Research on Learners' Preferences for Reading from a Printed Text or from a Computer Screen.

In this study, 254 Royal Roads University School of Business learners (graduates and undergraduates) were surveyed on their online course-related reading habits and choices. Based on their responses and anecdotal comments and the data from follow-up interviews with six of the participants, learners preferred print copies of text materials for reasons of portability, dependability, flexibility, and ergonomics. Recommendations include providing an option in all online courses to print electronic text files in a format suitable for reading from paper. Further research is proposed on the effect of extended time spent in front of a computer screen on learners’ preference for reading from paper. Dans cette etude, 254 etudiants du Royal Roads University School of Business (diplomes et etudiants du premier cycle) ont ete interroges concernant leurs habi- tudes et choix de lectures relatives au cours en ligne. Selon leurs reponses et commentaires et les donnees d’entrevues avec six participants, les etudiants ont prefere des copies imprimees des textes pour des motifs de portabilite, de fiabilite, de flexibilite et d’ergonomie. Les recommandations comprennent l’offre d’une option dans tous les cours en ligne d’imprimer les fichiers des textes electroniques en un format acceptable pour lire sur papier. On a aussi propose des recherches plus completes sur les effets d’une longue periode de temps passee devant un ecran d’ordinateur sur les preferences des etudiants de lire sur papier.

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