Which executive functions affect text comprehension and writing in paper and digital mode? An investigation in primary school children

Abstract

The scientific literature supports the hypothesis of a disadvantage in students' performances when learning tasks are conducted in the digital mode in comparison to the paper one. Some studies suggest the need of investigating the role of individual cognitive functioning in digital reading and writing with special attention to those cognitive processes, such as Executive Functions (EF), which are acknowledged to control and affect learning and school adaptation. The present study aimed to: 1) investigate the differences in performances between paper and digital modalities in text reading and text writing in primary grade students; 2) analyse whether EF predict performances in paper and digital modalities; 3) explore whether any differences between paper and digital text comprehension or writing can be differently explained by EF depending on the children's learning performances. 175 typically developing Grades 3–5 students performed text comprehension and text writing tasks on computer and on paper and were assessed with EF tasks tapping inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility. The results showed no performance differences between digital and paper tasks at the group level apart from a higher text length in the digital than paper mode. However, children with low performances at the comprehension and writing tasks benefited more from the digital than the paper mode, in comparison to high performers that showed the opposite pattern. Additionally, low performers scored worse than high performers in most of the EF tasks. Lastly, working memory explained the digital-paper difference in text comprehension among low comprehenders as well as cognitive flexibility explained the difference in level of narrative complexity and number of words among low writers.

The results suggest the benefit of the digital mode for low readers and writers and highlight the role of the main components of EF in reading and writing in both paper and digital modes in primary school.