When they were asked what they liked the most in reading on paper or writing by hand, the students expressed their enthusiasm on The importance of touch. What surprised me was how their perceptions on this subject brought in both studies.
Holding a book or an instrument of writing in their hands was important for students, this is what observations show like:
It really feels like reading because the book is in our hands.
or
I like to hold a pen and feel the paper under my hands, to be able to physically form words.
Study participants also commented on the interaction between touch and movement. With regard to reading, one of them spoke of
The feeling of turning each page and anticipating what will happen next.
About handwriting, a participant described
Feel the words slide on the page.
Many students have also expressed cognitive advantages. A multitude of respondents mentioned theIn concentration, the feeling of immersion in a text or memory. Regarding printed reading, a student said: “I take it more seriously because I have it physically in my hands.” For writing, an answer said: “I can see what I think.”
There were also psychological reflections. Students have written: “The feeling of a book in my hands is very pleasant” or:
The satisfaction of having filled a whole page by hand is as if I had climbed a mountain.
Other comments have pointed out how much touch allowed students to feel more personally connected to the act of reading and writing. About reading, one of them said:
It’s more personal because it is in your hands.
About handwriting, another said:
I feel more attached to the content I produce.