Most of my students who have made comments about reading from the screen say they prefer to print out material and then read. They certainly say this about assignments they've written and intend to turn in for a grade.
I have a great deal of difficulty believing that today's Internet is fundamentally changing our brains.
I remember many "scholars"' saying that Sesame Street in the 1960s would harm a student's ability to concentrate, since there were only short little sketches and snippets presented, rather than the usual, L-O-N-G lectures and rote instruction. What was actually demonstrated was that Sesame Street's inventive teaching that actually involved students was much, much more effective at teaching materials that were understood and retained than the older methods of droning on and on to students.
I don't think anyone's learning abilities are hurt by the internet. Instead, I think learning abilities are hurt by poor nutrition and inadequate support for schools and teachers.
OK. Thanks, as usual, for the very interesting post.
Janet
Dr. J. Nepkie
SUNY Distinguished Service Professor
Professor of Music and Music Industry
Fine Arts 145
State University College
Oneonta, NY 13820
tele: (607) 436 3425
fax: 607 436 2718
[log in to unmask]
________________________________
From: <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Teaching Breakfast List <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:40:54 -0500
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Reading Online vs. Paper
TBers,
Reminder that the last TB of the year will be Dec. 1, 8 am, Starbucks in the Hunt College Union.
I just finish reading Nicolas Carr's new book The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains?. In it, he makes a compelling case that the fragmented media of today's Internet is fundamentally changing our brains. He covers the topic pretty well (from my uneducated perspective), moving from working memory/long term memory issues, to how we react to different formats. Faculty that study reading tell me there may be something to this. They point out the numerous studies suggesting that reading from paper is a cognitive process, while reading from the screen is more a visual process. Of course generalizing this complex process is always risky. I'm curious....
Do you expect your students to read "from the screen" ?
Do you suggest to them, they print things out before reading them, and if so why? If not, why not?
Do you have an anecdotal information that suggests one approach might be better than another?
Hope to see you all Dec. 1. Until then, don't each too much.
Mr. James B. Greenberg
Director Teaching, Learning and Technology Center
Milne Library
SUNY College at Oneonta
Oneonta, New York 13820
blog: The 32nd Square at http://32ndsquare.blogspot.com
wiki: The 32nd Square at http://32ndsquare.wikidot.com
email: [log in to unmask]
phone: 607-436-2701
fax: 607-436-3677
IM: oneontatltc
Twitter: greenbjb
"Ignorance is curable, stupidity lasts forever"
P Think before you print! Please consider the environment before printing this email
|
