Digital Text and Comprehension
How Digital Text Can Be Useful For Reading Comprehension
Digital vs. Print Text
Technology has advanced drastically over the past ten years. Along with the advancement of technology, students are now coming to school more skilled in using computers and other electronic devices. With what is now called "21-century" skills, students are also more capable of utilizing features and other beneficial elements of digital text to aid in the comprehension of these text. In my research in the differences in reading comprehension of print and digital text, I have concluded that it is not the medium of which the text is delivered that makes a big difference in comprehension. What makes the most difference is how students are taught to read text from different formats. If students are taught how to utilize features that come with different digital text, then the readers may find that they comprehend just as well if not better from the digital format than the print version.
How to Read a Digital Text
A Magazine Is an iPad That Does Not Work.m4v
Link to Herold article discussing challenges in digital reading.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/05/07/30reading_ep.h33.html
What is important for teachers and caregivers to be aware of is that you cannot hand a student an e-reader and expect them to know how to take advantage of the features it offers without teaching them first. Just like you can't give a child a book and expect them to be able to read it without being taught how to read. Teachers should teach their students how to utilize different mediums of text and the benefits that come with these different text. If this is done, then there is not much difference in the comprehension of these different text.
Scholastic.com
This button links to an article on scholastic.com discussing the use of digital books in the classroom.
A Vision of K-12 Students Today
21st Century Students
Yes, students are coming into the classroom with more 21st century skills. But, each student has different backgrounds and experiences with technology. Some students will be more experienced than others. Teachers should be aware of each students levels of learning, even with technology, and differentiate their instruction based off of students needs.
My Bio
My name is Olivia Leggett, and I am a senior at East Carolina University. I am pursuing a degree in special education in the general curriculum with a concentration in reading. My plan is to graduate in May of 2015 and begin searching for job opportunities in rural areas of eastern North Carolina.
Email: leggetto12@students.ecu.edu