E-Books Changing the Game
The question of whether reading on a screen is better or worse than reading a physical book has been a debate for years. In Johann Hari’s book “Stolen Focus,” Hari argues how reading a physical book improves comprehension and empathy. In chapter four, Hari discusses the findings of various scientists and experts who found that reading a novel or physical book helps one immerse themselves into what it’s like to be inside another person’s head (Hari 86).
Raymond Mar, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, says “’While we’re reading, we’re directing attention outward toward the words on the page and, at the same time, enormous amounts of attention is going inward as we imagine and mentally simulate,’” (Hari 88).
However, while I was reading chapters four and five, I couldn’t help but wonder what types of reading work best for students with learning disabilities and dyslexia. As I dove deeper into my research, I found e-books do have immersive qualities physical books don’t have that can help support students’ learning experiences.
According to the United Nations, the radio is one of the most powerful tools in dialogue, tolerance, and peace. For years, the radio has been the most powerful tool in spreading a message, as a person hears a dialogue over and over they can picture in their head.
E-books have an audio feature, as well as a zoom-in, highlight, and other features that can help guide students through reading and comprehension. Although scientists have found people retain more information from paper, the support from audio listening and e-books should not be dismissed. A 2015 study showed that e-books are making young adults and children more engaged in reading. The study showed the percentage of boys who thought reading was cool increased from 34.4% to 66.5%.
E-books also offer dyslexia-friendly text, which students with learning disabilities can benefit from. A recent study done on 12 students with dyslexia aged 14-18 and 12 students without dyslexia aged 14-18 showed that the students with dyslexia who read dyslexia-friendly text were able to comprehend the reading much easier than reading print text.
As I dove further into research on whether or not e-books are helpful or harmful, I found there is no definitive answer. E-books do have some drawbacks, such as them causing eyestrain and more temptation to skim, they do also have benefits that help those who find it challenging to read a physical book.
Although Hari’s research does prove that most people comprehend text better in a physical book versus an e-book, I couldn’t help but think about people with learning disabilities and/or dyslexia. Having reading options are more inclusive and allow people to discover reading in newer ways. It is important for people to understand how to utilize both and decide what resources work best for their learning and imagination.
References
Allcott, L. (2021, October 11). Reading on-screen vs reading in print: What's the difference for learning? Retrieved September 11, 2022, from https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/reading-on-screen-vs-reading-in-print-whats-the-difference-for-learning
Best, E. (2020, February). Audiobooks and literacy: A rapid review of the literature. Retrieved September 11, 2022, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED607775.pdf
Chen, C., & Keong, M. (2016, October 27). Affording inclusive dyslexia-friendly online text reading - universal access in the information society. Retrieved September 11, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10209-016-0501-0#Sec2
Educomics. (2020, July 21). The Pros and cons of e-books and physical books. Retrieved September 11, 2022, from https://www.educomics.org/on-paper-or-on-screen-the-pros-of-reading-books-and-e-books/
Hari, J. (2022). Cause Four: The Collapse of Sustained Reading. In Stolen focus: Why you can't pay attention--and how to think deeply again (First Edition ed., pp. 79-90). Crown.
UN Affairs. (2019, February 13) Radio still a powerful worldwide tool for 'dialogue, tolerance and peace': Guterres. UN News, Retrieved September 11, 2022, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/02/1032591
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