Some problems I’ve had with online reading is staring at a screen for long periods of time. I find it difficult, especially at night, reading long passages on my devices. I have also had problems annotating my readings on devices as well. For textbooks and readings that are available for PDF by teachers are usually scanned in and don’t have the option to write on the file. When it is short, I will usually print it at the library, but since the printing cost money, I can only print so much. I prefer having a hard copy of what I am reading in front of me, rather than reading off my devices. For notetaking, I have had problems knowing what information is important and what to write down. I have also had problems trying to write fast enough during lectures.
As explained by Watkins (2004), the longer we read on our electronic devices, we tend to lose where we are, our eyes lose focus on the material, and we can become distracted by other things on our device. He explains that taking accurate notes is the best way to ensure that you only must read through the material once. The best way I found to solve my online reading problems is to section the reading over a period. This way I don’t stare at my electronic device for an extended period. Taking accurate notes will also help me refresh what I had read previously if I do split up my readings. For notetaking, I have found downloading the lecture, if available, is the best way to take notes for lectures. I don’t have to worry about writing every word in each slide, I can focus on things said by the professor and topics not on the slides.
References
Watkins, R. (2004). Online Readings: Gaining the Most from What You Read. In G. M. Piskurich (Ed.), Getting the most from online learning: A learner’s guide (pp. 93-110). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.