"Differences in Print and Screen Reading in Graduate Students"
Download PDF About the AuthorLauren J. Short is a PhD candidate in Composition at the University of New Hampshire. Her research interests include religious rhetorics, feminist rhetorics, and digital literacy pedagogy. Contents |
Study Aims and Introduction to Research FrameworkBased on the studies in the previous section, I’ve found graduate student reading preference is an uncharted area of research. The purpose of my study is to examine the methods that graduate students in the university take when reading a) print texts and b) digital texts. My aim is to discover if readers take different strategies when reading in print versus reading on a screen. Furthermore, my intention in this study is not so much to discretely separate “print” from “digital” reading strategies, as I understand that some readers employ similar if not the same strategies on both mediums. In looking at print and digital reading strategies, I was curious to see if participants use the same strategies on both mediums, and if so, why. Though, I was also curious to see if there were stark contrasts in strategies in print and on screen, and what the implications of this might be. Studying graduate students has to do with not only the significant amount of reading that takes place at the university, but also because, as a university writing instructor, I believe that reading effectively is one of the first steps to writing more coherently. Furthermore, since technology has the capacity to enhance learning, this study will provide insight into the ways that technology can be used effectively to read. Some popular media sources, like Scientific American, suggest that many students prefer print to screen texts, but could it be because students have not developed strategies to read effectively on screens? |