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Abstract This action research project was conducted in a 2nd-grade classroom in the Midwest to determine the effects of technology on responses to texts. Six texts, representing a variety of reading levels, were selected for the children to read. Children in the control group read and did research from printed texts, and children in the treatment group read and did research from online texts. After reading, students responded to their reading with paper and pencil activities or with technology-based activities. All children wrote answers to comprehension questions after reading, and filled out a survey about how much they enjoyed doing the activities and how much they learned from completing the activities. Results showed that the control group outscored the treatment group on the comprehension questions for every text and the response activities for every story, except one. On the surveys, the treatment group outscored the control group for every text, except one. Mitigating factors include that students' attention was taken up by experimentation with the computer, asking questions and receiving answers, sharing information, and a lack of critical reading skills. Children were focused on these activities rather than on reading and responding meaningfully to the texts.
Tancock et al. (Wed,) studied this question.