Analysis of Skim Reading on Desktop versus Mobile Screen

Abstract

Web readers usually skim through the text to keep up with the amount of available content. The effectiveness of skim reading is ensured by keeping the focus on the meaningful part of the text rather than the less meaningful part. To assure if the skim reading shows efficient results for a particular screen resolution, this research presents variations in the memory of significant data when a text is read on a mobile screen or a desktop screen. Moreover, the study aims to understand the knowledge gained from the text at a given time. In total, sixty participants contributed to the study and it is found that, relative to reading the text on a mobile screen, skimming showed improved memory for the ideas defined in the text on a computer screen. A software prototype is developed in this research study to analyze the impact of skim reading on a desktop computer screen versus a mobile device screen. The findings of the study have been interpreted as evidence in support of a skimming process called satisficing.

Understanding College Students’ Engagement in Mobile Reading for Sustainability in Education: A Case Study from China

“…However, research on the reading experience of college students as one factor of reading engagement should also be of interest. As the results show, on one hand, mobile devices have portability, accessibility, interactivity, and multifunctionality [40], which makes mobile readers happy and relaxed when mobile reading. On the other hand, readers' fatigue, disorientation, and low retention caused by mobile reading prevent them from having a good reading experience.…”

“…The usage of reading strategies can be regarded as one predictor of one's online reading skills, which is of great significance when employing ICTs in their daily and work lives in 21st century societies [6,61]. Research studies have considered skimming as an efficient reading strategy for screen reading [40]. In this study on mobile reading, reading strategies can be also applied in terms of the improvement in information retrieval and reading effects, storage of useful information and knowledge, and the enhancement of memory retention and attention.…”

“…Texts online are displayed differently than on paper, which contributes to the text factor of mobile reading-front size, image format, e-book format, and text displayed types [39]. The marginalia function and screen size of the platforms as well as the reading environment, time, and situation are all considered as contextual factors that affect mobile reading comprehension [40].…”