Reading Print vs. on Screen: Exploring Reading Comprehension, Information Location Recall, and Reading Habits Across Media

With the widespread adoption of educational technology in schools and increased internet connectivity, examining their impact on learning outcomes is crucial. This dissertation explored the educational implications of analogue and digital learning materials, focusing on how different presentation media affect reading outcomes, hereby informing the design of digital resources. Recognising reading as a fundamental skill that enhances learning and educational achievement, the thesis investigated how print versus digital media influence text processing and comprehension. In three studies, two preregistered experiments and a validation study, the influence of various presentation media on reading and learning was investigated.
In two experiments, children’s reading comprehension and ability to recall the location of information within texts of 4th to 6th graders were examined. Experiment 1 (N = 120) explored the impact of medium (print vs. digital) and text structures on comprehension, controlling for word reading and vocabulary. Experiment 2 (N = 128) focused on how these factors influenced the recall of information location and their relation to reading skills and spatial working memory. Experiment 1 provided evidence for reduced reading comprehension in the digital medium, indicating a screen inferiority effect. This effect persisted even after controlling for significant predictors of reading comprehension, such as word reading and vocabulary. These findings draw attention to challenges posed by the digital medium for reading and learning, offering insights that can guide the design of digital reading materials. Experiment 2 found that participants exhibited poorer recall of information location in the digital medium, but this effect was not influenced by text structure or reading comprehension. Notably, readers with better spatial working memory were better at information location recall.
Further, a questionnaire on print and digital reading habits, along with digital device use was validated in a sample of German students aged 9 to 12 (\N=110). Exploratory factor analysis identified four distinct factors: general print reading, fiction digital reading, mixed-genre digital reading, and leisure activities on smartphones. Reliability and consistency metrics confirmed the questionnaire's suitability for measuring these constructs.
Summarising, the findings of this thesis offer insights into the effects of medium and presentation format on reading and learning in digital and analogue learning environments. Notably, reading on screens can pose challenges for learning, both with respect to reading comprehension as well as for recalling the location of key information in text. Additionally, the validated questionnaire on print and digital reading habits and digital device use highlights the distinct patterns of print versus digital reading behaviours, and offers further understanding of their relation to reading related skills.