A tool, not a solution

So much research now out there about reading, the difficulties most people face when trying to make meaning from text on screen, and the fact that you need good literacy skills with traditional media (print) before you can interrogate text on the screen (Cheryl LaGuardia, "Kindle or Print? Librarians Weigh In," Not Dead Yet, ow.ly/KsHcM). Add to this the complexities of visual interpretation and it is no wonder that most people across all age groups print when they want to read for meaning. Found the same thing in my own research with the so-called digital natives. Computers are complementary, not compensatory. Kids who have difficulties reading…won't be able to use the computer effectively either. Adding audios and visuals are also problematic, since we tend to…concentrate on reading and writing. We need to teach all forms of literacy.… Technology in schools is a tool that can enhance learning, but it is not a solution.

-- Barbara Combes, Lecturer, SIS, Charles Sturt Univ., New South Wales, Australia