame.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]

[2naSalit]

6. I can only take

a little of it and have to get away from the screen. I would rather read from a nonelectronic display... as in paper form. I think we may also be subjected to a variety of subliminal messages and that would facilitate the acceleration of this dumbing-down program that seems to be in full swing.

[northoftheborder]

7. For some reason, I miss errors while editing on screen,

and only see them when printed out on paper. This has happened too often to be coincidence. There must be a reason.......

I think it's a sad day when cursive writing is no longer taught. If you are writing on paper, cursive is a much more rapid way to write than printing. Of course typing is faster, but......guess I'm just old. I cherish the old letters saved by my parents, and those I've saved from my children. Who saves and prints out email? Not I. History in the form of personal communication is being lost because of technology.

[SheilaT]

9. I'm a writer, or at least I'm trying to be one, and

while I can happily type my first draft on the screen, to properly edit I must print out the ms and write on it.

I'm currently in the middle of being a beta reader for a writer friend, and I have a feeling he's going to be very surprised when he learns I paid to have his novel printed out (at Staples, since it's faster and probably actually cheaper than doing it on my printer at home) and I'm happily scribbling all over it.

[Avalux]

11. I do the same!

I'm a medical writer, and as you said - typing out the first draft is ok. But then I have to print it and scribble on it. I really enjoy doing it that way.

[JCMach1]

10. Good riddance to cursive and the shame those of use with poor fine motor skills were put through

I am not a kinesthetic learner, but a visual one... screens, typing, iconography work just fine for me thanks.