CULTURE-LANGUAGES-MEDIA
Independent Project with Specialization in English
Studies and Education
15 Credits, First Cycle
Digital Reading versus Print Reading in
The Classroom
Digital läsning kontra läsning av tryckt text i en undervisningskontext
Isra Alshairawi
Master of Arts in Secondary Education, 270 credits English Studies and Education
2021-02-14
Examiner: Björn Sundmark Supervisor: Henry King
2 Abstract
In today’s society, people are surrounded by digital media. As a consequence of this societal change, digital features are becoming more common in classrooms and in education. Traditionally, reading and learning has made use of printed texts and has been seen as a norm. However, this is changing, and educators face a new situation. The purpose of this research synthesis is to examine the role of reading comprehension when reading digital texts in school, and present research on how reading digital text compares to reading print texts. 90 college students were used in an investigation on the matter of comparing reading comprehension across paper, computer screens, and tablets (Chen et al., 2014). The results indicated that the group of students reading from paper performed significantly better regarding the reading comprehension than those who read through electronic devices according to the investigators (Chen et al., 2014). A factor that contributed to this result is that screen lightning affects students thus leads them to fatigue while reading from the screen. In the discussion, the possible implications these findings may have on educational practices are also brought up.
Key words: Reading comprehension, printed texts, digitized texts, screen reading, e-books, printed reading,
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Table of contents
1. Introduction
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2. Aim and research question
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3. Methods
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3.1 Search delimitation
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3.2 Inclusion
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3.3 Exclusion
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Table 1. Inclusion and Exclusion criteria
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4. Results
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4.1 Reading comprehension across the different medias
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4.2 The flaws of digital reading
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5. Discussion
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Printed text superiority
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Digital reading familiarity matter
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Correlation with the National Curriculum
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6.Conclusion
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1. Introduction
This essay research synthesis deals mainly with print reading and digital reading, and whether there are any differences in reading comprehension between these two media formats. It also deals with how essential it is for students to develop digital reading skills and for teachers to develop digital reading teaching. To make it clear, digital reading in this study is concerned with the reading of digital publications on websites, including linear texts such as e-book, novels and articles from digital devices with screens (computers and laptops, smartphones, tablets devices). This research synthesis analyzes research exploring the use and effect of digital text formats in classroom teaching, and compares these with traditional, print-based reading instruction. I will review how digital reading impacts students from lower secondary education to university education in today's classrooms, and make suggestions on how teachers may proceed.
As young people grow up in a digitalized world, this becomes important to explore, since lack of competence in digital reading could become an obstacle. According to Sackstein et al. (2015) students began using e-books because of the improvements in technology. Digital texts have many advantages over traditional books, such as online access, searchability, cost benefits, and portability. As a result, many students replace their traditional textbooks with e-books. For this reason, they become more unfamiliar with the printed format of literature. Sackstein et al. (2015) refers to research made by Grace who argues that, as students move from paper-form to digital-form, it is important to research the way in which they read from these new media. Moreover, the traditional printed form as we know it has been reshaped and been converted because of the internet and digital technology according to Ty (2018). Digital technology has affected literacy studies and literature in various aspects. One of those aspects is that the usage of visual imagery has increased due to the impact from the digital media, and the usage of the traditional printed form of reading has decreased (Ty, 2018).
Skolverket (2020) writes about how teachers need to be more aware of what the educator is doing and what is occurring in their classroom. When the educator has come to realize what he/she is teaching and what is occurring in the classroom, the educator can keep on developing that aspect and also keep up with the evolving technology and digital literature (Skolverket, 2020).
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In this study I will showcase varieties of research that pinpoint the usage of digital reading in the classroom. In the curriculum for the subject English they write that one of the learning objectives for students is to analyze, critically examine and evaluate in order to be able to understand texts (Skolverket, 2011, p. 2). But it is becoming increasingly difficult for students to pursue these goals as schools have reduced interest in reading printed books due to an increasing and progressing technology input in today's classroom. However, digital reading can also help students to become more interested in reading literature in general. The young generation understands technology more than the old generation since they have grown up in the era. The digital applications and e-books can make them more interested in reading, which can result in them wanting to buy printed books instead of reading in the traditional way.
The purpose of this study is to mainly examine the role of digitalization in education, what opportunities and significance that can be found in digital reading with focus to emphasize students' motivation to continue reading in traditional printed books in school while achieving the learning outcomes. The goal is to inform aspiring teachers and teachers working in the field to gain more knowledge in the area of this study. The purpose is also to raise awareness on the subject matter with the help of empirical evidence on when/how teachers could use digital or the traditional form, which is the printed format in the classroom and not to abandon traditional reading practices due to the new technology. It is essential for teachers to develop an awareness of how digitalization should be implemented in education. Due to the constant development of technology and digitized reading, continuous research on this subject matter is essential to catch up with the effects of digitized reading, and also with newer strategies of teaching practices. This is why my focus in this paper is to investigate what digital reading in contrast to printed reading affects students' reading comprehension and also to put forward the potential impact of these findings on educational practice.
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2. Aim and research question
In this study, I will analyze research on the effects of digital reading in the classroom. Therefore, a comparison between reading printed text and screen text is needed in order to showcase what reading format is better suitable in the classroom. I have chosen studies that cover similar subject areas but have different perspectives on the matter. Questions about classroom implementation of digital text reading and the role of the teacher in this process are also raised. These aims lead to the following research questions:
- In what way does digital text reading affect students' reading comprehension in comparison to printed text reading?
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3. Methods
In the search process, I used different keywords in order to find my primary and secondary sources. I chose to mainly use the database MLA since there exists a great deal of research in the areas of languages and literature, which is my main area of interest in this study. I also used databases Libsearch and Google Scholar to locate relevant research. The keywords and search terms I have used are: Reading comprehension, printed texts, digitized texts, screen reading, e-books, printed reading, reading technology. These keywords gave different results whereas links
could be found to educational websites both globally and locally. These search terms have resulted in various articles which I narrowed down to the essential articles that were relevant to my research topic.
3.1 Search delimitation
When searching for articles about reading comprehension, printed reading, printed texts, digitized text, and screen reading through the database it presented an expanding result of articles regarding the subject. However, the research needed to be specified to suit the topic of printed vs digital reading in the classroom. Ten references about reading comprehension were therefore chosen in this study and three references were used. Due to the connection with printed reading and printed texts, many similar articles materialized when searching through the databases, hence seven articles regarding printed reading and printed texts were inspected and three references were used. Searching for digitized text and screen reading also presented various articles that were relevant to my study area, hence, six references were chosen but three were used in this article. When searching for reading technology and e-books only a few of the articles that were associated with my research topic were presented. Three references were read through to find any essential connection to my subject, however, only one reference was used in this study. The searches are summarized using a table that is implemented in the last part of this method section.
3.2 Inclusion
I am going to include articles regarding digital technologies' effect on students reading texts such as e-readers, as well as the impact of digital literature in the classroom. I am also going to include articles and sources regarding plagiarism in relation to digital literature. I am going to include articles of researchers who are writing about the evolving literature in the world of technology, what effects
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and impact it has in the classroom and on students related to my study. Since my study investigates a general matter. I have decided to look into various research done from different parts of the world about the implementation of digital reading and usage in the classroom to identify how the subject is recognized by different researchers from distinct areas in the world and examine if they agree or disagree on the terms. My focus is to investigate students' comprehension level, so I decided to include research that showcases how their reading comprehension becomes affected by reading from printed material and traditional formats.
3.3 Exclusion
What I am not going to include are articles and research focused on the subject of digital reading for students that are under grade 7-9 but instead a range from secondary students to university students, one reason for this is because I am future teacher for grade 7-9 which is relevant to me, the other reason is also that the usage of digital text reading in formats such as e-books, articles on the website is more relevant and common for students in lower- and upper secondary school which might be due to the independence level for students to have access to search for digital literature on the internet. In order to find proper comparison between the two different reading formats, research on non-linear texts (ex. lines and pie graph) is excluded.
Table 1. Inclusion and Exclusion criteria
Area of interest Total number of references Number of references used Reading comprehension 10 3 printed reading, printed texts 7 3 Digitized text, screen reading 6 3 Reading technology, e-books 3 1
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4. Results
This section will present various studies on the subject to answer my research questions. The studies summarize relevant information to the subject matter. The studies vary from information about reading comprehension between screen- and printed reading, investigations on students, examples of teaching methods on different reading devices, and to the flaws of digital screen reading. The result section has the following structure: reading comprehension across the different reading media, and the flaws of digital reading. Both sections contain forms of teaching practices adapted to digital reading.
4.1 Reading comprehension across the different medias
A number of studies have shown that reading printed texts is better for reading comprehension in comparison to digital reading. Many studies that are included below have done research studies and experiments on subjects to present the outcome in reading comprehension when reading printed and digital texts. For example, the studies from: Chen, et al (2014), The Journal of English Teaching
(2019) and Mangen, et al (2012). The experiments came to the conclusion that students perform better in reading comprehension when working with printed texts. The studies introduced various factors to the outcome of the result, for example that lack of familiarity with digital resources was one cause to why students performed worse. Some studies in this section below suggest that students and teachers need to have more knowledge and familiarity with digital reading media for the sake of better reading comprehension.
Guang Chen, Wei Cheng Ting-Wen Chang, Xiaoxia Zheng and Ronghuai Huang (2014) contribute with their research study ‘’A comparison of reading comprehension across paper, computer screens, and tablets: Does tablet familiarity matter?’’. The authors study was to figure out the effects and impact on subjects familiarity and reading comprehension across different digital reading devices and printed reading. In their data analysis, 90 college students were used in their investigation. The results indicated that the group of students reading from paper performed significantly better regarding the reading comprehension than those who read through electronic devices such as computers, tablets and smart-phones according to the investigators. The authors confirmed that the previous study had come to the same conclusion regarding their subject area.
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The investigators also confirmed that the navigation when reading was still the main reason to affect the process of reading thus how the screen lightning affected students and led to fatigue when reading. However, when testing students with high level of tablet familiarity the results indicated that they performed significantly better than the group who had lower level of tablet familitarity regarding reading comprehension. They concluded that if schools provide students enough, proper and appropriate training on electronic reading devices, they could have higher familiarity and experience with tablets and devices and therefore gain better reading comprehension.
Parlindungan’s (2019) study ‘’Print vs Digital Reading Comprehension In EFL’’ examines the digital and printed reading comprehension for students with English as a foregin language (EFL). Parlindungan writes how printed formats have served as a major language input for students, thus an essential teaching tool for teachers to structure teaching and learning. However, due to the influx of digital learning tools and digital texts today, it has reshaped the traditional teaching and learning in schools. The article contributes with early and recent studies about the comparisons of two reading formats in terms of the readers accuracy, speed and comprehension. The majority of early studies showcased how the printed reading was superior over the majority of digital reading, on the contrary of the recent studies after 2010 which showed digital reading superiority. However, a smaller number of recent studies still agreed to the early study on how printed reading had its advantage in comprehension. Parlindungan addresses a few likely factors causing the inconsistency in the recent research such as the participants familiarity and experience with technology and digital reading, the developed level of technology working as tools for reading.
Anne Mangen, Bente R. Walgeramo, and Kolbjørn Brøonnick (2012) contributed to their research study ‘’Reading linear texts on paper versus computer screen: Effects on reading comprehension’’. They made an investigation on 72 tenth graders from two different primary schools in Norway. The students were randomized into two groups where one group read from a printed text (1400-2000 words) and the other group were reading the same text from a computer screen. The authors aim in their study was to investigate if there was any impact of the reading modality on certain aspects regarding reading comprehension. The investigators already assumed that subjects would perform better in reading comprehension when working with a printed text based on the existing research. Subjects who read texts on paper performed notably better than those who read from the computer screen according to the authors. The authors claim that there are several possible factors to why subjects in their investigation that read printed text resulted higher in the reading
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comprehension test. Factors such as how scrolling on computer screens can hamper the process of reading and how the computer screen light can cause fatigue when reading.
Sara J. Margolin, Micheal J. Toland, Casey Driscoll and Jennifer Little Kegler (2013) contribute with their research study ‘’E-readers, computer screens, or paper: Does reading comprehension change across media platforms?’’. The author's research seeks to answer the question if the reading comprehension is affected by the different reading media: paper, computer and e-reader. They continue writing how the amount of digital text is increasing and therefore research is essential to determine if there is a comparison in the reading comprehension of digital texts and in a traditional paper format. The authors demonstrated that the results have no notable differences amidst the media presentation types. They continue to address if there were to be any comprehension differences between the media types then the differences would be very small due to the results. This result is important because it showcases that even though worries may exist that e-readers and other digital text reading may affect the reading outcome such as distractions or the requirement of working memory resources to operate the device, the reasons were minimal and did not significantly limit readers’ comprehension during reading according to the authors.
Suzanne Sackstein, Linda Spark and Amy Jenkins (2015) study ‘’Are e-Books Effective Tools for Learning? Reading Speed and Comprehension: iPad vs. Paper’’ seeks to answer their research question to determine whether students are able to read the assigned digital text as effectively as they are able to read text on paper. According to the authors, there are levels of comprehension theory that can assess reading comprehension where there are a number of cognitive processes involved. The first level indicates information that will contribute answers for accurate questions that are stated in the text. The second level requires readers to access their background knowledge in association with their understanding of the text. The last level requires readers to critically judge the text while taking their own assumptions and experiences into account. When it comes to paper-based vs. digital text, researchers have studied the differences between reading text from a paper and from computer screens. Such as if reading comprehension changes across media platforms and if familiarity matters when reading texts from tablets. The authors' results of their study provided evidence that e-books and tablets may function as an effective tool for reading and learning, but it does not hinder or compromise either comprehension or reading speed of students. Julee Tanner (2014) contributes with her study ‘’Digital vs. Print: Reading Comprehension and the Future of the Book’’. In order to determine what happens to books and libraries in the future,
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Tanner’s article will compile current research on how reading comprehension is affected and what impact it has on each of the three current reading platforms: e-books, print books and books downloaded onto computers and smartphones. Recent data on sales of the digital book has indicated that it has risen and increased, while the purchases of traditional books has decreased according to Tanner. The author addresses that the visual focus is needed when reading, whether it is done in printed or digitized format, which results in a reduction in the frequency of eye blinks. She claims that reduced blinking causes a condition commonly called ‘’dry eye’’ that increases the rate of evaporation of tears on the eyes, and possibly leads to fatigue, headache, light sensitivity and blurred vision. Tanner writes in her article that ocular discomfort and perceptual difficulty has been experimentally demonstrated to compromise one’s ability to learn from a text, regardless of the reading format, a phenomenon that becomes noticeable as the reading duration is lengthened and the text difficulty increased. When reading on paper and on computer screens compared, the digital text is worse than the printen format when it comes to the optical ill.
4.2 The flaws of digital reading
The studies above demonstrate that printed reading is superior to digital reading in the matter of reading comprehension. Some researchers in the previous section also conducted with reasonable factors to its result, thus some cons to digital reading. Tanner (2014) is one of the authors introduced in the studies above that states that visual focus is needed when print- or digital reading. However, the studies introduced above briefly explain reasons why print reading is superior to digital reading. Additionally, to acquire more intuition, the studies below present the underlying causes of why digital reading is inferior to printed reading, hence the flaws of digital reading. Karen Bromley (2010) study ‘’Picture a World Without Pens, Pencils, and Paper: The Unanticipated Future of Reading and Writing’’ introduces some challenges to consider regarding the transfer from traditional style of learning to digital learning on reading and writing. The author acknowledges three possible challenges. The first challenge discusses the disorganized nature of digital literacy, the second challenge involves the possibility of increased plagiarism. The third challenge deals with the developing nature of the English language as it is known and teaching in general. Bromley claims the internet diminishes the capacity of concentration and reflection, in some aspects digital reading and writing has become more disorganized than the traditional reading and writing. For example, when reading an article on a newspaper’s website, an email box or a bell appears on the side of the page that demonstrates the appearance of a new message which can
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distract our focus. Bromley states the digital access may also implement stealing. The author brings up an example of plagiarism exposed by a student majoring in mechanical engineering, the student discovered 39 plagiarized theses with material duplicated from textbooks, other theses, journal articles and the Internet. However, the important question is what should be taken into account of struggling students and those students who have grown up in a digital age who often use technology more practically than the traditional reading skills such as, printed format and books. The author concludes by demonstrating options for the teacher - which entails blending assignments. Teachers can create assignments that combine students' in-school-literacies with their out-of-school literacies. For example, to require from students both paper and electronic references and citations in their work.
Anna Kajanders (2015) study ‘’Studying E-books and Reading Experiences in Ethnology’’ focuses on the subject of digitized reading in comparison to printed formats. The author also showcases how recent changes in book cultures and new reading habits changes and affects the material culture. Kajander writes how the forms differ from each other and should not be seen as a development of the printed books. Digitized books have been published since at least the 1970’s according to Kajander. E-books were not a realistic option for reading and printed books until the wireless development communication and the high resolution screens that are portable and small enough to be held single handed. In other words, e-books are easily readable and available which is a success for the reading public. However, Kajander writes that there are consequences in the terms of the new digitized reading practises. Researchers suggested that there are differences in reading printed and digital format in terms of understanding the text. One study in Kajanders article showcases that reading comprehension declines when reading on a computer screen. Another issue is the lightning from the screens which can be tiring for the eyes when reading in comparison to the printed format. Kajander writes how studies have argued how students have lost interest in reading books now that literature has to compete with other forms of (digital) entertainment. Researchers also critique that there will be a point where books are not considered interesting anymore according to the publisher.
The optometrist Mark Rosenfields (2011) study ‘’Computer vision syndrome: A review of ocular causes and potential treatments’’ demonstrates how the dry eye is not only caused by the illuminated display, but also the angle at which text on the screen or the computer is usually read. Rosenfield explains that reading from the upright angle of a computer screen results in an exposure of the cornea and only partial eye blinks. Compared to the upright angle of reading on a screen,
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printed formats are read at a lower angle which results in a more closed eye position and a cause of frequent blinking according to the optometrist. The continuous writing describes how the visual discomfort caused by dry eye affects one’s reading comprehension which is caused from reading on the digitized screen, however, printed formats of reading will continue to be in a higher-ranking in the case of reading comprehension, especially when reading longer and more challenging texts. Eleanor Ty (2018) writes in her article ‘’Teaching Literatures in the Age of Digital Media’’ that digital technology has affected ways of reading texts such as e-readers and online access to research material. According to Ty, digital technology and the internet have converted and reshaped literature, and how the digital functions as a tool and is an advantage for authors and readers to produce, share and consume literature. Digital technology has affected literacy studies and literature in various aspects. First, the usage of visual imagery has increased due to the impact from the digital media, and the usage of the traditional printed form of reading has decreased. Second, Web 2.0 has
redefined and broadened our definition and interpretation of authorship and authors. Web 2.0 is commonly associated with user-generated content and participation on platforms such as Youtube, Facebook and Wikipedia. Artistic literature such as comics and graphic novels, which is included in
the visual imagery, have developed dramatically in the twenty-first century due to its popularity. Instructors and teachers can use artic literature such as instagram poetry or webcomics to discuss essential issues in certain areas. The author also concludes how digital narratives combine the textual and the visual to find balance and to appeal to today's digital generation of students, exemplifying that the ethnic, thematic and generic diversity of literature can be integrated into the classroom.
The findings introduced from Bromley (2010), Kajander (2015) and Rosenfield (2011) all claim that factors that have negative impact on reading comprehension are for example: distractions from the internet, declining reading comprehension caused by screen reading, screen lightning which promotes fatigue and can be tiring for the eyes, thus how the illuminated display causes frequent blinking called dry eye. Rosenfield (2011) writes in his research that the visual discomfort caused by dry eye when reading from digitized screens is a factor to the disturbance in one's reading comprehension, hence how printed reading is at a higher level in comprehending texts. To shed light upon and to conclude the studies contribution, they convey that print reading will not interrupt the reading process and will not affect reading comprehension the way digital reading does.
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5. Discussion
Interesting and important research that was conducted in the result section will be discussed in this section. I will discuss how the different research findings are linked to my research questions. I will also discuss how these findings are connected to the National Curriculum.
Printed text superiority
The first and main aim of this present study was to compare and demonstrate digital text reading to printed text reading with evidence from the chosen research. Nine out of the ten empirical research studies agree upon one common subject, that reading from the printed text is better and superior for students reading comprehension than reading from digitized devices. Margolin et al. (2013) present research that seeks to find the answer to the question if comprehension in a computerized environment is equal to comprehension of text presented in a traditional paper format. The authors study concludes that there is minimal difference between the different reading media, but that the printed texts had its advantages regarding comprehension. Chen et al.(2013) study to figure out the effects and impacts on students' reading comprehension and familiarity when reading different digital devices and printed reading. They concluded with the results of the printed text being better for students comprehension due to different factors. Kajander (2015) also stated in her text how digital reading impacts students negatively and how reading from printed texts is more comprehensible for students reading. Mangen et al. (2012) made an investigation on 72 tenth graders to showcase if there were any differences when the students read the same text from a computer screen and a printed text. They came to the conclusion that students performed significantly better than those who read from the screen. Parlindungan (2019) made a study on if EFL students' comprehension would vary when reading on screens and on printed text. Parlindungan also came to the same conclusion that reading from printed texts was superior. Tanner (2014) made a comparison between digital and printed comprehension and continues to write the flaws when reading on a screen. Therefore, she concludes that reading comprehension is better when reading printed text. Bromley (2010) also writes how reading printed texts is better suited for students due to the disadvantages of reading through digitized devices. Rosenfields (2014) writes how reading through printed texts is comfortable for the eyes and how it does not affect the eyes unlike reading from a screen. She continues to write how printed text reading does not disturb the reading process and therefore not affect reading comprehension. Sackstein et al.
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(2015) study was to indicate whether students were able to comprehend and read digital texts as effectively as reading on paper. The authors came to the conclusion that reading through different screen devices had overall the same impact on reading comprehension. However, the printed texts remained more sufficiently better than digital reading.
Some researchers such as Bromley (2010) and Margolin et al. (2014) and Chen et al. (2014) agree that the usage of digital literature in the classroom can become a challenging matter due to aspects such as the digital can cause distractions in students' concentration and the transition from paper form to electronic text can affect how students read, as well their reading comprehension. Tanner (2014) refers to other researchers in her study, claiming that e-paper is potentially superior to the printed paper in the case of optics, due to the customizable resources of the platform. The author (2014) also writes that one’s reading comprehension has improved when point size and line spacing are increased. On the subject of improving comprehension when reading e-papers, further evidence of a reader's visual discomfort to the single-spaced lines of text is potentially superior optics of e-readers and might enhance comprehension (Tanner, 2014) It is therefore vital for researchers to investigate the effects of digital literature and examine if it is a matter of familiarity issue - perhaps the students need more practice to gain better understanding when reading from digital devices such as tablets.
Digital reading familiarity
The other aim in this study was to review how faculty members and the educational environment should process this subject to improve students' reading if the results indicated that digital reading is harmful for students. Some researchers such as Chen et al (2014), Kajanders (2015) and Tanner (2014) claims how there is an ongoing transition of reading from printed text to digitized texts as in screens, therefore the book is challenged by the digital reading devices (laptops and computers, e- books, tablet devices, smart phones). Mangen et al. (2012) also includes that the paradigm of reading, especially for young people is very screen based and not paperbound due to today's highly developed digitized society. The majority of the research findings included in their texts how technology overflows the educational environment thus how reading texts through screens is getting more common by each day technology develops and asserts itself in education. Kajanders (2015) showcases how the recent changes from traditional book culture to a more developed reading habits as in digitized reading changes and affects the way we read. Due to this reason, critiques from researchers say that printed books will not be considered to be interesting anymore
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in the future according to Kajanders study (2015). Chen’s et al. (2014) investigation on 90 college students' reading capability through printed and digital reading indicated that testing students with high lever of tablet device familiarity performed significantly better than those who had lower level of tablet familiarity connected to reading comprehension. The authors (2014) also concluded that if schools provide students proper training on digital reading devices, they would gain better reading comprehension due to the higher familiarity with digital devices. Bromley (2010) introduced in her study challenges for students of transitioning from reading paper-texts to digitized texts. To prevent these challenges, she concluded demonstrating options for the teachers which entails blending assignments. She meant how teachers need to find a balance of implementing both electronic and printed assignments for students. All things considered, it is unclear whether reading printed texts will be as common as it was before and today in the near future, it is therefore necessary to provide proper training and education for students and teachers on the digital devices to perform better while reading digital texts.
Correlation with the National Curriculum
In the national curriculum for the subject English they address that one of the learning objectives for students is to critically examine, evaluate and analyze for the purpose of being able to understand texts (Skolverket, 2011). Skolverket (2020) also states how the digitized world is forever progressing and that it is crucial to inform academic members of the new digitized perspectives in school. Skolverket (2020) defines four aspects of digital competence and one of those is that students need to comprehend and use digital sources and media. It is therefore vital to inform faculty members, especially teachers, the effects of students reading from digital screens if the national curriculum learning objects and statements are to properly function in a classroom. Sackstein et al. (2015) conducted a study that dealt with students studying in South Africa. The study was necessary to determine whether students are able to read the categorized digital text as effectively as they are able to read text on paper. To achieve the goal of their study, a quasi-experimental within subjects design was operated in order to compare the reading speed and comprehension performance of 68 students. Further, Sacksten writes about an existing research
which examined the effects of digital storytelling experience on pre-teachers' capability towards educational technology. 98 pre-service teachers participated in the study. The goal of the study was that even though it is important for pre-service teachers to have knowledge about educational technology and classroom technology integration. The essential part is about transferring the technology knowledge and skills which they already retain into the learning environment. It is how you implement and use it in the classroom.
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6. Conclusion
The aim of this research was to perceive how digital reading in comparison to digital reading affects students and how digital text reading in the classroom can be supported by teachers. When comparing both reading formats, printed texts showed to be superior to digital texts in regards to reading comprehension. Researchers conducted information on how reading through screens can be discomforting and disturbs students' reading process and also their reading comprehension, therefore is printed text reading more suitable in the classroom. For the purpose of achieving adequate reading, familiarity in digital devices is needed to provide better reading comprehension. Faculty members and students need proper education to comprehend digital reading devices. Before implementing digital reading assignments in the classroom, faculty members should be aware of the flaws and needs.
The research question on the comparison of digital and printed reading comprehension is common, therefore results on the common research question are most likely the same. Due to this reason, the same researchers tend to refer to each other to strengthen their thesis and I was only able to find limited variation of research.
It would be intriguing for future research to find any teaching tool in prevention to provide a better digital reading process. It is beneficial to find out, specifically for faculty members, if there was any accurate and empirically based method on how teachers can avoid providing negative side effects of reading digital texts when giving assignments. This could be done by having teachers try various practices that include students working with digital devices in the goal to achieve familiarity and gain experience with different digital reading platforms. Another intriguing aspect is to see which of the many electronic reading devices work best for students’ comprehension, then implement that specific device in teaching and learning.
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7. References
Bromley, Karen (2010). Picture a world without pens, pencils, and paper: The unanticipated
future of reading and writing. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ906063.pdf
Chen, Guang, Cheng, Wei, Chang, Ting, Zheng, Xiaoxia, Huang, Ronghuai (2014). A comparison of reading comprehension across paper, computer screens, and tablets: Does tablet familiarity matter? Journal of Computers in Education1. Retrieved from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40692-014-0012-zK
Kajander, Anna (2015). View of studying E-books and reading experiences in ethnology. Retrieved from: https://journal.fi/ethnolfenn/article/view/59289/20540
Mangen, Anne, Walgermo, Bente R., & Brønnick, Kolbjørn (2012). Reading linear texts on paper versus computer screen: Effects on reading comprehension. International Journal of Education Research 58. 61-68. Retrieved from: 10.1016/j.ijer.2012.12.002
Margolin, Sara J, Driscoll, Casey, Toland, Micheal J, & Kegler, Jennifer Little (2013). E-readers, computer screens, or paper: Does reading comprehension change across media
platforms? Wiley Online Library. Retrieved from: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/233574172.pdf
Parlindungan, Pardede (2019).Print vs digital reading comprehension in EFL. Journal of English Teaching. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.33541/jet.v5i2.1059
Rosenfield, Mark (2011). Computer vision syndrome: A review of ocular causes and potential treatments. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics 31(5). Retrieved from:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21480937/
Sackstein, Suzanne. Sparik, Linda. Jenkins, Amy (2015). Are e-books effective tools for learning? Reading speed and comprehension: iPad®i vs. paper. South African Journal of Education. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1135155
Skolverket (2011). Ämne – Engelska [LGR11]. Retrieved from: Kursplan - Engelska (Grundskolan)
Skolverket (2020). Stärk elevers digitala kompetens. Retrieved from: Stärk elevers digitala kompetens
Tanner, Julee (2014). Digital vs. print: Reading comprehension and the future of the book.
SJSU 4(2). Retrieved from:
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Ty, Eleanor (2018). Teaching literature in the age of digital media. Canadian Review of
Comparative Literature 45(2). Retrieved from:
