Technology Isn't Always Better....

I have to admit I am still smitten with books. Not Kindle, eBook, or Nook books, but old fashioned paper, ink, bound books. There is something romantic, magical, nostalgic about holding a book in your hands. It turns out that there may actually be some advantages to some of the "old fashioned" ways of doing things. In a recent NPR  article Daniel Oppenheimer, a professor at UCLA found that when he told 50 students to attend a lecture and take notes either on a laptop or paper that those who used paper scored significantly higher on a comprehension test.

The advantages of old fashioned paper are not just confined to this small study. Dillon (1994) found that reading from a computer screen was 20 to 30% slower than from paper. In 2008, Noyes and Garland reviewed multiple studies that showed advantages in reading speed,accuracy, and comprehension on paper mediums. They also go on to explain that electronic mediums can be attributed to increased fatigue and stress over their paper counterparts. This increased cognitive workload could lead to decreased performance over time.

In a 2014, Huffington Post article they pointed out other advantages to pen and paper including:

• Fewer distractions
• Increased creativity 
• Increasing positive brain activity
• Slowing you down enough to think about what you are writing

Technology is incredible. It allows us to do many things our grandparents never dreamed of - like writing blogs that all of you can read or carrying our whole library around in a tablet but it is important to remember that it isn't always better. There are some advantages to those musky smelling, page turning classics taking up room in your local library.

Sources:

Dillon, A., (1992) Reading from paper versus screens: A critical review of the empirical literature. Ergonomics, 35, 1297–1326.

Noyes, J.M. and Garland, K.J. (2008) Computer- vs. paper-based tasks: Are they equivalent?, Ergonomics, 51( 9), 1352–1375

Pearson, C. (2014) The Benefits Of Writing With Good Old Fashioned Pen And Paper. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ on 5/27/2015.

Weiner, E. (2015) In A Digital Chapter, Paper Notebooks Are As Relevant As Ever. Retrieved from www.NPR.com on 5/27/2015.