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The schools my son (age 11) and daughter (age 13) attend, are weaning the students off of printed books. About half of my son's text books have to be accessed on the computer. Most of their quizzes and tests are done on the school's Chromebooks or iPads. My son is as computer savvy as the next kid, but he doesn't like taking all of his tests or doing his homework on the computer. It's pretty hilarious listening to an 11-year-old pine for the Good Ol' Days of paper, but kind of sad at the same time.
In our school district, by the time a student reaches the 9th grade, they no no longer have any physical textbooks. All books are accessed through iPads, which we are required to rent at $50.00 a month. We cannot use our own iPads--everyone must use the school-issued iPads.
Studies have shown that people, both young and old, absorb more when reading from a paper book than a digital one. Reading from a computer screen inhibits comprehension levels. From what I've observed with my own children, and my own experience trying to master academic material, I have drawn the same conclusion. Shouldn't a school's goal be to maximize comprehension? Digitizing everything saves money, but at a cost!
Last edited by Lima Bean; 02-20-2015 at 06:32 AM.
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