Textbooks are better than digital reading, says study

Hyderabad: Though today’s students are equipped with school-issued iPads and access to e-textbooks, they learn better from physical textbooks and teachers, according to a new study by psychologists from the University of Maryland in the US. 

According to the study, limiting students to a purely digital world may not be helping all students to learn effectively.

This research explored differences that might exist in comprehension when students read digital and print texts. The study sho-ws that if a student wants to have a quick overview of a topic, then the digital method of learning is better, but when a student needs an in-depth understanding of a subject, it’s better to read a textbook.

The study also found that though teachers, students, parents and policymakers assume that students who are familiar with technology deliver better outcomes, this is not true. Psycho-logists say just one way of learning is never a good idea and with screen learning we might be learning different things but also limiting ourselves.

Diana Monteiro, director and counselling psychologist at the Hyderabad Aca-demy of Psychology, said, “When you read a book, the kind of concentration and effort needed accesses different parts of the brain than when you are looking at a screen, and hence a different learning is taking place. While we can’t give up digital learning, the key is to allow kids to learn through different mediums textbooks, scre-ens, practicals, experience, and exposure, all help im-prove learning. If you use only one and ignore the rest, learning will be limited.”

Educationist Naganti Narayana believes that no education system can replace the teacher or textbooks, “as the teaching learning process is a live activity among human relations.” 

Digital, Smart equipment or facilities may be comfortable but not functional without a talented teacher." 

According to Chava Ravi, an education expert, "Digital content will certainly assist and enhance the learning process, but it cannot replace the teaching learning activities of a classroom.''