Digital vs. Paper Reading Comprehension

Now that everything we do with distance learning is online, most of the learning and turning in of work is done digitally. There is, however, a significant body of research to show that when texts become more complex, the brain learns and retains information better when it is on paper. So, note to self, when we go back to in person teaching post COVID, remember to bring back the paper.

When texts are easy to comprehend and are less than 500 words, digital works great for learning. When texts become more challenging with increased length and comprehension, the brain learns better and retains more when it is on paper. Why? Aren’t our students digital natives?

Well, reading is different. Reading does not come naturally to anyone. It has to be taught, and our brains and genes have not changed that drastically since technology has become so prevalent in our everyday lives and learning. Brains need to be taught how to read. When we encounter complex text, it appears to be managed better when it is on paper according to studies.

This is due to our brain’s ability to recall, retrieve, and locate is tied to physical layout. It is easier to remember where you read something like in a print magazine or print newspaper when you can go back to find it. Our brains are hard wired to remember things when associated with a location. This is harder to do digitally when it is just one long scroll. You have to use the search function.

Pre-covid teaching, we always wanted to save paper, so we digitized most assignments. While this has helped us somewhat with the transition to online teaching, it is important to remember full digital learning is not always the best for learning. Students need opportunities to read difficult texts on paper and write by hand to retain information.

For more information, check out this article and this article.