Tag: tablet

Reading – paper vs screen

If you are concerned that tablets provide learners an inferior reading experience you might be interested in this Educause article. The article outlines a study conducted at the Coast Guard Academy, but also offers an introduction that reviews the existing literature on the topic.
I regard this as a multi-level question. There is the question of reading behaviors as they might exist in the “real world”. There is also the question of reading under controlled circumstances. Reading in the real world involves additional factors that go beyond the basic question of whether comprehension is influenced by whether text is accessed from paper or a tablet. In the real world, it appears that factors such as attractive distractions or display format may impact the reading experience. These issues have practical significance, but can be potentially addressed via technological means. For example, the larger IPad pro will allow more complex page presentations. The reason Kindle text is unadorned is partly to control cost. Access to other apps on an iPad can presently be controlled if distraction is an issue. Tools for deep reading (highlighting, navigation, etc.) will improve.
The bare bones comparison of reading from different displays seems quite different. I can think of no reason I would expect the display type to make a difference, but I guess this is an empirical question. The study reported in this article describes an experiment (and references others) addressing this basic question. The study found no treatment differences (but also reached what I thought were strange conclusions related to the pattern of scores associated with each treatment). The pattern finding and interpretation seem a bit of a stretch. The author suggests that paper may be suited to more capable learners. The data on which this proposal is made would also then encourage the conclusion that more average learners should use tablets.
If you care interested, you can view my Highly highlights associated with this article. I describe Highly elsewhere.

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Reading from various devices (including the book)

A recent comment by researcher Jakob Nielson is likely to generate a good deal of discussion among bloggers (the MacWorld version, Nielson post) and will likely generate some studies from graduate students. The topic of whether a reader benefits equally from processing content presented as a book, on a Kindle, or on an iPad certainly deserves some attention. The short version of the results – the participants read more quickly from a standard book.

Researchers are trained to be critical in considering the methodology of the research they review. We ask questions – do the results follow from the method, how might the method deliver results that could be misinterpreted, etc.

Some initial reactions of this critical nature:

Does the reporting focus on speed and not comprehension reveal anything of importance? Reading speed is quite important because of working memory limits, but the bottom line is really comprehension. The MacWorld version comments that participants “were measured for their reading speeds and story comprehension”, but I found only the data on speed were reported there. The Nielson summary indicates “Our test participants got almost all the questions right, regardless of device, so we won’t analyze this data further here.” Clearly more sophisticated assessment of comprehension is needed. It seems strange to me that a 11% deficit in speed would not be accompanied by a decline in comprehension. Perhaps excluding less capable readers was responsible for the failure to demonstrate an impact on comprehension.

What about an experience bias? What level of experience did participants have with the devices (other than the book)? Do experienced e-book users function at a higher reading rate?

I would regard a reading rate that is nearly 11% slower as a significant concern (the type of concern my wife expresses because I drive 65 on Interstates that allow 75) because time certainly matters in education. I am guessing we will see more on this topic.

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