| Why books win |
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| Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios |
| New technologies — laptops, tablets and smart whiteboards — have steadily entered classrooms. But newer isn’t always better. Researchers are digging into whether the tech is actually improving learning and finding that the studies make a strong case for returning to old-school books, Markham Heid writes for Time. The big picture: The key case study is Norway, where most students have done most of their coursework on tablets and laptops. But now, schools are stripping devices from classrooms — especially for children under 10 — as growing evidence links screen use to poorer reading performance and lower reading enjoyment. Zoom in: Marte Blikstad-Balas, a professor at the University of Oslo, and an expert on the use of tech in education, zeroed in on the difference between screens and paper in a reading comprehension study, Heid reports.Eighth graders were directed to answer questions about passages they’d read on paper versus on screens. Blikstad-Balas and her team found that students answered more questions correctly and had to refer back to the text fewer times when reading on paper. In another paper, published in Pediatrics in 2019, the study authors found that parents and toddlers talked to each other and talked about the story less when they were looking at e-books versus print books. Between the lines: There are a few explanations for why kids do better reading old-school books.The tactile experience of reading on paper may help the brain process and retain information more effectively. Screens introduce distractions that don’t exist on the page. We’re used to scrolling and scanning on screens, while books encourage slower, more focused reading. What we’re watching: Research on tech in the classroom is leading to more screen bans but, for students with disabilities, screens hold more promise than negatives. And advocates are urging schools to think carefully about blanket bans. The bottom line: Buy books or get a library card for yourself and the kids in your life. Books still win! |
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2. Pic to go! |
Photo: Gary Hershorn/Getty ImagesThe Strawberry Moon rose behind the Statue of Liberty as the sun set in New York City on Monday evening. |
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Zoom in: Marte Blikstad-Balas, a professor at the University of Oslo, and an expert on the use of tech in education, zeroed in on the difference between screens and paper in a reading comprehension study, Heid reports.
Between the lines: There are a few explanations for why kids do better reading old-school books.
Pic to go!
Photo: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
Please invite your friends to