Reading Speed and Information Presentation

This paper presents the results of an experiment measuring the difference of reading speed and preference when reading on paper or screen. Extending previous experiments on the topic of reading speed measurements, which usually concentrate in specific age groups, in this experiment, participants from across the adult life span took part in reading on computer screen or on paper. Results are in agreement with previous studies, which showed that reading from paper is significantly faster (around 10-30%) than reading from screen. No significant differences in terms of reading speed and preference among the three information layouts (one-column, two-column and three-column formats) used in this experiment were found.

Zaphiris, P., & Kurniawan, H. (2001). Effects of information layout on reading speed: Differences between paper and monitor presentation. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting Proceedings, 45(15), 1210-1214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/154193120104501512

Literature Exposure and Desire for Closure

According to a study, the need for cognitive closure has been found to be associated with a variety of suboptimal information processing strategies, leading to decreased creativity and rationality. When compared to participants in the essay condition, participants in the short story condition experienced a significant decrease in self-reported need for cognitive closure. The effect was particularly strong for participants who were habitual readers (of either fiction or non-fiction). These findings suggest that reading fictional literature could lead to better procedures of processing information generally, including those of creativity.

Djikic, M., Oatley, K., & Moldoveanu, M. C. (2013). Opening the closed mind: The effect of exposure to literature on the need for closure. Creativity Research Journal, 25(2), 149-154. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2013.783735

Benefits of One-to-one Laptop Programs on Academic Achievement

This article reviews 65 journal articles and 31 doctoral dissertations published from January 2001 to May 2015 in order to examine the effect of one-to-one laptop programs on teaching and learning in K–12 schools. A meta-analysis of 10 studies examines the impact of laptop programs on students’ academic achievement, finding significantly positive average effect sizes in English, writing, mathematics, and science. In addition, the article summarizes the impact of laptop programs on more general teaching and learning processes and perceptions as reported in these studies, again noting generally positive findings.

Zheng, Binbin & Warschauer, Mark & Lin, Chin-Hsi & Chang, Chi. (2016). Learning in one-to-one laptop environments: A meta-analysis and research synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 86(4). http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0034654316628645