Those within certain age groups in Aurora, Oswego, Montgomery, Sugar Grove, Naperville and Yorkville (IL) can attest to how drastically information sharing has changed through the years.

We now live in a time when information and learning are conveyed mainly by screens. We use phones, tablets and computers to engage digital learning formats such as:

If you completed a level of education before the year 2000, you also likely spent notable time learning, informing and communicating through paper-based media, such as:

As paper continues giving way to digital content deliveries, we can easily think it is becoming passé. However, studies show that paper education remains as relevant as ever. The digital domain’s rapid growth has not changed paper’s appeal to our brain, as well as to our humanity.

Paper- and Screen-Based Education: A Recent Timeline

Before we look at paper’s enduring role in education, let’s first review how screens came to dominate our concentration during the last 25 years.

Public Affairs – Domtar

Early 2000s: Incipient Rise. Although paper-based education is still prominent in K–12 classrooms, more schools and universities begin to include computers and projectors in their classrooms. E-learning platforms such as Moodle and Blackboard also gain a notable presence in higher education.

2010s: Swift Acceleration. Technology is an expanding cultural force as smartphones, tablets and laptops permeate the personal, professional and academic spheres. Learning platforms such as Khan Academy and Google Classroom are increasing. In the classroom, digital resources are supplementing or partially replacing textbooks and worksheets. Many schools start issuing Chromebooks to students.

2020 Pandemic (COVID-19): Turning Point. Screen-based learning overtakes paper education as lockdowns make remote learning the norm. Curricula have to be digitized, virtual classrooms become central to education and K–12 learning depends more on digital content, tests and assignments.

Post-Pandemic 2020s: Hybrid and Digital-First Education. While paper is still part of learning, screen-based formats command content delivery and institutional investment, especially among secondary and higher-education schools.

By 2022, some estimates are suggesting that over 90% of U.S. schools use 1:1 computer models (one device per student). In most developed countries, students are believed to be reading and performing tasks more often on screens than on paper.

Why Paper Education Matters

At the time when you are reading this, your digital device(s) may be alight with dinging or pinging headlines, pop-ups and push notifications throughout the day.

In addition to any TV or streaming services you might watch, your email and social-media accounts will also likely be stacked with personal, business or marketing messages.

Many of our students in Aurora, Oswego, Montgomery, Sugar Grove, Naperville and Yorkville are swimming through the same information ocean during the summer. After the break, they will be asked to emerge from the distractions to focus on what’s being taught in the classroom.

Research in neuroscience and cognitive psychology confirms that the brain can consciously focus on one task at a time. Because of the brain’s limited capacity to process information with invested awareness, we counteract learning when we try to exert more than one mental effort at once (e.g. solve a math problem while checking text messages).

Contrary to what some might think, multi-tasking mental activities produces more mistakes, slower completion and less mental grasp and retention.

What we consider multi-tasking is really just task-switching. That means our brain selects a track for focus at the exclusion of others we’re also directing it to. The brain’s goal is to fend off distractions and process what is presently most important.

Shifting or dividing that attention overloads the brain’s working memory. One study by the American Psychological Association put forth that switching attention between simultaneous tasks can reduce mental productivity by up to 40%.

Which brings us to paper.

Learning, comprehension, retention and problem-solving among developing minds flourish most when removed from extra interference and distractions. While technology is now a proven complement to learning, screens require attention. Paper, on the other hand, provides it.

Studies continue indicating that students retain more when they learn by processing, reflecting on and handwriting about what they examine on paper.

Taking notes with a pencil or pen, flipping through a workbook and fleshing out mental activity on paper encourages deeper, more-deliberate thought. In contrast, we are more prone to skim or scan information on screens.

Paper education sharpens intellectual focus with tactile engagement through a single sensory channel. When processing information from paper, the brain can form mental maps that reinforce spatial memory.

What Is Fundamental Paper Education?

Fundamental paper education refers to traditional learning that applies paper-based materials as opposed to digital media.

It centers on developing strong foundations in reading, writing, problem-solving and critical thinking through tactile writing tools and paper.

Whether for classrooms, homeschooling or self-study, fundamental paper education impacts greater learning through components such as:

textbook reading. Reading from printed textbooks or novels – especially for subjects such as literature, history or science – lets students highlight text, annotate margins and make physical bookmarks. This engagement involves the brain more directly.

written notes and assignments. Notes made by hand during lectures or study enhance conceptual understanding and long-term retention. Similarly, drafting and editing longer-form assignments such as essays or reports by hand promotes a more-thoughtful writing process as well as greater editing habits.

flashcards. Writing words, definitions and formulas on paper flashcards such as index cards is superb for strengthening the brain’s active recall.

journals and learning logs. Maintaining paper-based journals and logs supports our critical thinking about what we learn.

practice tests. Taking printed quizzes or exams with a pencil more closely simulates test conditions than do digital equivalents, such as for standardized-test preparation (e.g. ACT).

cut-and-paste exercises. Among younger students (e.g. K–3), using paper cutouts to pair images, match definitions or build sequences activates tactile and mental engagement in non-excluding, non-distracting ways.

What Screen-Based Learning Achieves

Screens can be versatile, valuable supplements when paired the right way with paper education.

Screen-based learning provides:

interactive or visual tools and simulations

instant feedback that can boost engagement in areas such as science and math

immediate grading and assessments in real time

fun and creative learning-based games and videos

reinforced learning for those who may have difficulty with reading (i.e. they learn better with audio and video teaching)

convenient portability, such as being able to store a library of references in a single device

ability to search, highlight and hyperlink quickly

Optimal Learning: Paper Education Blended with Screens

Paper education and digital learning need not cancel or compete with each other. To the contrary, they can combine to enhance learning and knowledge even further.

Together, paper education and screens create a balanced approach as shown in the following table.

Metric	Paper	Screens
Comprehension	Deeper	Less deep, especially when under pressure
Retention	Stronger	Weaker
Interactivity	Can be limited	Can be limitless
Metacognitive regulation	Better-paced	More erratic
Adaptability	Limited	High
Long-term recall	Higher	More shallow
Student self-assessment	More realistic	Not always accurate
Distractions	Low	High
Speed (access, searching)	Slower	Faster
Eye strain	Less	More (e.g. blue light, screen flicker, screen fatigue)
Storage	Space-consuming	Highly efficient (e.g. 1 TB hard drive with back-up)

We can see how paper education and current technology blend for a well-rounded system of learning. By using paper for reading and writing and screens as supplements, instructors can support varied learning styles or abilities as well.

Paper Education: Contact Us Today

Aurora Fastprint offers you the ideas and resources for paper education that inspires as it teaches. Study guides, journals, worksheets and flashcards are only a few ways we can use paper to elevate learning in Aurora, Oswego, Montgomery, Sugar Grove, Naperville and Yorkville (IL). To discover more about your possibilities, simply give us a call at (630) 896-5980!