The role of online reader experience in explaining students’ performance in digital reading

• Published in: Computers and education 2012-09, Vol.59 (2), p.653-660
• Main Authors: Gil-Flores, Javier, Torres-Gordillo, Juan-Jesús, Perera-Rodríguez, Víctor-Hugo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Assessments; Computer use; Digital; Digital reading assessment; Education; Electronic Publishing; Focusing; Foreign Countries; Foreign Students; Handheld Devices; On-line systems; Online; Program for International Student Assessment; Readers; Reading Achievement; Reading Improvement; Reading Skills; Reading Tests; Secondary education; Student performance; Students; Telecommunications
• ISSN: 0360-1315; 1873-782X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compedu.2012.03.014

This study explores the relationship between students’ extracurricular experiences online and their performance on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), focusing specifically on students’ competence in digital reading. The study uses a descriptive, correlational, ex post facto design. The data are taken from Spanish students’ results on the PISA 2009, which was developed by the OECD and in which 65 countries participated. A subsample of 4748 students who had taken the digital reading exam was extracted from the Spanish sample. In explaining digital reading performance, online experience in information-searching activities is shown to be more relevant than online social activities. Certain pedagogical implications are subsequently suggested to improve students’ digital reading competence. ► The relationship between extracurricular experience on the Internet and digital reading performance is explored. ► The study uses a descriptive, correlational, ex post facto design. ► A total of 4748 students took the digital reading test. ► Digital reading performance is better predicted by online information-searching. ► Online social activities are less relevant to digital reading performance.