Let’s say you have a few hundred words of text you want your students to read. Is it important if students read the text on paper or on a computer screen?
This post, which prepared by UK Assignment Geek, reviews some of the research showing that students perform worse on screen-based reading tests compared to paper ones. Reading on a screen is also more difficult than reading on paper. We also scan and skim more.
What about different screen types? What difference does it make if students read text on a tablet, a smartphone, or a laptop screen?
Screen vs. paper doesn’t offer the same level of detail. However, there are studies that compare laptop and mobile screen use. This shows that not all screens are created equal.
Oulasvirta et. al. did a 2012 study that tracked how people used their smartphones and laptops. In this study, the subjects spent twice as long per day using their smartphones than their laptops. Even though they used their phones more than laptops, the subjects did it in shorter bursts that spread evenly throughout the day. This type of phone usage is called a “checking habit”. A larger study compared online usage and found similar results in terms of the lengthening of sessions on phones, but less frequent than those on laptops.
Another research focuses on people’s emotional attachment to their phones. A recent study found that mobile phones can be used as a ‘pacifying technology’. When they feel stressed, people reach for their phones. Even if they are using the same content, it reduces stress more than using their laptop.
Another study found that students performed worse when their phones were visible – even if they were turned off. Another study found that most students use their mobile phones for leisure purposes. Mobile phones have some features that aren’t available on laptops. For example, pull down to refresh is only mobile, while laptops have proper keyboards.
Research on connected devices has shown that all of them have the potential for distraction and multitasking which can be detrimental to learning. Laptops seem to be the best option. They are used more intentionally, for specific purposes, than the mobiles. They are also more suitable for content creation than content consumption.
This area of research is still in development and change. There are increasing numbers of people and institutions adapting devices to better meet their goals.
This research is covered in Chapter 5 of Teachers vs Tech. This is probably the topic that I have made the most changes to over the years. I used to believe that content was the most important thing, and that the medium, whether it was a book, computer, or phone, was only a conduit. Quality content is still important to me. It’s just more difficult than I thought to separate it from the medium. You can be less engaged with content if you make small adjustments to how a device works.
While the main focus is on making sure students have access and use their connected devices to stay in touch with school, it’s important to consider how to optimize them for learning.
