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more Learning storiesIS READING IN DECLINE?
VIDEO
Has the written word surpassed its usefulness? Marc Prensky thinks most books are too long, for starters.
A 2007 study by the National Endowment for the Arts found three distinct trends:
- a historical decline in voluntary reading rates among teenagers and young adults
- a gradual worsening of reading skills among older teens
- declining proficiency in adult readers
The study added "a fourth observation: frequency of reading for pleasure correlates strongly with better test scores in reading and writing. Frequent readers are thus more likely than infrequent or non-readers to demonstrate academic achievement in those subjects."
Not everyone is panicked about the findings, however. Author and blogger Steven Johnson writes that the study was biased against computer reading, citing a British Library study of onscreen research activities which found that "'new forms of 'reading' are emerging as users 'power browse.'"
Johnson also points out that "novel readers may have declined by 10 percent, but the number of bloggers has gone from zero to 25 million." While blogging has certainly increased, a 2008 survey by Technorati found that only about 5 percent of blogs had been updated in the previous 120 days.
Resources
- National Endowment for the Arts study on reading [PDF]
- Guardian response to the NEA study by blogger Stephen Johnson
- U.K. study on screen research
- Technorati's 2008 blog survey
- Reading trends report by the National Center for Education Statistics
Comments
Wow, I really agree with his argument (at least this specific one). I think that the digital age allows for a diverse learning experience in general (e.g., visiting different countries' news sites and comparing their viewpoints/biases on a specific topic, it really allows for a deeper understanding of that subject). I also feel that computers can be complementary teaching instruments for numerous subjects, but where they can really fail (the internet, along with all other digital media as well, e.g., news programs, some tv shows, etc.) is in helping to develop more mature language and vocabulary skills. I've experienced and struggled with this firsthand. When everyone you talk/type to speaks the same as you, how can you possibly progress after so many years and conversations (I sure hope it's possible, but it's definitely a struggle)?
Jen L H / November 7, 2009 6:09 AMI spend hours a day reading on the internet, the language of the discourse may change, but the facts remain the same. Vocabularies may be on the decline, but I personally feel they are just declining in single areas and instead broadening. Moving away from the specialization that arose when agriculture created a surplus and allowed for singular crafts. The re-emergence of the renaissance man is here. The world is at my fingertips, and I plan on experiencing it all, even if I only get to touch the tip of the iceberg instead of drilling into it.
Sam Glancy / December 31, 2009 4:57 AMWhat a truculent bore. Of course you have to use accessible language in order to reach the greatest audience, that is why newspapers were never written beyond a fifth-grade reading level, but that doesn't mean that you can not use that language to elevate and teach. It just requires the academics and specialists to work harder to communicate the same complex ideas to a broader audience.
As a philosophy major, I never ceased to be astounded that each new philosopher would create his or her own vocabulary to talk about essentially the same concepts, or specific concepts that could be explained in plane language, or they would re-define existing vocabulary to their own ends, creating unnecessary confusion. This helped them make a living, and look smart, because anyone unsophisticated in using their terms seemed uneducated, but in truth it limited the scope of their audience, and created less efficient communication.
If we are to continue to have a democracy, and not just a mob controlled by the elite, then we need to educate the general population, that requires we use clear common language, and have faith that the average person will mature beyond adolescent narcism and the fear of social bullies.
Michael Russell / January 19, 2010 7:31 AM