I
really enjoyed this week's class and readings for EDUC 504. I enjoyed reading the article "The
Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus
Screens." I myself have always
preferred doing my academic reading on paper, just because I feel more
comfortable annotating and having it physically in my hands. For some reason, I find it easier to flip
through the pages and conceptualize when I have a hard copy in front of
me. This is particularly weird because I
enjoy reading just about anything else (news, sports) on my Ipad or computer. When I really need to concentrate on an
academic reading I prefer to have it tangibly in front of me so I can sift
through the pages, as opposed to doing it all on a computer screen where I have
a hard time conceptualizing flipping through pages. It should be noted that I grew up without a
computer in my house till early middle school so I feel that this has something
to do with my preference of reading on paper.
Furthermore, it is difficult for me to navigate electronic sources with
the same ease as a tactile book or newspaper; I don't know maybe I am just old
fashion. I will say that over the last
month in a half in the MAC program I have grown way more accustomed to reading
electronic PDF's on the computer, as opposed to printing them all out. My Ipad allows me to write on the PDF's and
highlight whatever information I find important. This has helped me not only save many trees, but also keep all my readings
centralized in one easily accessible location.
I will say that after looking at my computer screen all day it is nice
to read a paper article and switch it up.
The
article brings up a fascinating study that was done in 1982, and concluded that
people read slower, less accurately and less comprehensively on screens than on
paper. Moreover, further studies have
concluded that most people still prefer reading on paper, especially when
reading intensively. This trend could be
moving though with the introduction of countless new E-readers and tablets. I for one can attest to this change, having
got an Ipad a few years ago and an E-reader app that I put on it. I love how I can buy the kindle editions of
books with one click of the mouse and have the electronic edition of the book
in my hands within 30 seconds. I
wouldn't be surprised that if in the next decade physical books and newspapers
become virtually replaced by electronic versions. This idea being furthered by the growing
ecological and environmental issues present in our world. Additionally, the article discussed a study
that found that students who read on paper absorb the material more quickly and
thoroughly. All in all, I feel that the
preference of reading on a digital screen or book is still just that, personal
preference.
I have to admit, Andrew, that, like you, it has been a less-than-perfect process of switching to reading books for leisure and school on an e-reader. I have my Nook Color, and I have the ability to highlight and annotate (to a degree), but I still feel limited in some way. From what you have written, and what others have said in and out of class, reading on an iPad might have less limitations than reading on my Nook. Nevertheless, most of my books for this term are on my Nook, which is convenient, but I do miss that old-school, so to speak, tactile experience that I get with a printed edition. And, at times, I do feel that there is a disconnect with the text that impedes a fuller understanding of the text.
ReplyDeleteOn a related note, the school at which I taught before moving to Michigan had had a laptop program for a number of years. It was a HYOD (have your own device) policy, not necessarily BYOD (bring your own device) policy. Cell phones were not welcome in the classroom. At first, students had to purchase their laptops through a single vendor. Eventually, the school allowed students to buy Macs or PCs from a vendor of their choice as long as their laptops met certain requirements. Before I left, the school was transitioning to an iPad program that would allow students to have most, if not all, of their textbooks on the iPad, in part for physical reasons. (Some textbooks are really heavy!) They were phasing this in with the freshman. So, at the end of my last year there, teachers in all content areas had to submit links that could serve as textbooks and/or textbook supplements to department chairs. In some schools, this is already a reality and not a personal preference. It's interesting: With a policy change like that, there was inequity within the school, I guess, because of the different requirements for freshman vis-a-vis older students. Again, this also raises the question, however, of equity among all schools (of different systems, public, parochial, and private) in the United States and beyond.
Last, your post has caused me to reflect not only on equity within our nation as regards infrastructure, but also on this question: If we want to build a global community of students, how can inequity of infrastructure affect international dialogue among students and future cosmopolitans?
That study is very interesting. The big question in my mind is what is the result of the same study performed today? In 1982 the study would use different screens with different resolutions. The population of people and their experiences cannot transcend into modern day life. However, I do agree with you that having paper copies is much better. I feels better somehow. Although, I have been lazy and started to read everything through my PDF reader. I think I'm getting used to it. I'm able to annotate still and the PDF file has page limits which make it so much better than reading a never ending page of words.
ReplyDeleteI am also old fashion when it comes to paper and or electronic print. In fact, I have been forced due to economic reasons to cut back on printing 45-60 page documents that were assigned in class. I had been used to reading a hard copy which allowed me to quickly read, outline and take notes. Also, it seemed that I would remember more of what I read when there was a hard copy in front of me. Technology waits for no man( or women) so, I will have to get used to the idea of reading electronically.
ReplyDeleteI share your preference for old school paper reading. Perhaps one example will suffice. Building on his essay for the New Yorker magazine, Princeton professor Anthony Grafton sets the digitization of books into a sweeping historical context and explores the implications of new media for the ways we read, write, and store information. A second edition, revised by the author and hand-bound in New York.
ReplyDeleteFrom the text:
For the last ten years... the cities of the book have been anything but quiet. The computer and the Internet have transformed reading more dramatically than anything since the printing press. In great libraries from Stanford to Oxford, pages turn, scanners hum, data bases grow, and the world of books, of copyrighted information and repositories of individual copies, trembles.