Informative Speech: A Comparison of Electronic vs. Printed Textbooks

This informative speech explores the impact of electronic versus printed textbooks on student learning. It begins by acknowledging the rise of digital technologies and the perception of students as digital natives, while also recognizing the continued relevance of printed materials. The speech presents arguments for both formats, discussing the aesthetic appeal and reduced distractions of print, as well as the convenience and cost-effectiveness of electronic textbooks. It then delves into research findings, citing studies that suggest printed texts may lead to better comprehension and retention, while also highlighting potential health issues associated with prolonged use of digital devices and the distractions inherent in electronic learning environments. The speech concludes by emphasizing that while electronic textbooks have their advantages, printed versions still have a significant impact on learning outcomes. The speech references several academic sources to support the claims made.

Running head: INFORMATIVE SPEECH
Informative Speech
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1INFORMATIVE SPEECH
The chosen topic for the informative speech is that of- “Electronic textbooks do not
have the same impact as the printed versions”. It is to state that, with the surge in the
popularity of electronic textbooks, open educational resources and online learning facilities,
researchers and investigators all around the world are trying to identify whether or not
students do well while reading an assigned text digitally as they do on paper.
Today’s students perceive themselves to be digital natives. They are the first ever
generation to grow up with technologies like tablets, smartphones, e-readers in their
surroundings (Kirk et al., 2015). Digital is likely to grow and is continue to exist as it is
becoming a significant part of the world that people inhibit at a level, lower than their notice,
no more remarkable than supermarkets, and at the same time, e-books are likely to stay as
digital is. As per most of the researchers, print is aesthetically more enjoyable for the students
than print (Baron, Calixte & Havewala, 2017). Most of the students say things like “I like the
smell of books” and “Reading in print is actually a real reading”. Print is also claimed to be
easier on the eyes and is less possibly to encourage the practise of multitasking. However,
there are certain researchers who claim that the digital reading to be praise worthy on
different number of counts, comprising of the fact that readers can read the electronic
textbooks in the dark and it is easy to find out materials in electronic textbooks, which in turn
save the paper use and allow readers to multitask while reading but it should be noted that the
hand held technological devices such as mobile phones and tablets are all associated with a
quite long range of health problems as per many of the health specialists (Wartella et al.,
2016). They aid to Computer Vision Syndrome that further led to blurred vision, eyestrain,
dry eyes and headaches. With the same, the people who use such tablets and mobile devices
are more likely to suffer from musculoskeletal disorders that are linked with repetitive strain
on the muscles, resulting in neck and shoulder pain etc.

2INFORMATIVE SPEECH
It is to mention that unlike textbooks, electronic textbooks do eliminate the need for
physical storage and classroom materials and also, they cost less than the printed textbooks.
As per Dobler (2015), the average of K-12 printed textbooks is about 70$ compared to the
45$ to 55$ for a 6 year subscription of an electronic textbook. However, it should be
mentioned that the individuals who read the print texts comprehend more, learn more and
remember more as compared to the ones who read digitally. According to Caute et al. (2016),
individuals read the digital text about 20 to 30% slower than the ones reading printed texts.
Also, reading the hyper-linked texts are also claimed to be increasing the cognitive load of
human brains and hence, lower the potential of the brain to store, retain and process the
information. With the same, it even translate the new materials into the conceptual
knowledge. Trelease (2016) in this regard has also opined that the students who type the
lecture notes rather than writing them by hand, tend to write more, perform worse and
process less on recalling the tests. Moreover, it has been claimed that tablets have huge
number of distractions for the classroom use. This is due to the fact that students are likely to
pay more attention to other apps, websites and games instead of focusing on their teachers.
According to Gilbert (2015) about 87% of the K-12 teachers perceive digital technologies to
be creating an easily distracted generation in which people will have short spans of attention.
He have also claimed that four in every five students aging eight to eighteen years multitask
during using digital media. Dobler (2015) in this regard have claimed that tablets and the
electronic textbooks better prepare today’s students for a world that is going to be immersed
in technology in the coming years but it is also to mention that unlike the electronic
textbooks, the printed textbooks can never crash, freeze or hacked by anyone. There is
absolutely no chance of getting spyware of malware. Also, there can be no personal
information stolen from the printed textbooks.

3INFORMATIVE SPEECH
Hence from the above analysis it is clear that electronic textbooks do not have the
same impact as the printed versions. There may be several environmental and economic
reasons for going paperless but there are clearly certain things that are important but can be
lost with the demise of print.

4INFORMATIVE SPEECH
References:
Baron, N. S., Calixte, R. M., & Havewala, M. (2017). The persistence of print among
university students: An exploratory study. Telematics and Informatics, 34(5), 590-
604.
Caute, A., Cruice, M., Friede, A., Galliers, J., Dickinson, T., Green, R., & Woolf, C. (2016).
Rekindling the love of books–a pilot project exploring whether e-readers help people
to read again after a stroke. Aphasiology, 30(2-3), 290-319.
Dobler, E. (2015). e‐Textbooks. Journal of adolescent & adult literacy, 58(6), 482-491.
Gilbert, R. J. (2015). E-books: A tale of digital disruption. Journal of Economic
Perspectives, 29(3), 165-84.
Kirk, C. P., Chiagouris, L., Lala, V., & Thomas, J. D. (2015). How do digital natives and
digital immigrants respond differently to interactivity online?: A Model for Predicting
Consumer Attitudes and Intentions to Use Digital Information Products. Journal of
Advertising Research, 55(1), 81-94.
Trelease, R. B. (2016). From chalkboard, slides, and paper to e‐learning: How computing
technologies have transformed anatomical sciences education. Anatomical sciences
education, 9(6), 583-602.
Wartella, E., Rideout, V., Montague, H., Beaudoin-Ryan, L., & Lauricella, A. (2016). Teens,
health and technology: A national survey. Media and communication, 4(3), 13-23.