Tablet-Computer oder gedruckter Text? : Eine Untersuchung von der Bedeutung des Lesemediums beim Lesen in einer Fremdsprache.

The idea of using modern media - like tablet computers - in classes is becoming more and more popular in Swedish schools. This study investigates how students with different habits of media usage perform regarding text understanding, vocabulary understanding and motivation to read a text in a foreign language (English and German) on different media. This was done by splitting the students into two groups: one group reading the given text on a tablet-computer, and one group reading the same text in a printed book. The tablet group was given an electronic dictionary, whereas the book group used a printed dictionary. The results on the one hand showed that the textunderstanding and motivation did not differ between the groups. The focus was on the content of the text, not on the media used. On the other hand, the tablet group used the electronic dictionary more frequently than the book group used the printed version. A comparison to a similar study performed by Wells (2012) was also done. This essay came to the conclusion that teachers should consider whether to make use of the easy and quick use of an electronic dictionary, and thereby neglect other skills like comprehension by context, or using the slower way of reflection and thereby improving these skills