The downside of digital learning: New research proves that students learn better from books than screens
Experts are urging schools not to ditch paper, pens and textbooks in the frantic rush towards digital learning – and new research shows exactly why it would be a huge mistake.
Global experts are urging schools not to give up on paper and pens amid a push towards increasing online assessments and digital learning.
Reading from paper supports deeper comprehension and reflective engagement, while reading on screens often leads to skimming and less sustained engagement, a new OECD paper has found.
A panel of experts led by Sanna Forsström from the University of Stavanger in Norway assessed years of global reviews, analyses, studies and research papers on digital literacy. They found technology itself doesn’t help kids learn, with high-quality teaching still required.
It comes as NSW students have been trialling digital HSC exams in three subjects, with a screen-based rollout expected to continue next year with English extension. More than 100 school systems around the world have now adopted screen-based assessments.
Dr Forsström and her team concluded that digital tools can improve engagement, but can also offer distractions and cognitive overload.
They also found digital learning has a “screen inferiority effect” which suggests that “paper-based reading tends to enhance comprehension and metacognitive engagement more effectively than screen-based reading”.
Outcomes for those who sat the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) on paper were higher than screen, the research shows.
The OECD experts also found digital tools such as keyboard typing can help students with learning disabilities, but argue that “both students’ handwriting and keyboarding is essential for students’ writing development, particularly in the early years of schooling”.
They concluded that “handwriting remains important for foundational literacy development”.
Dr Jenny Donovan
Australian Education Research Organisation CEO Jenny Donovan said some multimedia tools can have a positive effect on literacy outcomes, but it depends on the quality of the program. “For example, a digital program with too many interactive elements may lead to cognitive overload, which detracts from learning,” she said.
“While today’s students may be considered ‘digital natives’, teachers should continue to think carefully about how and in what circumstances they use digital tools. The best learning comes from great teachers.”
Andrew Oberthur
Former principal, author and university tutor Andrew Oberthur said students may not read assessment tasks with the same degree of detail on screen compared to paper.
“There is a place for online learning only when backed up by excellent pedagogy. Hence we need to be training our teachers in how best to use online strategies, not just providing technology in classrooms without the training to support the learning and therefore the outcomes for students,” he said.
Dr Luke Rowe
ACU School of Education senior lecturer and learning scientist Luke Rowe agreed that “students often comprehend more deeply on paper, especially with complex or exam-style texts”.
“Major reviews show paper gives a modest edge (about one to two months of learning or 5-10 per cent advantage),” he said.
“That gap shrinks or disappears when digital texts are well designed and when students are taught strategies to avoid skimming and distractions.
“The real takeaway isn’t necessarily ‘paper good, screens bad,’ but that schools focus on design features to match the medium to the task and prepare students to read deeply and critically in both worlds.”
Do screens better equip students for the future than paper and pen? Have your say below or email education@news.com.au
