Question: Does online reading comprehension require more “cognitive energy” (Duke, Schmar-Dobler & Zhang, 2006) than offline reading comprehension?

Answer: Maybe.

Helpful resources

Brand-Grewel, S. Wopereis, I., Walraven, A. (2009). A descriptive model of information problem solving while using Internet. Computers & Education, 53, 1207-1217. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.06.004

Duke, N. K., Schmar-Dobler, E., & Zhang, S. (2006). Comprehension and technology. In M. C. McKenna, L. D. Labbo, R. D. Kieffer & D. Reinking (Eds.), International handbook of literacy and technology (Vol. 2, pp. 317-326). Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Small, G. W., Moody, T. D., Siddarth, P., & Bookheimer, S. Y. (2009). Your brain on Google: Patterns of cerebral activation during Internet searching. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 17(2), 116-126.