Digital vs. Paper: Reading for Lifelong Learning
Why we still need to keep an open-mind and have patience
In a nutshell:
Digital reading tools can enhance reading habits.
A recent meta-analysis (2024) suggests that digital and paper reading each offer unique benefits and can complement each other.
Educators should consider the broader, lifelong purposes of reading and remain open to digital reading as a valuable tool for fostering diverse and effective learning experiences.
Disclaimer: The driving force behind this blog post is my confirmation bias. It is mostly a reflection of my experiences, peppered with a few research papers for some expert insights.
Also, I am not a reading expert. As an educator and a lifelong learner, I've always been intrigued by how digital tools like Kindle and Audible transformed my reading habits. Could they do the same for students? This blog explores recent research on digital versus paper reading and offers insights into how these tools might be used to enhance students' reading experiences.
Can Kindle and Audible transform students the way they transformed me?
2 years ago I wrote this post about how I became a reader at 31. I attribute a huge part of my success in building this life-changing habit to my adoption of Kindle and Audible.
So obviously, I have been curiously keeping my eyes open for any educational research on the impact of digital reading on students. I wanted to know if this magical impact of digital reading could positively impact the reading habits of school-aged learners too.
Digital vs paper-reading: a balanced approach and an open-mind
After many years of disappointment, I came across this interesting paper published in June 2024.
This paper prompted me to outline these conditions in my blog post, so that educators might consider broader questions about context and limitations of current research before concluding that ‘paper is always best’.
The 2024 meta-analysis found no significant overall difference in reading comprehension between digital and paper formats. And for me, this is the first paper that proclaims that “digital reading and paper reading have advantages and disadvantages and complement each other.”
Here are 3 things that might influence whether we choose digital or paper, according to the research paper:
What are Reading Task Demands?
Deeper information processing: The comprehension advantage for paper reading seems to be more pronounced when the task requires deeper information processing or time constraints.
Timed tasks: The comprehension advantage for paper reading seems to be more pronounced when the task has time constraints.
For example, during timed exams or when students need to reference multiple sections quickly, the physical layout of a book can aid in retention and comprehension.
What is the Text Type and Length?
The type of text: Literary/ Narrative texts are better comprehended through digital reading, while informational texts tend to be better understood with paper reading.
Length of the text: longer texts (over 1000 words) show better comprehension with paper reading due to less reader fatigue and the easier navigation of physical pages.
What is your Reading Environment - Free or Controlled?
Free Reading environments: A free reading environment is a setting where readers engage with text at their own pace without external constraints, allowing for flexible navigation, personalized reading strategies, and interactive engagement.
Controlled Reading Environments: However, when you put back the time, mode and output constraints of a controlled environment like schools, research indicates that paper-reading performance is better.
More on this below. But first…
The (Paper) Book Club
Before this paper, I had come across a lot of papers (from 2020 and earlier) supporting the idea that reading comprehension in school going children is more effective on paper than on screens. Here are links to a few that I have come across:
Assessing children's reading comprehension on paper and screen: A mode-effect study (2020)
Reading from paper compared to screens: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2019)
Don't throw away your printed books: A meta-analysis on the effects of reading media on reading comprehension (2018)*Updated this post in Sept 2024 with a new paper from this year
The smell of paper or the shine of a screen? Students’ reading comprehension, text processing, and attitudes when reading on paper and screen
All these papers say that ‘paper reading’ has a small positive benefit on performance. They also hypothesize why this might be occurring while recognizing a need for a deeper understanding of why this ‘paper benefit’ is observed.
Some reasons (moderators) listed in these papers are:
Student could be unfamiliar with Digital reading tools and scrolling time for longer work
Paper may be better in time-constrained situations where greater focus is needed
Paper was advantageous in informational or informational+narrative texts but not just narrative ones
These sound like reasonable conditions. Particularly in ‘controlled’ environments like classrooms in schools.
Enduring Learning and Context matters: The case for digital reading tools
A 'free reading environment' allows readers to engage with texts flexibly, without the pressure of external constraints like timed tasks or formal assessments. In these settings, digital reading tools can offer significant advantages by providing interactive features, easy access to a wide range of materials, and customisation options. For example, students might use digital tools to explore a topic of interest on their own time, adjusting font size, using built-in dictionaries, or accessing multimedia content to deepen their understanding.
Why should we think more about ‘free reading environments’? Because these free reading environments (not controlled environments) are much more representative of how reading will happen in the lives of students beyond school.
What ‘works well’, depends on how well you define ‘works’.
Why might digital reading be advantageous in free-reading environments?
Increased Comprehension and Retention:
In a free reading environment, digital reading can significantly benefit comprehension, especially when combined with interactive features that provide feedback, guide learning, and support diverse learning styles.
A personal reflection
What does time-constrained mean? Yes we do have deadlines we need to meet in the real-world but they are definitely not as constrained as classrooms. I have another interpretation of ‘time-constrained’ here… finding time to read in addition to the other 1 million personal and professional grown-up responsibilities. For me, digital reading crushes paper here. I can carry an entire library on my Kindle or Audible app, allowing me to read during unexpected moments—like waiting for a doctor's appointment or commuting to work. This flexibility helps me integrate reading into my daily life, even amidst a busy schedule.
What is my purpose? I read mostly for building personal or professional improvement. It means I usually want to read to create something more complex, requiring capture, synthesis and iteration over a long period of time. No way I can do this on paper.
Promotion of Self-Regulated Learning:
A free reading environment encourages readers to take control of their learning process, which can be particularly effective in digital formats that offer customizable experiences (e.g., adjustable font sizes, color schemes, and content organization).
A personal reflection
Why am I reading? What’s my motivation? Currently I read (almost) only non-fiction, but I’m pretty sure that if I had audiobooks in my teen years, I would have been motivated to consume fiction. It is so easy and enjoyable to consume fictional narrative texts on the go, on audible.
Support for Diverse Learners:
This environment accommodates different learning paces and preferences, making it more inclusive for diverse readers, including those with learning differences who may need additional time or specific digital tools to enhance their understanding.
A personal reflection
No brainer here - digital reading opens up a whole new world of ways to engage with text.
What role does habit play here? If I am used to reading on paper for 5 years, how will it impact my preference and performance? My bet is that most people automatically have a preference for paper because it is so much more familiar. This shows up in research. Hopefully in the next decade we will have more digital first users for a fairer sample.
Beyond school, most reading is done in free reading environments. Almost all my reading in the last 2 decades has been in free reading environments. For me all of these hold true - it allowed me to read the way that I wanted - on demand, while traveling/ waiting instead of dedicated reading time, easy note taking - I can do the old school stuff - highlight and annotate and I can also copy entire paragraphs into my notes, I can search my notes and re-organize them, I link the source material, etc.
While digital reading offers flexibility and accessibility, it's important to recognize its limitations. For instance, digital devices can lead to distractions, and prolonged screen time may impact eye health. Additionally, some students may find it harder to concentrate on digital devices due to notifications or the temptation to switch tasks. And yes, if you read fiction to unwind before bed, that is less about reading performance and more about well-being and joy. No debate here about which is better. What makes you feel best is better.
But, it is unimaginable to me that most people can have better reading performance in a real world setting without technology.
This free reading point of view applies to writing too. I think my paper-writing performance is about 100x worse than my paper reading-performance. Lol. Cannot even imagine producing any meaningful written work on pen and paper.
Throw in the potential impact of AI Large Language Models that have only emerged 2 in the last 2 years, and your performance advantage with digital reading and writing can be on a whole new level.
I will quote again, a favourite line from Jeff Bezos:
“You change the tools and the tools change you”
Reading needs to be a highly transferable, enduring skill. This is why, as an educator, I am still so keen to understand and fully explore its applicability in schools.
I will be keeping my eyes open for more research!
Love this Radhika. I think fluidity of reading environments and spaces is vital to encourage reading as a habit. I truly believe context is the most important and vital factor in developing early readers. Wide variety and interest related books can build early engagement. Access to a community of readers also encourages the habit according to me. Will review the papers as well. Thanks for these links.