Reading Retention on Paper vs. Digitally

In a recent Education Dive article, the issue of retention between reading digitally and on paper was discussed. This article cited the Hechinger Report, conducted by Virginia Clinton, a professor at the University of North Dakota. In this report, "results indicate that retention after reading printed text improves more than a fifth of a standard deviation". The Education Dive article explained that a possible reason for this result was that textbooks receive more respect than digital prints and that students would put more effort into reading on paper publications. I do really agree with this point because simply reading words on a page does not mean that the reader would understand the material. To understand the material, a reader must "read critically" and be able to apply the concepts to other scenarios.

The article proceeded to say that even though many schools are now transitioning into less on paper prints to save money and paper, they should still provide students with the option to choose between both resources. Even though the results from the research may say that on paper prints may be better, I do prefer digital textbooks as a student. One of the benefits of a digital textbook is that my back won't be aching after a long day of carrying a heavy textbook around. In addition, a digital textbook allows a student to easily and quickly access the text on a phone or laptop anywhere. While reading retention may be higher with a paper textbook, I believe that students can re-read a digital textbook more times than an on-paper textbook, thanks to it being very convenient, which also leads to good retention.

URL to article: https://www.educationdive.com/news/studies-indicate-students-retain-more-reading-printed-text/560865/

URL to Hechinger Report: https://hechingerreport.org/evidence-increases-for-reading-on-paper-instead-of-screens/?utm_source=The+Hechinger+Report&utm_campaign=ba8eae1929-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_WEEKLY_2019_08_13_03_42&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d3ee4c3e04-ba8eae1929-322678169