Annotated Bibliography
Baron, Naomi S. (2017). Reading in a digital age. Phi Delta Kappan. Vol 99 (2), 15 – 20.
https://doi-org.cmich.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/0031721717734184
Baron’s article presents a brief survey of prior research on the comparison of comprehension levels between reading print text and reading digital versions. While acknowledging distinct variations in interest, facility, and comprehension at different grade levels in earlier studies, she confines her research to university students in several areas of the globe. Included within the article was a report of a 2012 Pugh Research study (Purcell, et al.) surveying teachers who described students as more media savvy, easily distracted, needing time away from technology, and less literate than their predecessors. Baron’s key finding was that students are readers of print text, but users of digital text, for the purpose finding information. She states that “contemporary digital technology is altering the role of reading in education” (19).
After years of prior research on the general topic and an extensive bibliography of research by others, representing different methods, age groups, and specific targets of information, Baron conducts a survey of 400 university students from the U.S., Japan, Germany, Slovakia, and India. Results are analyzed in summary as well as by country, providing some fruitful comparisons. All data arises from self-reported information in three successive sets of questions. At no time did Baron assess the actual comprehension level of the respondents.
The value that Baron brings to the topic is the in-depth analysis in light of the responses from her subjects. Drawing upon their initial responses, their additional comments about preferences, and their supporting information based on open-ended questions, Baron recognizes the topic of print vs. digital is not merely a comparison such as red vs. blue. Each medium provides different options to readers. Print is static, without distraction, physical, and long-term. An eText is accessible, interactive, searchable, and intangible. By capturing responses from her college readers, she assesses their answers not to the simple comparison of one page over another, but a dramatic difference in style, skill application, goal achievement, and cost (both actual and theoretical). Baron seems to have captured the essence of the question through her assessment that reading and text may be on the way to being superseded by audio and video media, just as oral tradition took a backseat to text long ago.
EmpowerED 