“Differences in Print and Screen Reading in Graduate Students”

by Lauren J. Short | Xchanges 14.1, Spring 2019

Study Aims and Introduction to Research Framework

Based on the studies in the previous section, I’ve found graduate student reading preference is an uncharted area of research. The purpose of my study is to examine the methods that graduate students in the university take when reading a) print texts and b) digital texts. My aim is to discover if readers take different strategies when reading in print versus reading on a screen. Furthermore, my intention in this study is not so much to discretely separate “print” from “digital” reading strategies, as I understand that some readers employ similar if not the same strategies on both mediums.

Studying graduate students has to do with not only the significant amount of reading that takes place at the university, but also because, as a university writing instructor, I believe that reading effectively is one of the first steps to writing more coherently. Furthermore, since technology has the capacity to enhance learning, this study will provide insight into the ways that technology can be used effectively to read. Some popular media sources, like Scientific American, suggest that many students prefer print to screen texts, but could it be because students have not developed strategies to read effectively on screens?