Paper vs. Screen: Effects on Reading Comprehension, Metacognition, and Reader Behavior

摘要

Students are increasingly learning through online environments that deliver different experiences fromtraditional classrooms. In this study, participants’ learning environments were manipulated using twoindependent variables, each with two levels for a total of four conditions: study medium, which is the focusof this paper (text was presented either on paper or a screen), and in-text prompts (metacognitive or nonmetacognitivein nature). Ninety-two participants were randomly assigned to one of the conditions in abetween-subject design; during the study, they each read three expository texts, completed acomprehension test after each text, and responded to a survey at the end of the study. Participants who readtext on paper tended to take more notes and spend more time studying than those who read from a screen,but comprehension differences were negligible. Results from this study can inform dialogue about theeffects of technology in classrooms.