Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

50 Studying online 
remain relatively static and fxed in position when we use comput-
ers. Tat’s not the same as when we sit and read a printed book. 
When we read a book, we adjust our position more frequently, 
plus we look away from the book at regular intervals. When we 
Figure 3.1 
How a reader’s eyes move around a page 
TABLE 3.1 Differences between reading in print 
and online 
Reading in print 
Reading online 
Relies on scattered refective 
light (normal vision) 
We tend to move our body 
around when reading 
Uses well-established 
typography making it easy on 
the eye 
Relies on projected direct 
injection of transmitted light (not 
normal vision) 
We tend to remain relatively 
fxed in one position 
Typography can be variable and 
not helpful to the eye 

---

Reading online 51 
read online, we stare at the screen in a rather rigid position. Tis 
tenses our muscles which, in turn, leads to tiredness. Our eyes, in 
particular, get tired by constantly staring at the screen. 
PACE YOUR ONLINE READING 
As you have seen, online reading is tiring and challenging. It can 
impact your health too. Many students tend to do a great deal of 
online reading around assignment time or in the revision period 
in the run-up to exams. Tis is not a good idea. Quite apart from 
the impact on your sight and general well-being, long periods of 
reading online will afect your cognitive capabilities. Tat means 
that you will fnd it harder to concentrate and remember what 
you are reading due to being tired. For people accessing digital 
textbooks and other online reading materials, it is even more 
critical that they manage their time for reading. People who 
read traditional paper-based documents will get tired and fnd 
it hard to concentrate after long periods of reading. However, 
when you read online, these difculties can arise sooner. Even if 
you have always planned your reading activities when studying, 
you need to consider an even more detailed plan for when you 
read online. 
For example, it might take you a couple of hours to go through a 
chapter of an academic textbook. Students get used to the rhythm 
of reading and can look at a textbook and think, “that’s going to 
take an hour” or “that chapter is a two-hour read”. Of course, you 
might not be consciously thinking this, but you get an idea in 
your head about how much time a particular piece of reading will 
take, based on your previous experience. You might, for instance, 
schedule an evening to go through the relevant chapter in the 
book and make your notes. 
However, if you were to do the same for the online textbook, there 
is a good chance you will not get the scheduling right. Research 
conducted in the USA showed that people are more aware of their 

---