Relation between digital tool practices in the language arts classroom and reading comprehension scores

Area of Science:

• Educational Technology
• Literacy Studies
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Digitalization's impact on student reading comprehension is a growing concern.
• Meta-analyses suggest negative associations between screen time and reading skills.
• The efficacy of digital tools in language arts education requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between digital device use and reading comprehension in 4th and 8th graders.
• To identify teacher practices that may moderate the negative effects of digital tools on reading comprehension.
• To test the generalization of screen time's negative association with reading scores in language arts contexts.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2017 data from 149,400 4th graders and 144,900 8th graders.
• Predicting reading comprehension scores based on frequency and type of digital device use in language arts.
• Investigating the role of specific teacher-led digital learning activities.

Main Results:

• Increased daily use of digital devices was significantly associated with lower reading comprehension scores.
• Teacher use of digital tools for reading projects showed a positive association with student comprehension.
• Digital activities focused on specific skills like vocabulary building were negatively related to comprehension.

Conclusions:

• The amount of time students spend on digital devices in language arts classes is negatively correlated with reading comprehension.
• Strategic teacher implementation of digital tools for reading projects can support comprehension.
• Careful consideration is needed for digital activities targeting discrete reading skills to avoid potential negative impacts.