Ruminations on our relationship with technology
Are e-books or e-readers good technologies for reading? Summary: There are key differences between screen media and print media, and these differences make books better than screens for reading, especially deep reading. But what about e-books? Are e-readers good technologies for reading too? Interestingly, although they’re technically screens, e-readers have features that imitate books. Consequently, … Read more
Why Screens Are Better Than Books For Interactive Learning Summary: Although books are good for deep reading that requires focusing, recalling, and reflecting upon what you learn, screens are better than books for interactive kinds of learning, such as presenting dynamic content or simulating game-like interfaces. Thus, screens work well for activities like visualization, navigation, … Read more
Why Books Are Better Than Screens for Reading Summary: Screens are good for skimming when you need to scan text, search or sift through information, and find content quickly. But books are better than screens for deep reading that requires focusing, recalling, and reflecting upon what you learned. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was already … Read more
How laptops affect learning—and why the medium is the message! Years have passed since media guru Marshall McLuhan declared “the medium is the message.” Nonetheless, his insights about technology remain relevant to this day. In particular, his ideas about media can shed light on an ongoing debate in education. Does using laptops and computers in … Read more
Proust and the Squid: Maryanne Wolf on the science of reading It’s uncontroversial to say we humans evolved to eat and reproduce. But it would be ridiculous to argue we evolved to read or write—even though reading and writing are clearly consequences of our evolution. So how did we end up with these abilities? Maryanne … Read more