How did printing technology impact literacy and education ? How did printing technology impact literacy and education ? Solution Print culture embodies all forms of printed text and other printed forms of Visual Communication. One prominent scholar in the field is Elizabeth Eisenstein, who contrasted print culture, which appeared in Europe in the centuries after the advent of the Western printing press to scribal culture. Print culture is the conglomeration of effects on human society that is created by making printed forms of communication. Print culture encompasses many stages as it has evolved in response to technological advances. Print culture can first be studied from the period of time involving the gradual movement from oration to script as it is the basis for print culture. As the printing became commonplace, script became insufficient and printed documents were mass produced. The era of physical print has had a lasting effect on human culture, but with the advent of digital text, some scholars believe the printed word is becoming obsolete. The advent of the printing press over five hundred years ago may be described as one of the few major significant events in mankind’s history in terms of the greatest impact on literacy. Before paper and print were invented, oral communication was the only method in which information was gathered and distributed. Even though this bound the community together, it did not allow the community to grow and there were no methods of accurately storing and retrieving information. Further, if the community moved on or perished so did their historical records and knowledge. Although the following technologies involved the written word in the form of papyrus scrolls and manuscript codex as examples, it was still quite time consuming and limited to the upper literate elite class of society. When the printing press was invented there was a shift from the laborious manuscript making to the codex print allowing many copies of written work to be quickly created, in turn providing greater access to information for all and providing the framework for the gradual transformation of societal literacy. The concept of printing was first conceived and developed in China and Korea. Although the concept was conceived by the eastern nations, the first mechanized printing press was invented by a German metalworker named Johann Gutenberg in 1452. Gutenberg did not invent the printing press but rather conceived the idea of movable type which is actually an aggregation of three distinct technologies utilized by humans for many centuries before Gutenberg (Jones 2007). This can be described as a form of remediation of previous communication technologies. Bolter defines remediation when a, “newer medium takes place of an older one, borrowing and reorganizing the characteristics of writing in the older medium and reforming its cultural space.” (Bolter, 2001, p.23). Gutenberg combined the technologies of paper, viscous oil-based ink.

1. How did printing technology impact literacy and education ?
How did printing technology impact literacy and education ?
Solution
Print culture embodies all forms of printed text and other printed forms of Visual
Communication. One prominent scholar in the field is Elizabeth Eisenstein, who contrasted print
culture, which appeared in Europe in the centuries after the advent of the Western printing press
to scribal culture.
Print culture is the conglomeration of effects on human society that is created by making printed
forms of communication. Print culture encompasses many stages as it has evolved in response to
technological advances. Print culture can first be studied from the period of time involving the
gradual movement from oration to script as it is the basis for print culture. As the printing
became commonplace, script became insufficient and printed documents were mass produced.
The era of physical print has had a lasting effect on human culture, but with the advent of digital
text, some scholars believe the printed word is becoming obsolete.
The advent of the printing press over five hundred years ago may be described as one of the few
major significant events in mankind’s history in terms of the greatest impact on literacy. Before
paper and print were invented, oral communication was the only method in which information
was gathered and distributed. Even though this bound the community together, it did not allow
the community to grow and there were no methods of accurately storing and retrieving
information. Further, if the community moved on or perished so did their historical records and
knowledge. Although the following technologies involved the written word in the form of
papyrus scrolls and manuscript codex as examples, it was still quite time consuming and limited
to the upper literate elite class of society. When the printing press was invented there was a shift
from the laborious manuscript making to the codex print allowing many copies of written work
to be quickly created, in turn providing greater access to information for all and providing the
framework for the gradual transformation of societal literacy.
The concept of printing was first conceived and developed in China and Korea. Although the
concept was conceived by the eastern nations, the first mechanized printing press was invented
by a German metalworker named Johann Gutenberg in 1452. Gutenberg did not invent the
printing press but rather conceived the idea of movable type which is actually an aggregation of
three distinct technologies utilized by humans for many centuries before Gutenberg (Jones
2007). This can be described as a form of remediation of previous communication technologies.

2. Bolter defines remediation when a, “newer medium takes place of an older one, borrowing and
reorganizing the characteristics of writing in the older medium and reforming its cultural space.”
(Bolter, 2001, p.23). Gutenberg combined the technologies of paper, viscous oil-based ink and
the wine press to print books thereby allowing for the mass production and distribution of written
work. As a result of the printing press, there was no longer the need for the laborious manuscript
copying and production of the written word.
The printing press allowed for the democratizing of knowledge as a greater number of
individuals were provided access to more information. Through the printing press, written work
was more uniform in its viewing format. The mechanization of the printing press achieved more
regular spacing and hyphenation of the print. (Bolter, 2001). Prior to the printing press, the
written word was individually scribed with no standard format, with inconsistent writing,
grammar and handwriting. The printing press led to more consistent spelling, grammar and
punctuation. (McLuhan, 1962). Through this uniformity and reliability of the written work,
readers were able to consistently interpret the writer’s thoughts and ideas. While the printing
press did not have any significant immediate effects on societal literacy, over the next few
decades as more information through the written word was accessible and disseminated, this
technology advanced mass literacy as demonstrated through a drastic rise in adult literacy
throughout Europe. Prior to the printing press, books were quite expensive as it was a laborious
task to hand-scribe each book. As a result, only the wealthy upper elite class could afford such
books and therefore the literate were mainly found at this class level. However, with the
invention of the printing press creating nearly identical books of quality at an economical price,
books were now more affordable and available to the general public. It is estimated that by 1500
there were “fifteen to twenty million copies of 30,000 to 35,000 separate publications.”
(McLuhan, 1962, p.207)
Further, some scholars claim that the invention of the printing press has been a significant force
in transforming an oral medieval culture to a literate one or one which focuses more on silent and
private reading (McLuhan 1962, Havelock 1963, Ong 1982). However, other scholars such as
Eisenstein (1983) argue that the development of the printing press did not change medieval
Europe as it was literate before the invention of the printing press. Print did not bring about a
monumental shift from orality to literacy, but rather changed Europe from one type of literate
society to another. While there is still debate in this area, one can agree that the printing press
technology has had a profound effect on literacy within Europe.
The printing press has also been described as a driving factor in creating significant cultural and
religious transformations throughout Europe. Eisenstein (1997) discusses the shift from
manuscript to print in relation to three movements, namely the Scientific Revolution,
Renaissance and the Reformation. With the invention of the printing press, the scientists were

3. more readily able to share and exchange information. Further, as diagrams were hand drawn,
detailed diagrams and sketches would be time consuming and the printing press would easily
reproduce many copies with ease. By being able to quickly reproduce diagrams, pictures and
tables for mass consumption and readership, scholars were more eager to take the time to
produce accurate and useful illustrations. The dissemination of scientific knowledge through the
use of the printing press further increased literacy as more individuals would have increased
access to such knowledge and would be readily available for the next person to continue or build
on previous research.
The printing press was an agent of change in terms of educational practice. It transformed the
relationship between educator and student. “Previous relations between masters and disciples
were altered. Students who took full advantage of technical texts which served as silent
instructors…. Young minds provided with updated editions, especially of mathematical texts
began to surpass not only their own elders but the wisdom of ancients as well.” (Eisenstein,
1979, p. 689).
Lastly, many works were produced in the Latin language and thereby the printing press assisted
in promoting this language. However, very few individuals knew how to read Latin and so over
time and with the demand by the ever increasing literate public, a growing number of written
works were being translated from Latin and slowly replaced by the vernacular language of each
area. From 1520, many printers turned their offices into workshops for translators. (Febre &
Martin. 1997: 271-272). In providing written work in an individual’s native language, this further
positively impacted literacy rates as there were less obstacles in access to the written word.
With the invention of the printing press, the most immediate effect was the output of a greater
number of books at a more economical cost to the general public. Over the longer term however,
books would not only increase literacy rates due to the increased availability and access but also
would help begin the spread of political and religious movements within Europe. It is without a
doubt the printing press has had an impact on societal literacy rates but to what extent is still
debated. Currently we are experiencing a similar monumental shift in education in a new form of
technology with the Internet. Hopefully we can learn from the implementation of the printing
press and in conjunction with the Internet beneficially understand the growth, development and
impact on literacy.