Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/477973
and Learning at American University, also studied uni- versity students' reading practices and preferences from four countries. "The students were far more likely to prefer reading in print over digital screens," she says. The reason is that on some level students understand they retain what they have read in print, more so than what is read on a computer. "I asked students if they were more likely to reread text on a screen or hard copy, and most said they were more likely to reread something in print, because of comprehension or because they liked what they read," says Baron. Research from other sources shows people skim the surface of text that's read digitally. When scrolling, it's difficult to find a point to return to. A n o t h e r c h a l l e n ge i s t h a t d i g i t a l reading can be distracting. Emails, embedded photos and videos, and other interruptions lead to "multitasking," which interferes with concentration. DeAnna Jensen, English teacher at Riv- erside Community College, has seen such distraction in her class, where students are supposed to be reading on a device and instead are shopping online and answering emails. She worries that digital reading for hours can cause eyestrain. But it's "worth it" because her students save money. "You have to police your classroom, even in college," says Jensen, Riverside Com- munity College Faculty Association. Baron believes young people with the best intentions have challenges reading digitally. "Eighty to 90 percent of my students reported they were likely to take a quick look on Facebook or watch a YouTube video while doing homework, while only 25 to 30 percent multitasked when reading in print." Baron's book, Words Onscreen: The Fate of Reading in a Digital World, will be published soon by Oxford Univer- sity Press. And yes, there will be a digital version. "In no way am I suggesting that digital reading is going to go away," she says. "But we need to find a way to do it productively." This is even more true now that standardized testing is conducted entirely on computers. DeAnna Jensen worries that digital reading for hours can cause eyestrain, but it saves her students money. Kevin Kirschman Ripon Unified District Teachers Association "We bought the online edition of a book, at a third of the cost of a paper book, but students still wanted a paper book. Now, give them a screen to play on and that's a different story." Summer Hellewell San Diego Education Association "My students read Tom Sawyer online, which worked for most students. But many students still want to read in a book and find reading online challenging. Not to mention the logistical issues with getting out computers each day, battery levels, the time involved, etc." Kelly Payton New Haven Teachers Association "The struggle for me is finding online text at the student's instructional levels without having to purchase pricey programs." Do your students prefer print or digital? A sampling of responses on CTA's Facebook page. Q: Read More On page 45, find Catlin Tucker's strategies and resources for reading digital material properly to maximize comprehension. 39 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 7