By: Professor Mom

Professor Mom — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:02:41 +0000

It does appear that page turning would equate to some extent with scrolling. However, in the study I cited and others, the distraction factor is compounded by the nature of the online environment. Online, our attention is diverted by hypertext links (a major component of this study), ads on the screen, etc. The online environment also affects our brains differently. Recent research in neurology points to excessive dopamine (a chemical neurotransmitter produced by the brain) exposure which stems from significant time engaged with the computer screen. Dopamine suppresses the functions in the brain which measure risk and analyze consequences.
A child’s brain is developing and is more susceptible to both the distraction factor (neurons make some important connections via sustained, challenging activity) and the influx of dopamine. From my perspective, the evidence leans in favor of print books when it comes to a child’s brain development, until some of this research into modalities and how they affect the developing minds of children is replicated and/or disproven.
Additionally, many of the hypertext stories being used in educational environments are rich in visual and video in-puts. This isn’t a bad thing, but it is something to be moderated, especially in the early years. Again, research reinforces that the brain just doesn’t have to work as hard when something is fed to it on a screen. This logic applies to all screen activities, including television and video games.
That all being said, I firmly believe that technology, when correctly laid out for ease of reading (font efficiency, etc.), is a huge plus to the learning environment. It is simply a matter of moderating screen time when children are growing up to allow the proper experiences and development. As always, I suppose, moderation is the key.
Thanks for the comment! Any other thoughts from the group?

By: Luke Holzmann

Luke Holzmann — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:54:25 +0000

There is something odd about saying that clicking or scrolling “disrupts” a person’s ability to learn. The same would have to be applied to turning a page in a book. Clicking my page down button requires less coordination than flipping a books page.
Granted, some websites have horrible layouts for learning, but reading text in an RSS reader or on a digital display system can’t be worse in this regard than a book.
~Luke

Comments on: Books or the Screen? New Research On Reading

By: Professor Mom

By: Luke Holzmann