Check It Out: Paper vs. Electonic Learning

Dorothy Mikuska (ePen & Inc Oak Brook, IL)

Marti Seaton (Glenbard South HS)

Laura Broderick (Glenbard East HS, Lombard IL)

eBooks are Best..?

The brain reads the words differently on paper than on an ebook.  We read 16% of words online, F-shape.  Rereading doesn't happen.  We distract to other sites.  IGA.  Information excess blocks focus.  Slow reading beats fast every time, like Aesops Tortoise.   

Screenagers

Will they grow up to read deeply.  HS syllabi are filled with digital texts, blogs, facebook pages, etc.  Over 3 million freshmen in 2008, 43% at 2 yr and 29% at 4 year unable to do basic work, more likely to drop out.  They cost society.  Can't comprehend complex texts.  Able to do main idea, word meaning, and supporting evidence, though...

Decelerate

Uninterrupted thinking vs multitasking.  Focus on values, perspectives, why's, over skimming, poor comprehension. 

Receptivity

Modesty is a precondition to learning vs. Youtube's "broadcast yourself" 

Kaiser Family Fdtn study 1/2010

Develop Habit of Slower Reading
Reading is learned -- develop new connections & pathways.  Plasticity can re-adapt back to slow reading.  The end of the author's wisdom is the beginning of ours (Proust).

Brain Changes from eReading

Grey cells over-activated.  Leads to shallow reading/thinking.  Decode rather than interpret.  

Read: Maryanne Wolf - Proust and the Squid

Imposition and superimposition of digital reading technology the academic...

pBook reading habits don't work with ebooks.  Fewer distractions so stay focused.  Better for reading entire book.  Easier to memorize, on eyes.  Kids prefer real books.  Less than 10% use ebooks.  Postits are easier than kindle highlights.     

Future Thoughts

Reading in depth, ereading is incomplete.  Will the economic consequence of today's narcissistic poor learners be felt tomorrow? 

However...can't stop a runaway train...e is happening.  We need to move p practices to e!!