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Teachers of writing have noted that digital forms of writing (ie., computer screens) have influenced ways to learn writing in a way that brings new problems for teachers to solve. For instance, re-writing and drafting and marking up on the computer is not as easy as it is on paper. Furthermore, because the computer can only present essentially one screen at a time as opposed to in the physical environment where you can physically manipulate a paper you're writing into various chunks and shift them around easily, it facilitates the process of writing that is very difficult to do on the computer.
Now, this is not to say we should get rid of computers. It's to say that certain parts of the writing process when done on paper may be more beneficial to some writers and other parts done on the computer are more beneficial to other writers.
For instance, when I am outlining and drafting portions of my text, I often do it on paper. I also find that the physical act of writing with a pen can help me to get through some writing blocks in which typing on a computer (which is essentially button pushing) does not facilitate that process.
This is another reason why I do not think that digital (say ebooks) and paper is an either/or proposition but rather a both-and condition will facilitate our reading, writing, and comprehension better than just sticking to paper or just to the digital forms.
Why does it have to be just one or the other? That is, what does it have to be ditigal or paper? Let it be both!
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