Has the Digital Age Improved Learning? Three Tips to Better Retention

Ever wonder if students are missing anything by choosing to read a digital book versus a hard copy version? With the convenience of digital resources at their fingertips, students have access to volumes of literature, almost instantly. In a world where there are so many digital apps that compete for your child’s attention, does quicker access mean more learning and better retention is taking place? According to the research, it’s not. However, there are some clear benefits to using both. Researchers have examined if comprehension is affected by one medium or the other, and you can help your student understand how digital and paper choices affect learning.
 
Research shows our brains respond differently to onscreen text than words on paper. According to the magazine, The Scientific American: On The Reading Brain in the Digital Age, the benefit of physical print allows the brain to recall text on a certain page as the brain function retains the words in a physical landscape. Similar to walking in a forest, your brain knows how far you have read the book and this spatial awareness leads to better recall on identifying which page you read a particular detail of a passage. Screen reading, on the other hand, “interfere with intuitive navigation of a text and inhibit people from mapping the journey in their minds.”
 
During class, students are exposed to interactive lessons, and homework options are often available digitally. While a majority of students who participated in the study preferred to read digitally and felt their comprehension was better when they read online, comprehension was measurably better when students read in print.
 
iLearn Academy offers both print and digital resources to help your students excel in both areas. We assess the student’s ability to comprehend and retain information yet try to maximize all the benefits of learning that the digital world has to offer.
 
We offer three tips to improving your student’s retention when reading digitally:

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We teach effective note-taking skills. A key finding is that handwritten notes while reading electronically raises the retention rate for the student’s memory.  Writing notes calls for the reader to think of the meaning of the text and to put it in his or her own words. That engages a deeper thought process than just skimming the digital screen. In addition, some students and instructors feel print reading is advantageous for a more thorough analysis of text. Readers can flip back and forth to search for particular textual evidence more easily with paper than reading electronically. So, taking notes while reading digital formats is a good practice to improve memory.

We teach to different learning styles. Understanding your students unique learning style can improve their ability to retain long-term memory. There are seven learning styles and your student may learn more effectively through digital print, as a visual (spatial) or aural (auditory) learner than the physical (kinesthetic) or logical (mathematical) learner. The digital world presents a highly digital and interactive experience with the ability to read aloud or include beautiful graphics and pictures in an e-book versus many hard copy versions. The social (interpersonal) and solitary (intrapersonal) learner will benefit by having an educator involved with active learning by asking questions after the text, whether digital or hard-copy, is read.  

We offer a balanced approach to learning. A balance of both digital and print options empowers your student to have the sense of immediacy that satisfies eager learners, while ensuring a methodical, strategic approach for deeper analysis and understanding. iLearn Academy provides iPads and Kindles for students along with interactive lessons and digital homework options.

  
For more information on the debate on learning in the digital age read more at:
 
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/
 
If you would like to learn more about your students learning style, please contact iLearn Academy today at 847-834-0791.