Textual reading in digitised classrooms: Reflections on reading beyond the internet

International Journal of Educational Research, vol. 115, pp. 102036

Abstract

Discussions of digital technologies in education should take into consideration the role of analogue technologies – such as print books – especially when it comes to reading. Empirical research (Delgado et al., 2018; Kong et al., 2018; Clinton, 2019; Singer & Alexander, 2017) shows that paper supports comprehension better than screens, especially when reading longer and more complex texts. PISA 2019 shows that reading performance has declined in many countries, and teenagers report a significant drop in leisure reading. This article reviews and discusses these findings, in light of how reading and literacy have been redefined on the premises and affordances of digital technologies, and calls for a heightened attention to important aspects of reading that are now being marginalized – namely, those that are least compatible with digital technologies.

Authors 2

1. Adriaan van der Weel Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University, Rapenburg 70, Leiden 2311 EZ, the Netherlands

2. Anne Mangen corresponding

   University of Stavanger

   Affiliation as printed

   Anne Mangen, the Norwegian Reading Center, University of Stavanger, Professor Olav Hanssens vei 10, Stavanger NO-4021, Norway