Back To School: Why Print Matters For Learning

Discover why a leading US neuroscientist says that Gen Z is less cognitively capable than previous generations, and why going back to pen and paper in the classroom could be the solution.

As homes all over the country get ready for the big back-to-school rush, the debate over whether it’s better to learn using electronic devices or traditional pen and paper will fire up again. Tech fans will talk about the convenience of devices and easy availability of information in a number of different formats, while paper people will point to the many studies done that conclude that learning using paper materials helps understanding of complex topics, boosts focus and increases recall.

One of those studies, a 2024 meta-analysis of 49 other studies by Macquarie University in Australia, found that students who read on paper consistently scored higher on comprehension tests than those who read the same material on screens. Researchers call this the ‘Screen inferiority effect’, meaning that digital reading leads to lower information retention and understanding.

Then, earlier this year, leading US neuroscientist Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, wrote a testimony presented to the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which said that Gen Z is less cognitively capable than previous generations, despite its unprecedented access to technology.

Ed-Tech Investment

According to Dr Horvath, this decline in cognitive capability reflects a decrease in literacy and numeracy skills, something that’s been reducing for at least the past decade. Horvath noted that there was a stark correlation between the dipping test scores and time spent on computers in school, with more screen time relating to worse scores.

While the UK has increased the amount of screen-based technology it has in the classroom since the pandemic, the US has supersized its investment in ed-tech. In 2024, the country spent more than $30bn putting laptops and tablets in schools, but psychologists and learning experts are finding that this investment isn’t having the desired outcome.

“This is not a debate about rejecting technology,” Dr Horvath wrote. “It is a question of aligning educational tools with how human learning actually works. Evidence indicates that indiscriminate digital expansion has weakened learning environments rather than strengthened them.”

Tough Lessons

Meanwhile, in the UK, schools are under pressure to invest in ed-tech, with a 2025 report by the Nuffield Foundation highlighting a lack of “evaluation and oversight” of firms providing learning platforms for children. According to technology company Glass.AI, 1,203 ed tech companies were operating in England in 2025, with 90% of primary and 92% of secondary schools using digital learning platforms in England.

But, according to Dr Horvath, making learning more easy has the risk of making it less effective. The deep thought required to process the information and understand it fully is precisely the thing that embeds that information in the first place – something that the slower, more tactile method of pen and paper delivers.

“Unfortunately, ease has never been a defining characteristic of learning,” he said. “Learning is effortful, difficult and oftentimes uncomfortable. But it’s the friction that makes learning deep and transferable into the future.”

Want to learn more about the role paper can play in education? Discover the benefits of print and paper for learning, comprehension and retention in our Insight: The Importance Of Paper-Based Materials In Education.