As we prepare to launch into our first novel of the year in my classes, another area of research which was prompted by metacognition about my own reading:
Clearly, audiobooks can be as good as paper books in many situations with a few caveats, especially for kids who wouldn't read otherwise. I"ll gladly provide links if you wish.
The best situation of all for comprehension and retention seems to be simultaneous listening with visual reading, a la WhisperSync. If there is no paper copy, students should make frequent use of the rewind button as soon as they realize their mind has wandered. If using an eBook reader, they should make liberal use of the Highlight and Notes functions.
Here are some infographics to ponder on the topic of audiobooks curated by Ebook Friendly:
