Comparative Influence of Digital and Printed Literary Texts on the Learning Outcomes of English Students at Federal College of Education, Okene

This study investigated the comparative influence of digital literary texts and printed literary texts on the learning outcomes of students of English at FCE, Okene. Adopting a descriptive survey research design, four research questions were formulated in order to obtain information directly from students concerning their perceptions and experiences of reading literary texts in print and on screen. The study employed a quantitative-dominant survey approach with a qualitative component to carry out this investigation. From the investigation, digital texts are found to provide considerable advantages in terms of accessibility, portability, and convenience, searching and digital annotation. Printed texts, however, were more strongly preferred by respondents for intensive literary study. The open-ended responses particularly associated print reading with concentration, fewer distractions, comprehension, retention and annotation. This is reflected in the finding that 66.7% of the respondents recommended print as the preferred format for studying English Literature. The study concludes that a blended pedagogical approach-strategically integrating both digital and printed literary texts-offers the most effective strategy for enhancing students’ academic performance. It therefore recommends the adoption of a balanced instructional model that leverages the strengths of both formats to maximize learning outcomes among the students of English