Digital devices are part of our daily lives, we use them for all sorts of things. Digital reading is therefore also more natural than ten years ago. We have e-readers on which we can read, but also the tablet and smartphone are increasingly used for that. Is it wise to have students read digitally? And does the medium affect the reading experience and reading comprehension?
The Benefits of Digital Reading
Why read digitally? What advantages does a digital medium have over physical books?
Digital Devices Can Pique the Student’s Interest
Young people are often precursors when it comes to technology and digital tools, they feel an affinity with the new media technology. This can be used to get young people excited about books by first getting them to read digitally and then (possibly) guiding them to physical books. It must be said that having a digital device does not mean that students automatically read, this should be actively promoted.
Adaptable to Individual Needs or Preferences
Digital reading has a number of advantages for readers who, due to limitations or personal preferences, encounter limits when reading a physical book. Think of the possibility of adjusting the font size and line spacing on a digital medium. But also the fact that an e-reader, tablet and smartphone are (or can be) less heavy than a physical book can be a reason to read digitally.
Fast Availability and Different Offerings
Finally, an advantage of digital reading is that e-books are available almost immediately after borrowing or purchasing them. The reader can then start reading immediately and needs to take less action by going to the media library and/or library. A side note here is that it is precisely in these places that students can receive good guidance in making a book choice. Do you let your pupils read digitally? Then make sure you offer them good support in making a book choice.
In addition, for readers who read digitally, there is a different selection. Although the number of children’s books available digitally is still very limited, there are also other platforms on which a lot is read (and written). Think of Wattpad, where, for example, a lot of fan fiction is posted. The disadvantage of reading on such platforms is that, apart from peer reviews, there is little feedback or editing on the stories. If you want students to read texts that are of good quality, limit yourself to stories published by reputable publishers.
The Disadvantages of Digital Reading
What should you look for when having students read digital books?
Easy to Switch Between Tasks
Except for the e-reader, there are many more options on digital devices than just reading a book. There is a high risk that the reader is more easily distracted by notifications, for example, and starts switching between different tasks. This makes for less immersion in the story, as this requires time and focus.
In addition, it turns out that this switching does not always have a negative impact on the immersion in the story: learners also have the possibility to look things up, which helps them make sense of the story. In this case, the digital device and the ability to switch between tasks actually contributes to the immersion and reading experience.
Not the Same Feeling
Paper possesses physical properties such as the tangibility of the book, crackling pages, and smell, which support the reader in interpreting the text. Because of these properties, the reader builds a rapport with the text and, because of the thickness of the book, can estimate the remaining reading time quite well. In addition, the text on paper is stable (and not self-adjusting), which contributes to remembering the information using the visual text image.
Less Text Comprehension with Long Informative Texts
Several studies show that text comprehension decreases when reading longer informational texts from a digital medium compared to reading from a physical book, particularly when the reader is under time pressure. Interestingly, these findings do not hold true for fiction.
Conclusion
There are still advantages to be identified with respect to reading physical books. The paper book has certain properties that contribute to memorization and it is less easy to switch between tasks. But at the same time, there is not much to be said against reading digital books. In fact, reading from a digital medium may provide a lower barrier. As long as students are given instructions that help them deal with the digital medium and they are aware of the possibilities and consequences of switching between different tasks, it does not affect the student’s reading experience. Furthermore, allowing students to read digitally does not mean that they will do it all. It is still necessary to guide them to the right book and provide motivation and time to actually read.
