Screens vs Paper: A Quantitative Study Analyzing the Use of Paper versus Screens While Reading Literary Fiction

Students are using screen-based technologies to read. The research on informative texts is clear--there is very little difference in comprehension between screen-based technologies and paper. Teachers of literature expect students to read for deep understanding: to go beyond the text and deeply analyze the literary concepts, context, and application to the reader's lives. This study conducted an experiment that compared the reading comprehension of students reading a novel from a screen with that of students reading from paper. Deep understanding of the text, as assessed by student essays, was the dependent variable. Students also completed a survey to collect data related to motivational theory, cognitive theory and transactional theory. Student demographic data were also collected. Analysis, using regression and correlation, concluded that the medium from which the literature was read resulted in no statistically significant differences in deep understanding. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]