Running head: STUDENT COMPREHENSION 1

Student Comprehension in Print Text and E-Text

Kathleen Thompson

Franciscan University of Steubenville

STUDENT COMPREHENSION 2

Introduction

One of the biggest skills that teachers are tasked with getting their students to accomplish

is reading comprehension. Reading skills and comprehension are key to student learning and

success because if students do not comprehend what they are reading, they can never move

beyond the mere reading of words to utilize, analyze, and respond to text. A new trend that has

been emerging in education has been the use of more and more technology in the classroom as it

has advanced. Digital readers, as found by Larson (2010), have been bombarded into the

classroom along with their varying features and capabilities that require new literacies for

students. Because of the push for this, print text has taken the back burner in many classrooms

today. No matter what type of text is read, comprehension is still the ultimate goal, so teachers

need to be able to implement readings into the classroom that will be most beneficial in aiding

their students’ comprehension levels.

Purpose

Comprehension, as described by Reutzel and Cooter (2012), is an interaction between the

reader and the text in which thinking, and meaning construction occurs. There are many things

that can influence comprehension including things like oral reading, fluency, rate, prosody, and

attention (Veenendaal, N.J., Groen, M.A., & Verhoeven, L., 2015; Yildiz, M., & Cetinkaya, E.,

2017). Other things involved in reading comprehension include the reader, activity, and the

situational context (Reutzel, D.R., & Cooter, R.B., 2012). The type of text is also a factor in

students’ comprehension of text. Print text has been used in the classroom since the beginning of

education. For years, this has always been the norm for reading. Now, there is a huge push for

technology and digital readers which is revolutionizing the way in which teachers teach and the

way in which students use literacy skills and comprehend text. Through research, I plan to
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 3

answer the question: what are the effects of e-readers and print text on students’ reading

comprehension? I want to find out whether or not e-readers or print text are more beneficial to

students’ comprehension of text.

One of the goals that I will accomplish is measuring reading comprehension in fifth grade

students with some using an iPad to read and others using a print copy of the text. This will be

done by having the student read the text and complete a retell of the story. Through interviews, I

hope to collect qualitative data from students on the ease of use on the iPad and student

preference of an e-text or a print text. I also want to learn which type of text is more effective for

young readers and their comprehension.

I think that my research will show that while there may be minor differences in student

comprehension using an e-text or print text, there will not be any significant differences.

Previous research has shown differences in students preference for either an e-text or print text

and I think my research may show the same. I predict that my research will show that neither the

e-reader nor the print text will be more beneficial to student comprehension but that the student

preference will be what makes all the difference.

Review of Literature

The use of e-readers in schools is increasing, but do they have a positive effect on student

reading motivation, attitude, and comprehension? Long and Szabo (2016) conducted a quasi-

experimental study to see if there was a difference in the previously mentioned characteristics

between students that used e-readers and students that used print text. Participants in this study

were thirty-five fifth grade students who were heterogeneously grouped. One group received an

e-reader while the other received a print book. Both groups read the same text. The methodology

for this study was to conduct pretests which determined student levels of reading motivation,
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 4

attitude, and comprehension. Then, the students participated in guided reading groups focused on

various comprehension strategies twice a week for ten weeks. After the guided reading sessions,

post-tests were given to students to assess the three components again. Four students from the

experimental group then had an interview where they were asked qualitative questions about the

study and the technology. Long and Szabo (2016) found that scores for reading motivation and

comprehension were not statistically significant but for student attitudes towards reading, data

showed that when students used a print text, their attitude increases, whereas with an e-reader,

attitude decreased. Results from the interviews were that the small group instruction and text

structure were all taken positively by students. But students overall thought that the technology

was more of a hindrance in that it was challenging to use at times. This could be from

inexperience or unfamiliarity with the technology but it is unclear as to whether the students had

used the technology before or if instruction on how to use the technology was given prior to the

study. Overall though, students seemed to think that the technology was difficult to use and

negatively affected their reading experience.

The author of this article conducted a thorough study of student reading motivation,

attitude, and comprehension in reading. The results of the pre- and post-tests provide a strong

basis for understanding the differences in using e-readers or print text. The student attitude

component was especially useful since the results came back statistically significant. Student

attitudes were higher in the post-tests when they used print text whereas the e-readers seemed to

decrease student attitudes. More detail on the genre and level of text that students were studying

and what strategies were being taught in the guided reading groups would be helpful. It would

have also been helpful if there was more information as to whether the students were trained in

the use of the technology or if they had used it before. That could be a contributing factor to the
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 5

results depending on if this experience with the technology was had or not. To improve this

research study, it would be interesting to interview more students at the conclusion since four out

of the ten students using technology is not very representative of the whole group.

Society today is becoming more and more reliant on technology, but does technology

affect learners’ performance? Dundar and Akcayir (2012) conducted a quasi-experimental study

in which they compared student reading performance, comprehension, and the number of words

read using print text and tablet PC’s. Twenty fifth grade students were split into two groups, one

with technology, and one without. They read the same selections while being observed, then

answered comprehension questions about what was read. Students in the tablet PC group were

interviewed following the study about the use of the tablet PC’s. When data was analyzed, there

were not statistically significant differences in reading speed and comprehension. Most students

thought that the tablet PC’s were easy to use and more entertaining than print text. The tablet

PC’s were overall effective in the classroom seeing as there were no results that showed

otherwise.

The author of this article does a great job at explaining the procedure for the study as it is

very detailed and pictures are even provided of the students interacting with the texts and tablet

PC’s. According to Dundar (2012), “Development in technology must attempt to overcome the

disadvantages of E-Books,” (p.443). The study is indicative of this quote because of the results

that were produced. Students generally thought the technology was easy to use and entertaining,

making the technology more effective and efficient. Interpreting the data was difficult in this

article but the author was great at including student opinions and explanations. To improve on

this study, a replication of the research in the United States would be very helpful. The
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 6

differences between countries would be interesting to study. These findings certainly help to

narrow down my research topic.

There are many ways to test reading comprehension, but which tests demand what skills

to be used by the reader? Kendeou, Papadopoulos, and Spanoudis (2012) studied 286 first-grade

students through first and second grade to examine the processing demands of three reading

comprehension tests. To do this, the researchers examined the relations between important early

reading skills and the three comprehension tests. The measures by which students were assessed

were phonological ability, rapid automatized naming (RAN), reading fluency, orthographic

processing, working memory, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. These tests were spread

out over the two-year span of testing. The authors found that the three tests pose different

processing demands to the reader. On the WJPC test, only orthographic skills and working

memory were significant factors while fluency and vocabulary are significant on the CBM-Maze

test. Word recognition and meaning skills were significant factors on the recall test. Different

comprehension tests can provide great information, but only if the demands posed by each test

are known.

The authors conducted a very detailed study in which many tests and factors were taken

into consideration. There was a lot of depth in this article because they studied numerous skills

within the context of multiple tests. All of the layers to this study were great and yielded fantastic

results but it was at times confusing to remember which skill fell under which measure and for

which test. After repeated readings, it became clear. The details of the three comprehension tests

and the demands posed by each one were great to learn about because they can help me with my

assessment of student comprehension. I now have a better understanding of these tests and how

they work so I feel more confident in going out and implementing these tests myself. For future
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 7

research, the article mentions creating new comprehension tests based off of these results.

Because this article was written in 2012, it would be interesting to see if any new tests and

research on those tests have come out since. This article clarified my idea of reading

comprehension tests and provided valuable information on each of these tests.

Methodology

To begin this study, six different empirical and nonempirical articles were read and

studied on topics including the use of e-readers and print text and their effects on comprehension

as well as other factors that contribute to students’ reading comprehension. These articles were

used to develop my research question and methodology. Along with the research, the present

methodology includes a case study conducted through an early learning center in southern

Maryland. Because it was not possible to know how many students would be at the center the

day I conducted the study, the students in the study are a convenience sampling.

The students that participated in this study were four fifth grade students that attend the

early learning center after school. They come from different elementary schools across the

county and each read at roughly the same reading level. Three of the participants were males,

one female, and none of the students had any severe disabilities. This sample of students is not

representative of the entire population of fifth grade students, but these were the students that

were at the center that day after school.

This study consisted of students reading a leveled reader to themselves on either an iPad

or a print text, participating in a retell of what they read, and if they used the iPad, answering two

interview questions about the use of the technology to read. Students who read on the iPad and

who read the print text were chosen at random and were given a copy to read quietly to

themselves. The leveled reader used was titled, The Monkey’s Paw and is a mystery book
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 8

considered a level Y from Reading A-Z. A level Y book is intended for student aged nine to

eleven, in fifth grade, and has a Lexile score anywhere from 861L-890L.

Students were given the text and time to read the story to themselves. Upon completion

of the story, I asked them to retell what they remember from the story and what the story was

about. In order to test student comprehension, they needed to explain the main story elements

including the characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, problem, and solution. While they were

telling me what they remembered, I took down anecdotal notes on what they were saying and put

their comments next to the story element that matched. If the student read the text using the iPad,

they answered two follow-up questions that read as follows: “Did you like reading with the iPad?

Why?” and “Would you use the iPad to read again? Why?” Student answers to these questions

were also written down. This data was then taken and put into charts with all of the story

elements, interview questions, and student responses. Next to each component of the chart, either

a check, dash, or X was placed depending on whether the student covered that component,

partially covered it, or did not cover it at all. This was determined by comparing students’

answers to an answer guide chart in which all possible details from the story were placed in the

corresponding element. The data was then analyzed to compare student comprehension with the

e-text and the print text. This methodology, along with the selected literature, will be used

comparatively to see whether the findings are similar to or different from each other.

Findings

The research done for this study contributes to observing the effects of e-text and print

text on student comprehension and determining which, if any, is more beneficial. Students were

asked to read the level Y reader, The Monkey’s Paw and participated in a retell. Student answers

were recorded and placed into tables. Each table is divided into seven major story elements that
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 9

can be used to test comprehension: characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, problem, and

solution. To analyze student comprehension, their responses were compared to an guide table

that contains all possible details from the story placed in the appropriate corresponding story

element. That chart is listed below.

Answer Guide

Comprehension

Characters Miguel, Kara, Damien, Shelly

Setting Forest and Damien’s House

Beginning Shelly shows them the monkey paw and tells them that bad things happen
when you make a wish with it. Damien’s dog dies after he wishes to not
have to clean up after him.

Middle Damien wishes for his dog to come back. When they are watching a movie
at his house, a creature starts trying to break into the house and is
scratching at the door.

End Kara grabs the monkey paw and makes an unknown wish. When Damien
opens the door, nothing is there.

Problem Damien’s dog died most likely from the monkey paw and when he wishes
for him back, a creature tries to break into the house.

Solution Kara grabs the monkey paw, makes a wish, then the creature disappears.

Interview
Questions

Did you like Student Response

reading with the
iPad? Why?

Would you use Student Response

the iPad to read
again? Why?
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 10

Two of the students, John and Mike, were asked to read a print copy of the story. They

were then asked to retell what they read in the story and their answers are portrayed in the tables

below. A check mark signifies that the student retold all parts of that element, a dash signifies

that the student partially retold the element, and an X signifies that the student did not retell any

part of that element.

Student 1: John (Print Text)

Comprehension

Characters - 3 Characters, Shelly (really 4 characters)

Setting ✓ Campfire and House

Beginning ✓ At a campfire, there was a monkey paw that granted wishes, dog died and
they couldn’t find him.

Middle ✓ Wished with the monkey paw again, they were watching a movie and they
turned the cell phone flashlight on, there was thumping at the door.

End ✓ Nothing was there and the girl wished on the monkey paw.

Problem ✓ Wished with the monkey paw again and there was thumping at the door.

Solution ✓ Nothing was there and the girl wished on the monkey paw.

Student 3: Mike (Print Text)

Comprehension

Characters - 3 friends, Damien (really 4 characters)

STUDENT COMPREHENSION 11

Setting ✓ Camping, House

Beginning ✓ There was a paw that grants wishes and Damien makes a wish on it. Then
his dog died.

Middle - They went to his house to watch a movie then there was thunder and
thumping at the door. (does not mention wishing for his dog back)

End ✓ The girl made a wish and then there was nothing at the door.

Problem - The dog dies and there was thumping at the door. (never mentions wishing
for the dog back).

Solution ✓ The girl made a wish and then there was nothing at the door.

In analyzing the information provided by the two students that read the print text, they

both comprehended the story well. Both students retold the characters only partially, each stating

there were three friends, naming one, and leaving out the fact that there were really four

characters in the story. They both identified the settings in the story and the beginning of the

story touching on the monkey paw that grants wishes, and the dog dying. John continued to retell

the rest of the seven elements perfectly, touching on all required components and even adding in

details when talking about turning on the cell phone flashlight. Mike was able to retell the end

and the solution very well but only partially retold the middle and the problem because he missed

the event of Damien wishing for his dog to come back on the monkey paw. This was an

important piece of the story that was missed. Overall, both students that read the print text

comprehended the story very well. Both John and Mike left out a fourth character while Mike

also left out one main idea from the story.

STUDENT COMPREHENSION 12

Two of the students, Julie and Dave, were asked to read an e-text copy of the story using

an iPad. They too, were asked to retell the story after reading and their answers are portrayed in

the tables below in the same fashion as the students that read the print text. Julie and Dave’s

results also have their answers to their interview questions regarding the ease of use of the

technology attached.

Student 2: Julie (iPad E-Text)

Comprehension

Characters X Did not mention. Used pronouns like he and she.

Setting ✓ Campfire and House

Beginning ✓ There was a monkey hand and the dog died because of the hand.

Middle - There was something at the door and it was thumping it.

End - He opened the door and the dog was there (not right).

Problem - The dog died because of the monkey hand and something was at the door
thumping (never mentions wishing).

Solution X Said the dog was there at the door and never mentions Kara wishing on the
paw.

Interview
Questions

Did you like No, I like reading with a book better because I like to hold it and look at it.
reading with the I feel like I read better with a real book.
iPad? Why?

Would you use No, I would not read with the iPad again because I like using a book better.
the iPad to read
again? Why?
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 13

Student 4: Dave (iPad E-Text)

Comprehension

Characters - Three friends, used the word “they” to describe them. No names were used.

Setting ✓ Campfire and house

Beginning - There was a monkey paw and they put it in their backpack. The dog got hit
and he wouldn’t respond to them. (Does not mention wishing).

Middle ✓ They went to his house and watched a comedy movie. They heard
scratching and thumping at the door and it was black outside.

End ✓ She took the hand and made a wish, he opened the door and there was
nothing there.

Problem - The dog dies and there is something at the door. (does not mention wishing
as the reason the dog died or wishing for him back).

Solution ✓ She took the hand and made a wish, he opened the door and there was
nothing there.

Interview
Questions

Did you like Yes I liked using the iPad because there was no flipping pages and it was
reading with the more fun to use the iPad than a book.
iPad? Why?

Would you use Yes I would read with the iPad again because you can just press a button
the iPad to read instead of flipping pages and it is not as boring as a book.
again? Why?

In analyzing the information provided by the two students that read the e-text, Julie did

not comprehend the story well while Dave did. Julie did not mention any of the four characters

from the story. She retold all parts of both the setting and the beginning of the story, but she only
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 14

partially retold the middle, end, and problem. In the middle of the story, she missed Damien

wishing for his dog back and that the friends were watching a movie at Damien’s house. At the

end of the story, Julie was right in saying he (Damien) opened the door but she also said that the

dog was at the door when he opened it which is not accurate. When Damien opens the door at the

end of the story, there is nothing there. When Julie retold the problem of the story, she mentioned

that the dog died because of the monkey hand and that something was at the door, but she never

mentioned Damien wishing for his dog to come back which is inferred as the cause of the

creature at the door. Julie did not get any of the solution correct. She said that the dog was at the

door and she failed to mention Kara wishing on the monkey paw just before Damien opened the

door. Overall, Julie did not comprehend the text very well.

Dave, on the other hand, had a similar level of comprehension as the students in the print

text group. He too, only mentions three friends and uses pronouns like “they” and does not

mention names. He also does not mention Damien wishing with the monkey paw as the reason

the dog died or as a way to get his dog back. Those were the only areas that Dave missed

information; the rest of his information was accurate and thorough. Dave was also the most

detailed out of the four students tested. He talked about how they put the paw in the backpack,

the dog got hit, they watched a comedy movie, and it was black outside. These are details that no

other student pulled from the text in their retell. Both Julie and Dave had varying comprehension

levels while using the iPad to read. Julie did not comprehend the text well at all while Dave

comprehended it really well.

When looking at Julie and Dave’s responses to the interview questions on the ease of use

of the iPad, they are vastly different. Julie responded by saying that she did not like using the

iPad to read and that she preferred reading with a book. She said that she likes to hold a book,
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 15

look at it, and she feels like she reads better when she has a print book. Dave on the other hand,

responded to the interview questions by saying that he liked using the iPad because there was no

flipping pages and it was more fun to use an iPad than a book. He enjoyed the fact that it was

easier to press a button instead of turning pages. He also thought it was not as boring using an

iPad instead of a print text. Student preference for an e-text or print text was really shown

through the interviews seeing as the two students interviewed preferred two different things.

When comparing both the print text and the e-text students, they all comprehended the

story in much similar manners. Julie, who read with the iPad, comprehended the text

significantly worse than her peers. This may lead to the conclusion that print text is more

effective but, with her being the only student that did not do well and because this sample of

students is not representative of the whole population, that conclusion can not be drawn. Julie’s

interview must also be taken into account. She did not enjoy reading with the iPad and in turn,

comprehended the story very poorly. On the other hand, Dave really enjoyed reading with the

iPad and his comprehension was the most detailed out of all of the participants. That being said,

from the results of this study, student preference does have an effect on student comprehension.

When implementing e-text into the classroom, it is important to take this into consideration.

Recommendations

There are further steps that can be taken following this research study. Studies that focus

on testing other factors that affect student comprehension levels along with comprehension

would be beneficial. Testing things like rate, oral reading, and fluency on student comprehension

in e-text and print text would be a very detailed and more accurate study. This is because

different dimensions of comprehension would be tested along with the retell of information and

those effects would make a more accurate case for e-text or print text.
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 16

One of the limitations to my methodology was my sample of students. Since it was a

convenience sampling, only four students were there to be tested. If there were a larger sample of

students, the results may have changed and the sample would be more representative of the

population. In the future, testing a larger number of students from across the United States would

create a strong representative sample. Researches can also use questions to test student

comprehension instead of a retell. This may yield different results since questions would target

specific areas of the text instead of having the student tell the areas that they remember.

Recording the students’ responses will also be beneficial in the future because that is something I

should have done to help me remember what students said and to be more exact with their

responses instead of relying solely on my anecdotal notes.

STUDENT COMPREHENSION 17

References

Buyok, R., Kortemartin, K., & Kortemartin, S. (n.d.). The Monkey’s Paw. Available from

https://www.readinga-z.com/

Dundar, H., & Akcayir, M. (2012). Tablet vs. paper: The effect on learners' reading performance.

International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 4(3), 441-450.

Kendeou, P., Papadopoulos, T., & Spanoudis, G. (2012). Processing demands of reading

comprehension tests in young readers. Learning and Instruction, 22, 354-367.

Larson, L.C. (2010). Digital readers: The next chapter in e-book reading and response. The

Reading Teacher, 64(1), 15-22.

Long, D., & Szabo, S. (2016). E-readers and the effects on students’ reading motivation, attitude

and comprehension during guided reading. Cogent Education, 3, 1-11.

Reutzel, D.R., & Cooter, R.B. (2012). Teaching children to read: The teacher makes the

difference (6th ed.). E.K.L. Grelak (Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Veenendaal, N.J., Groen, M.A., & Verhoeven, L. (2015). What oral text reading fluency can

reveal about reading comprehension. Journal of Research in Reading, 38(3), 213-225.

Yildiz, M., & Cetinkaya, E. (2017). The relationship between good readers’ attention, reading

fluency and reading comprehension. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(3),

366-371.
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 18

Appendix

Answer Guide

Comprehension

Characters Miguel, Kara, Damien, Shelly

Setting Forest and Damien’s House

Beginning Shelly shows them the monkey paw and tells them that bad things happen
when you make a wish with it. Damien’s dog dies after he wishes to not
have to clean up after him.

Middle Damien wishes for his dog to come back. When they are watching a movie
at his house, a creature starts trying to break into the house and is
scratching at the door.

End Kara grabs the monkey paw and makes an unknown wish. When Damien
opens the door, nothing is there.

Problem Damien’s dog died most likely from the monkey paw and when he wishes
for him back, a creature tries to break into the house.

Solution Kara grabs the monkey paw, makes a wish, then the creature disappears.

Interview
Questions

Did you like Student Response

reading with the
iPad? Why?

Would you use Student Response

the iPad to read
again? Why?

Student 1: John (Print Text)

STUDENT COMPREHENSION 19

Comprehension

Characters - 3 Characters, Shelly (really 4 characters)

Setting ✓ Campfire and House

Beginning ✓ At a campfire, there was a monkey paw that granted wishes, dog died and
they couldn’t find him.

Middle ✓ Wished with the monkey paw again, they were watching a movie and they
turned the cell phone flashlight on, there was thumping at the door.

End ✓ Nothing was there and the girl wished on the monkey paw.

Problem ✓ Wished with the monkey paw again and there was thumping at the door.

Solution ✓ Nothing was there and the girl wished on the monkey paw.

Student 2: Julie (iPad E-Text)

Comprehension

Characters X Did not mention. Used pronouns like he and she.

Setting ✓ Campfire and House

Beginning ✓ There was a monkey hand and the dog died because of the hand.

Middle - There was something at the door and it was thumping it.

End - He opened the door and the dog was there (not right).
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 20

Problem - The dog died because of the monkey hand and something was at the door
thumping (never mentions wishing).

Solution X Said the dog was there at the door and never mentions Kara wishing on the
paw.

Interview
Questions

Did you like No, I like reading with a book better because I like to hold it and look at it.
reading with the I feel like I read better with a real book.
iPad? Why?

Would you use No, I would not read with the iPad again because I like using a book better.
the iPad to read
again? Why?

Student 3: Mike (Print Text)

Comprehension

Characters - 3 friends, Damien (really 4 characters)

Setting ✓ Camping, House

Beginning ✓ There was a paw that grants wishes and Damien makes a wish on it. Then
his dog died.

Middle - They went to his house to watch a movie then there was thunder and
thumping at the door. (does not mention wishing for his dog back)

End ✓ The girl made a wish and then there was nothing at the door.

Problem - The dog dies and there was thumping at the door. (never mentions wishing
for the dog back).
STUDENT COMPREHENSION 21

Solution ✓ The girl made a wish and then there was nothing at the door.

Student 4: Dave (iPad E-Text)

Comprehension

Characters - Three friends, used the word “they” to describe them. No names were used.

Setting ✓ Campfire and house

Beginning - There was a monkey paw and they put it in their backpack. The dog got hit
and he wouldn’t respond to them. (Does not mention wishing).

Middle ✓ They went to his house and watched a comedy movie. They heard
scratching and thumping at the door and it was black outside.

End ✓ She took the hand and made a wish, he opened the door and there was
nothing there.

Problem - The dog dies and there is something at the door. (does not mention wishing
as the reason the dog died or wishing for him back).

Solution ✓ She took the hand and made a wish, he opened the door and there was
nothing there.

Interview
Questions

Did you like Yes I liked using the iPad because there was no flipping pages and it was
reading with the more fun to use the iPad than a book.
iPad? Why?

Would you use Yes I would read with the iPad again because you can just press a button
the iPad to read instead of flipping pages and it is not as boring as a book.
again? Why?