For the Love of Reading: Kindle the Fire with Technology
by Lavana J. Kindle, M.S.
DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH
Assessing reading comprehension: College preparation has become more important than ever
due to recent legislative demands that require higher education readiness, beginning attempt
success, and faster completion. During the fall 2011 semester, entering college reading
freshmen at Southern Arkansas University (SAU) in Magnolia, Arkansas, were tested for
reading comprehension. The research project involved students’ reading a passage from a
traditional, hard copy book and by reading the same passage from an “eBook” (electronic
book) on a digital display.
Furthering what little research has been done: Little research has been conducted to date in
comprehension of reading material on a digital display. It was felt from conducting research
that by greater exposure to reading material via a digital display, college students would be
better prepared to succeed academically. As the world takes on a greener role as a paperless
society, one goal was to expose college computer literate students to reading material using
digital screens. Another goal had the end sights on designing user friendly reading curricula
based on student reading and learning preferences. Finally, a remaining goal was to assist
students in being better prepared to succeed academically, to facilitate their retention, and to
graduate them from SAU.
Increasing reading for enjoyment: It has been said that the finer things in life have to be
cultivated. In the present digital age, educational reading professionals at SAU model and
motivate reading for pleasure in the classroom as well as in leisure time. Students in the
research project were exposed to reading in a fun and new way on a digital device. In
addition to furthering the understanding of reading academic material digitally, it was hoped
that the project would greater enhance students’ skills of reading in a fun, contemporary way.
Rationale: Students who lag behind in reading comprehension compared to their classmates
may be at risk for academic success. In addition, reading disabilities may hinder them;
however, most students today are otherwise keen, technological geniuses. In the present
“techie” age, it is important to grasp the educational interests of students in alternative ways
and help cultivate traditional values (i.e. reading for enjoyment). Educators enter the worlds
of their students when they “get on their wave length.” Students today would rather text than
talk. Texting is the talking lingo of today’s younger generation. Give students something to
read on a digital display, and see what happens. Some young people today may surprise
instructors at their abilities when given modern day devices to utilize in the educational
journey of learning.
RESEARCH RATIONALE
In one research project reported, Belmore (1985) asked subjects to read short passages from
screen and paper and measured reading time and comprehension. An initial examination of
the results appeared to show a considerable disadvantage for screen presented text in terms of
both comprehension and speed. Further analysis, however, showed that the effect was only
found when subjects read from the screen first. The researcher suggested that performance
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was hindered due to the subjects' lack of familiarity with computers and reading from
screens. This factor is found commonly in studies of this type, the writer reported. Very few
studies have attempted to use a sample of regular computer users. The SAU research in
reading for comprehension on digital displays ensured that participants were familiar
computer users.
An excellent suggestion from the research of the following cited work is that the readings be
available in print, in addition to or in place of a screen. The reasoning is that until computer
technology provides higher resolution and/or larger screens, the initial reading of a selection
is best done from paper copies (Haas & Hayes, 1986), followed by interaction with computer
software. The SAU reading comprehension research provided a classical eBook downloaded
free to students’ personal laptops or designated computers in the library, displayed large
enough to provide present day technology’s best.
Most educators today agree that at a minimum, literacy instruction needs to include
computing skills. Forward-looking educators see a greater role for technology in the literacy
classroom. The belief is that technology has the potential to connect students to reading and
writing. Meyer and Rose (2000), for example, point out "the potential of new technology to
revitalize reading instruction and to make reading more relevant to the lives of children
growing up in the Electronic Age." Greater exposure to reading on screen by SAU college
students indicated on average that reading comprehension was increased.
SAU RESEARCH RESULTS
SAU college reading students were evaluated in various ways during the fall 2011 semester
to ascertain the most effective reading method conducive to reading comprehension:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Reading an eBook on a digital display
Listening to an audio book while reading along with the hard copy
Reading a hard copy silently
Reading a hard copy out loud
Listening to a live person read a hard copy
After each activity, students were asked to close their books and answer a five question quiz
to indicate their level of reading comprehension. The following results list the reading
methods’ effectiveness, according to the assessments given to SAU college reading students.
Of sixteen participants who read a hard copy silently to themselves, thirteen students (81%)
answered five questions out of five correctly, two students (13%) answered four correctly,
and one student (6%) answered three correctly. The average score was 95% for students
silently reading a hard copy.
Eighteen SAU College Reading students read aloud to themselves privately in study rooms at
SAU’s Magale Library. A total of fourteen students answered five questions out of five
correctly (78%), three students (17%) answered four correctly, and one student (5%)
answered three items correctly. With the average score of 94%, students who read aloud
comprehended almost as well as when they read silently.
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One of the least effective means of reading comprehension assessment, that of listening to a
live person read a passage from a hard copy book while students followed along in their own
books, the results from seventeen students were as follows: six students (35%) answered five
questions out of five correctly, five students (29%) answered four items correctly, four
students answered three correctly, and two students answered two correctly. The average
score was 78%.
The above activities were conducted through classroom participation. The next two reading
comprehension methods were conducted on a volunteer basis, and fewer respondents
participated. Students were asked to come to an office area in another building on SAU’s
campus. When reading an eBook on a large digital display (a computer monitor), three
students (23%) answered five questions out of five correctly, six students (46%) answered
four items correctly, and four students (31%) answered three correctly (a total of thirteen
students). The average score for this assessment was 78%, tying with the method of listening
to a live person read.
An audio book on cassette was provided as the last means of measuring students’ degrees of
reading comprehension. Students read along in the hard copy book while listening to the
passage being read on tape. Surprisingly, the average score on this assessment was 92% for
the thirteen students who volunteered to participate. Ten students (77%) answered all five
questions correctly, one student (8%) answered four correctly, and two students (15%)
answered three correctly. The surprising fact was that students’ scores, those (average of
92%) who listened to a stranger read the book, were significantly higher than those (average
of 78%) who heard their instructor read aloud. Perhaps it was the wearing of the headphones
that made the difference, or there could be other reasons.
In the final analysis, interpretation of the results above indicate that the traditional reading
comprehension methods (i.e. listening to someone else read while following along, reading
silently to oneself, and reading aloud to oneself) comprise the better scores. This research
should place greater credence to the fact that high school and college students need to be
more prepared for the reading and disseminating of digital material in their education and
personal futures.
For more information on this research project, contact:
Lavana Kindle, M.S.; SI Coordinator; Adjunct Reading, PASS, and ESL Instructor
Southern Arkansas University
P.O. Box 9270
Magnolia, AR 71754-9270
870-818-8714, ljkindle@saumag.edu
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References
Dillon, A. (1992) Reading from Paper Versus Screens: A Critical Review of the
Empirical Literature. Ergonomics, 35(10), 1297-1326.
Holum, A. and Gahala, J. (2001) Critical Issue: Using Technology to Enhance
Literacy Instruction, North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.
Rings, S. (1994) The Role of Computer Technology in Teaching Critical Reading,
sally.rings@pvmail.maricopa.edu, Paradise Valley Community College.
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