Benefits of the printed page for comprehension

Physical layout matters: sidebars and other features of print textbooks lead to better comprehension

http://www.businessinsider.com/students-learning-education-print-textbooks-screens-study-2017-10

Students prefer electronic versions of text books and they read faster, but they learn more with printed versions.  Not only do students prefer electronic versions, but they feel that the comprehend more with electronic versions.

One reason is that books provide physical landmarks that reinforce memories.  Landmarks include the position into the book, as well as position on a page.

The material in a textbook can also be arranged so that the concepts are physically close to the images. This physical proximity can be achieved by placing figures in a sidebar adjacent to the related text, which is not possible with most electronic versions.

Paper also encourages annotation and manipulation in a way that can be lacking in electronic versions.  For example the sidebar below can be used to write notes, which are much more effective for comprehension than highlighting, which electronic versions tend to promote.