Should we be printing this?
Printing Resources for better learning
With the increasing number of learning institutions opting to forgo the textbook and instead offer an online version of learning, XRX Print Centre has had an increase in requests from Students, to print their digital content.
Students are being encouraged to save money on textbooks and buy cheaper digital versions online, but is this move away from print on paper the right one for students learning?
In the article 'Evidence increases for reading on paper instead of screens' published in The Hechinger Report in 2019, Jill Barshay writes "The studies showed that students of all ages, from school to college and beyond, tend to absorb more when they’re reading on paper than on screens, particularly when it comes to nonfiction material."
In the resource '17 scientifically proven ways to study better this year' published on the website Thebestcolleges.org, the author places 'STICK TO PRINT' as their number one tip to study better, stating tablets and other eLearning media are not as effective as print.
Other studies of student learning have found memory retention is higher when learning from paper compared with online learning. Comprehension is also found to be reduced when learning from the text on screens compared to text on paper.
Bobby Hoffman Ph.D. associate professor at the university of central Florida wrote in psychology today:
- Printed texts are preferred for recall and comprehension.
- Digital screens do not significantly reduce or improve reading time or critical thinking.
Yet another study of 510 Australian students in high school, university and TAFE found, 93% of students reported having difficulty concentrating when studying online. And in the same study, 23% admitted they found it difficult to recall what they had just learnt online.
To assist students in learning effectively, XRX Print Centre offers excellent local student discounts.
You can email us your content for print or submit it through our online portal Submit your print online