Information and digital literacy in education via the digital path

Reading from screens has become increasingly prevalent in education, but there continues to be debate over whether that is desirable. As the latest rebuttal to the promotion of electronic text, a meta-analysispublished this year found reading from a screen negatively affects reading performance compared to reading from paper.

However, higher education and K-12 alike continue to invest in e-textbooks and other digital materials.

“I want all students to be able to learn from digital textbooks,” President Obama said in his 2011 State of the Union address.

Today’s students see themselves as digital natives, the first generation to grow up surrounded by technology like smartphones, tablets and e-readers.

Teachers, parents and policymakers certainly acknowledge the growing influence of technology and have responded in kind. We’ve seen more investment in classroom technologies, with students now equipped with school-issued iPads and access to e-textbooks.