32
Journal Student Research
Benefits and Limitations of E-textbook Use
Chang Lor1
Senior: Cross-Media Graphics Management
Abstract
E-textbooks are sometimes known as e-books, digital books, or online
textbooks. E-textbooks are a growing alternative to printed textbooks at
many academic institutions. At a university like the University of WisconsinStout, where every student receives a laptop computer, it is important to
examine how e-textbooks are accepted and how e-textbooks may affect
the study habits of undergraduate students. The purpose of this research is
to identify students’ preference for e-textbooks or analog, printed books,
analyze the perception of student benefits and limitations of the medium, and
investigate potential impacts of e-textbook use on the academic experience of
UW-Stout undergraduate students.
Keywords: academic, benefits, e-textbooks, limitations
Introduction
Students sometimes face the decision of reading either printed
textbooks or electronic textbooks. Although printed textbooks are the
traditional content-delivery method for many students, e-textbooks continue
to grow as an alternative content-delivery method. Gayle Jesse states that
an e-textbook is any form of a textbook that is created to be delivered
digitally and may be “consumed” (Jesse, 2014, p. 236). E-textbooks are
reading materials used for academic purposes, where content is routinely
updated (Terpend, Gattiker, & Lowe, 2014). E-textbooks undergo continuous
revision cycles with revised editions to provide the most current academic
information; hence, e-textbooks frequently require an Internet connection to
ensure that updated content is accessible. For the purpose of this research, it
is assumed e-textbooks contain the same content as printed textbooks, but
students access that content via a device with a video display.
The University of Wisconsin-Stout, located in western Wisconsin,
is a polytechnic university that provides undergraduate students with laptop
computers. Because each student possesses his or her own laptop, e-textbooks
are practical to implement and distribute to students. Whether e-textbooks
have a positive or negative impact on students’ academic experience should
1
Chang is a McNair Scholar (Ed.).
Benefits and Limitations of E-textbook Use
33
be a concern for all e-consumers. For classes that offer the option of using
printed textbooks or e-textbooks, students should be aware of the factors that
one medium–e-textbook or printed textbook–may make one delivery format
preferred over the other.
Data for this research was gathered through UW-Stout using a survey
software tool called Qualtrics. A population of 579 UW-Stout undergraduate
students participated. Questions related to undergraduate students’ preference
for printed textbooks or e-textbooks were addressed in the survey’s set of
questions. Further details are described in the Method section.
Literature Review
E-textbooks vs. Printed Textbooks: Preferences from Past Research
The growing availability between e-textbooks or printed textbooks
leaves students to consider which is better: printed textbooks or e-textbooks?
Globally, studies show that undergraduate students from various universities
in different countries prefer printed textbooks over e-textbooks for academic
use. For example, a study conducted by the Book Industry Study Group
concluded that 75% of 1,428 students from ten colleges prefer printed
textbooks over e-textbooks (Baek & Monaghan, 2013). Another study,
conducted by Dmitriy Chulkov and Jason VanAlstine (2013), concluded that
77% of 158 students preferred printed textbooks over e-textbooks. Whether
the sample population was 1,428 students or 158 students, these relevant
studies indicate the reading medium that students prefer.
Undergraduate students, who may be rather new to e-textbooks and
more familiar with printed textbooks, often undergo an extended adaptation
process as they learn how to use e-textbooks. Although today’s undergraduate
students completed primary schools that provided printed textbooks for most
of their educational years, “57% of all [Swedish] two-year-olds…are using
the Internet–most of them on a tablet computer” (Myrberg & Wiberg, 2015).
Students who are introduced to tablets and computers at a young age may
adapt more easily and quickly to e-textbooks; as more of these students age,
they may prefer e-textbooks because of their comfort level with technology.
Robert Stone and Lori Baker (2013) cited that students prefer
e-textbooks instead of printed textbooks because the “e-book [or e-textbook]
is a better delivery method, not a better way to read” (p. 89). Stone and
Baker noted that eyestrain was caused by reading from a video display for
an extended period. The electronic method of distributing content to others
via the web may be faster and more efficient than a printed textbook format.
Theoretically, individuals may be more accustomed to reading on-screen
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Journal Student Research
information for specific, straightforward information, summarized points, text
messages, social-media feedback, or email. Nonetheless, there are positive
and negative factors that may influence students’ preference for one delivery
method over the other.
Cost Differences of Printed Textbooks and E-textbooks
Although printed textbooks were significantly preferred by subjects
over e-textbooks in multiple research studies, one significant factor is their
price (Baek & Monaghan, 2013; Chulkov & VanAlstine, 2013; Falc, 2013;
Jesse, 2014; Lim & Hew, 2014; Lyman, 2008; Stone & Baker-Eveleth, 2013;
Terpend, Gattiker, & Lowe, 2014). Students purchase e-textbooks, although
they prefer printed textbooks, because of price differences. On average, an
e-textbook costs approximately half as much as a printed textbook (Falc,
2013; Lyman, 2008). Although printed textbooks can be sold back for cash,
the lower initial cost of an e-textbook may cause many students to choose
e-textbooks over printed textbooks.
Negative Influences of E-textbooks on Academic Performance
Students express a strong preference for printed textbooks because
e-textbooks frustrate students in several ways, including, but not limited to:
difficult on-screen notetaking, headache/eyestrain, difficult navigation, long
page-load times, and Internet-connection requirements. These issues are
foundational in this research study.
Difficult On-Screen Notetaking
The difficulty of notetaking with the e-device is a possible reason
that readers prefer printed textbooks over e-textbooks. A survey conducted
by Amanda Rockinson-Szapkiw (2013) found that 52.8% of 106 university
students took notes on paper rather than the other four listed choices,
which were “Not Answered,” “I did not take notes from the book,” “Type on
Word document,” and “Write in textbook/Type in text” (p. 264). Students
are challenged to adapt to diverse annotation tools from various e-text
applications. Depending on the provider, e-textbook tools for notetaking
may differ slightly in appearance and function. The process of becoming
accustomed to each providers’ tool could be time spent reading.
Headaches/Eyestrain
Factors such as the bright light from an e-textbook’s display and
high pixelation of the screen strain the reader’s eye and eventually make the
eye work harder to follow the text, often causing headaches (Myrberg &
Benefits and Limitations of E-textbook Use
35
Wiberg, 2015; Stone & Baker-Eveleth, 2013). Eyestrain caused by reading an
e-textbook, especially for an extended period, may lead to the student taking
long and multiple breaks to relax the eyes before reading again. A survey
conducted by Nancy Foasberg (2011), a librarian at Queens College, found
that 63% of 338 participants agreed that eyestrain is one of seven identified
negative e-textbook qualities. A temporary condition called “computer vision
syndrome” may lead to eyestrain, fatigue, and dry eyes from looking at a
device’s display for a long period of time (Myrberg & Wiberg, 2015). With
e-textbooks, it is recommended that readers view the content from larger
screens because larger text and tools are more visible.
Difficult Page Navigation
Page-to-page navigation is identified as a negative issue that may
create a struggle for e-textbook users (Hobbs & Klare, 2015). Readers can
easily flip to any page of a printed text in a matter of seconds, but e-textbook
users must navigate from page to page by repeatedly clicking a button, or
by typing in a specific page number to navigate to a particular page; these
latter actions take considerably more time. Scrolling from page to page has
become a universal page-navigation method for many online users whether
they use an e-textbook application, news site, or social media platform, yet,
some e-textbooks don’t allow scrolling from one page to another page, which
is likely easier (Hobbs & Klare, 2015). A third challenge that e-textbook
users may encounter occurs when attempting to navigate from one page to
another distant page, such as navigating to a glossary or an index page. The
e-textbook application may not save, or bookmark, the page from which the
user originally navigated.
Long Page-Load Times
The intensive loading times of e-textbook pages may cause users to become
irritated and annoyed, especially when a particular page contains content that
increases its file size, and, therefore, creates a time lag before the device displays the
content. Complex content may cause a page to load at a slower rate–or not at all.
These complexities may consist of visual, auditory, cognitive, and speech-dictation
features that interfere with the loading of the page (Grajek, 2013). The additional
features that are provided by the e-textbook application, such as a text-to-speech
function for visually impaired students, may cause the page to take longer to display
as the device loads additional information to support such features. Waiting for a
page to load may decrease the reader’s motivation to read the text, or the student
may do something else while waiting, such as browse the Internet, which may
distract the reader from reading the e-textbook.
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Journal Student Research
Internet-Connection Requirements
Internet access is a fundamental component of e-textbooks and is
a high priority for college students for daily interaction or social media
(Bossaller & Kammer, 2014). Whether students access their e-textbook from
a tablet or desktop computer, Internet access may be required to use an
e-textbook that does not allow downloading. Internet requirements may not
be necessary for e-textbooks that are downloaded; however, updated content
will be limited (Baek & Monaghan, 2013). Students who connect via a local
campus network may have easy access to the Internet and readily find a
location with Internet access to facilitate reading their e-textbook; however,
if the student travels on a bus, train, or car, Internet access may be limited
or nonexistent. Because of the lack of Internet access, students may prefer a
printed textbook to read, especially if these students do most of their reading
in an area where Internet access is limited.
Positive Influences of E-textbooks on Academic Performance
Students may find e-textbooks to be a burden, given the
aforementioned negative qualities. Still, Baek and Monaghan (2013) found
that students tend to be more accepting of e-textbooks over an extended
period of time, and one or two semesters may not be enough time for a
student to develop comfort and user adeptness (Baek & Monaghan, 2013).
Undergraduate students who are accustomed to reading course material from
a printed page typically need to experience a transition period before they
become comfortable using e-textbooks. Although there is a strong preference
among students for printed textbooks over e-textbooks, e-textbooks offer
multiple features that students view favorably and may enhance their
learning. This research studied the favorable qualities of ease of access,
ease of reading, ease of page navigation, portability, and printability. These
beneficial qualities are described in the following paragraphs.
Ease of Access
Like many screen devices that can access the Internet, e-textbooks
can be read nearly anywhere. A study conducted by Hamid Jamali (2009),
from the JISC National E-Book Observatory, concluded that the ease of
accessing an e-textbook, is considered an advantage by 55% of users. With
e-textbooks, accessibility is available wherever an e-textbook reader device
is available. Depending on the e-textbook provider, some e-textbooks can be
downloaded and read without an Internet connection; others are only web
accessible and require an Internet connection to allow interactive and up-todate features (Lim & Hew, 2014).
Benefits and Limitations of E-textbook Use
37
Ease of Reading
E-textbook providers continually improve their e-textbook
applications. One important tool helping students comprehend readings is
the inclusion of an English dictionary that instantly defines words students
may not understand (Chen, Fan, & He, 2012). With a click of a button, the
reader receives a definition of the specified word. Often, students who read
an e-textbook do not intend to read the whole of the course material, but
only specific sections. Smaller sections and shorter reading sessions reduce
eyestrain. Shorter chapters may make reading e-textbooks easier because text
and interactive features provide assistance that a student can access during a
reading session to enhance their understanding of the content.
Ease of Page Navigation
Most undergraduate students complete their primary education
while reading printed textbooks and flipping printed pages. Students learn
to memorize where specific chapters are located or use physical bookmarks.
When using e-textbooks, navigation can be completed more rapidly (Lyman,
2008). Students are able to proceed to the next page of content or revert to
the previous page, using commands built into the e-textbook software, such
as a mouse click. Students can “jump” to a specific page from a current page;
for example, students are able to navigate directly from page five to page
ten. In addition, most e-textbooks include indices and glossaries. Although
viewing two-page spreads may require a larger display, the larger display
permits reading with fewer mouse clicks. Those students who use e-textbook
page navigation to its fullest, such as jumping from page to page, using the
index, or consulting the glossary, may benefit the most from their e-textbook
resource.
Portability
Ee-Lon Lim and Khe Foon Hew (2014), researchers at Nanyang
Technological University in Singapore, explain portability as “not having
to carry heavy printed books around, [and the] ability to store collections
of readings in a personalized digital library” (p. 35). The ability to access
multiple e-textbooks using a single device and to archive files eliminates the
need to carry multiple, printed textbooks to classes or to other locations
when studying. A survey conducted by Nancy Foasberg (2011) at Queens
College ranked portability as the e-textbook’s most valuable factor, ahead
of four other choices (convenience, storage, special functions, and text-tospeech) in student’s preferences for e-textbooks.
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Journal Student Research
Printability
Depending on the e-textbook provider, the ability to print portions of
the e-textbook may be allowed. Students can save paper by printing shorter
sections rather than the entire text (Falc, 2013). The ability to print specific
pages rather than an entire chapter or e-textbook is advantageous because
students print what they want to highlight or annotate, including images,
graphs, or other illustrations. David James Johnston and his colleagues at
University of Windsor in Canada conducted a survey and concluded that
subjects used the e-textbook print option for three reasons: “A general
preference for print, difficulty reading and studying from e-textbook, and
general preference to have access to both formats” (Johnston, Berg, Pillon,
& Williams, 2015, p. 75). With printability, students may print pertinent
sections and annotate by hand to fit their comfort (Hobbs & Klare, 2015).
Printability allows students to read from printed sheets if they wish, and
allows them to make annotations directly on the printed copy. The option
of printing may be emphasized by instructors who use e-textbook materials
to accentuate the availability of multiple media to facilitate learning. Having
the print option allows students to choose the electronic or printed version,
whichever best fits the student’s need.
Acceptance of E-textbooks
Although e-textbooks compete with printed textbooks for student
acceptance, most students may not be ready to accept e-textbooks. For
example, a study conducted by Ya-Ling Chen, Sitong Fan, and Zhongyuan
(2012), graduate students at Johnson Wales University, concludes that 78%
of 80 students “disagreed that e-book would take over traditional print books
in the future” (p. 9).
E-textbooks are gaining popularity due to ease of access, ease of
reading, page navigation, portability, and printability. On the other hand,
e-textbook users also report negative qualities that affect their ability to easily
consume e-textbooks: difficult notetaking, headaches/eyestrain, difficult
navigation, long page-load times, and Internet-connection requirements. As
e-textbook providers continue to improve their interfaces and interactivity,
more students may realize the benefits of using e-textbooks and adopt
e-textbooks over printed textbooks.
Importance of this Research Paper
This research studies the importance of e-textbooks and how
they significantly influence an undergraduate student’s study habits. The
aforementioned positive and negative characteristics of e-textbooks
Benefits and Limitations of E-textbook Use
39
are included to illustrate factors that make an e-textbook favorable or
unfavorable. The e-textbook medium is continually growing and publishers
will compete to enhance and provide their services to more students
and universities, expanding as a business and helping students succeed
academically as the result. This research aims to identify students’ preference
for e-textbooks, the benefits and limitations of the medium, and because
of those use issues, the potential effects of e-textbook use on the academic
experience of UW-Stout undergraduate students.
Method
For this paper, a mixed-model research was conducted by using an
investigative survey instrument to gather voluntary response data from
subjects. The survey instrument used for this research was Qualtrics, a survey
software tool used to create, distribute and collect data.
Prior to the distribution of the survey, the researcher submitted the
survey and an informational ethics form to the Institutional Review Board
(IRB). The IRB ensured the survey followed ethical guidelines and assured
that survey subjects were safe from physical or mental harm. After the IRB
reviewed and approved the submitted survey, the researcher distributed
the survey to 579 UW-Stout undergraduate students via the Planning,
Assessment, Research, and Quality (PARQ) office at UW-Stout.
Of the 579 students, 500 students were randomly emailed with the
survey by PARQ, and 79 students were emailed the survey by the CrossMedia Graphics Management undergraduate program. The survey was
available for response for a period of one month. Two email reminders were
sent to each subject, reminding them to complete the survey. After one
month, the survey closed and the data was collected and tabulated by the
researcher. Of the total survey requests sent (579), 78 surveys were started
and 70 of the 78 surveys were successfully completed and submitted within
the time period, resulting in a response completion rate of 12%. For results
and discussion purposes, the 70 completed responses are referenced with
their corresponding results for this review.
The survey conducted for this research consisted of multiple-choice
questions, respondents’ typed opinions, and a Likert rating scale that
included the five chosen e-textbook features that are viewed as beneficial or
problematic. The multiple-choice questions attempted to clarify both the
subjects’ awareness of e-textbooks and their attitudes related to the use of
e-textbooks.
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Journal Student Research
Results
Figure
1
When
reading
a
class
textbook,
which
would
you
prefer
to
read
on?
57
Number
of
Responses
60
50
40
30
20
13
10
0
Hardcopy Textbooks
E-textbooks
Types
of
Medium
Reported
by
70
Surveyed
Subjects
Students were presented with a two-choice question asking, “When
reading a class textbook, which would you prefer to read on?” The choices
allowed were “Hardcopy textbooks” and “E-textbooks.” Respondents had a
strong preference for printed textbooks at 81.4%, or 57 out of 70 students. A
low percentage of 18.6%, or 13 out of 70 students, preferred e-textbooks.
The survey asked subjects to rate five problematic limitations of
e-textbooks on a one-to-five Likert scale. A rank of “1” specified the most
problematic issue; a ranking of “5” indicated the least problematic. As Table 1
shows, subjects identified headaches/eyestrain as most problematic, followed
by Internet-connection requirements, difficult page navigation, difficult onscreen notetaking, and long page-load times.
Table
1
Limitations
Headaches/Eye Strain
Internet-Connection Requirements
Difficult Page Navigation
Difficult On-Screen Notetaking
Long Page-Load Times
Total
Respondents
67
67
67
67
67
Respondents’
Ranking:
Most
Problematic
to
Least
Problematic
1
31
16
13
5
2
2
11
17
13
19
7
3
10
12
14
18
13
4
7
15
14
8
23
5
8
7
13
17
22
Weighted
Average
Of
Respondents’
Ranking
2.25
2.77
3.01
3.19
3.84
In addition to using the Likert scale, respondents were also provided
an opportunity to submit their own typed input related to other problematic
features that were not listed among the survey choices. As related to
notetaking, subjects specifically noted the absence of an ability to copy and
paste from an e-textbook onto another application such as Microsoft Word.
Additionally, the distraction rate of using an e-textbook may be higher as
Benefits and Limitations of E-textbook Use
41
well; some students stated that e-textbooks are “harder to pay attention to
since they are on the Internet. It is tempting to go on other websites while
doing homework.” Another student added that e-textbooks are “hard to focus
… [and] get side tracked and distracted easily.” User attention span may be
lower while reading e-textbooks because of distractions in their surroundings,
such as the easy access to other websites or pop-up application notifications.
Other respondents negatively described e-textbooks as follows: “Poor reading
retention,” “Different company with different tools and software. Too much
to remember,” “Navigation and views not customizable,” “Don’t work well
on mobile devices,” and “Inconvenient and use of device battery.” These
additional, problematic features of e-textbooks are issues that may require
consideration to improve the adoption of e-textbooks by students.
Table 2 shows that students ranked the beneficial features of
e-textbooks in this order: ease of access (most beneficial), followed by
portability, ease of page navigation, ease of reading, and printability.
Table
2
Benefits
Ease of Access
Portability
Ease of Page Navigation
Ease of Reading
Printability
Total
Respondents
68
68
68
68
68
Respondents’
Ranking:
Most
Beneficial
to
Least
Beneficial
1
24
22
7
12
3
2
25
13
12
11
7
3
10
12
24
15
7
4
7
14
15
12
20
5
2
7
10
18
31
Weighted
Average
Of
Respondents’
Ranking
2.09
2.57
3.13
3.19
4.01
In addition to using a Likert scale, respondents were again invited to type
their own input related to advantageous e-textbook features. One subject stated
that, “The search is a nice feature that you don’t get in hard copy books.” Another
subject concurred about the ease of the search tool: “If I need a certain key word
or topic and am having issues finding it, ctrl + f speeds things up immensely.”
Other beneficial features of e-textbooks also included less “worry about damaging
it [e-textbooks] and going to pick it up and return it.” A third subject did not
“comprehend the information better after reading a book online, compared to
a hard copy [textbook],” although this subject did “find it much easier to take
notes on the computer while reading an e-textbook.” These and other responses
indicate that the subjects acknowledge the beneficial features of e-textbooks.
Subjects were asked to report their estimated grade-point average (GPA)
for courses that used e-textbooks. More than half of the subjects who responded
(70) reported that they earned a GPA of 3.1 or greater. The following figure
shows the subjects’ reported GPA:
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Journal Student Research
Figure
2
For
classes
which
involve
e-‐textbooks,
what
is
your
estimated
average
GPA?
Number
of
Responses
30
28
23
25
20
15
12
10
4
3
2.5-2.1
2.0 and Lower
5
0
4.0-3.6
3.5-3.1
3.0-2.6
GPA
Range
Reported
by
70
Surveyed
Subjects
Discussion
At a university like UW-Stout, where students are given a personal
laptop to use throughout their undergraduate careers, one might predict
that students would favor e-textbooks. However, when asked whether they
prefer to read material via e-textbooks or printed textbooks, data shows
that the respondents overwhelmingly prefer to read printed textbooks over
e-textbooks. This response is similar to a Foasberg (2011) survey that found
that 76.5% of survey respondents preferred print materials to e-books or
e-textbooks; in the UW-Stout research, 81.4% of the participants preferred
to read print materials over e-textbooks. Numerous factors may cause
students to prefer printed textbooks over e-textbooks, such as adaptability,
the willingness to change reading preferences, cost, age, classroom style
(face-to-face versus online courses), features, and more. Depending on the
course, students may be unable to choose whether to buy an e-textbook or
printed textbook; e-textbook use may be their sole option. Yet, this research
shows students strongly prefer printed textbooks.
Ranked as most problematic in this research survey, eyestrain seems
to be a physical concern that the majority of the respondents encountered
while reading e-textbooks. Although e-textbook-accessible devices do
provide brightness adjustments to the video display, the low pixilation
of the screen, as well as screen contrast, may cause the reader to feel the
effect of eyestrain, leading to headaches that will require taking breaks
to relieve the eyes. The researcher’s findings indicate that an Internetconnection requirement is a problematic feature related to e-textbooks.
Not all e-textbook providers allow downloadable e-textbook content, in
Benefits and Limitations of E-textbook Use
43
effect requiring an Internet connection to access content; therefore, an
Internet connection is a necessity when reading e-textbooks that are not
downloadable. As shown by Table 1, page navigation had a balanced ranking
throughout the scale. This suggests that some subjects struggle with page
navigation while others do not see page navigation as a problem. Lastly,
difficult notetaking and long-page load times were the least problematic
for subjects. The results suggest that students do not struggle with
finding alternatives to notetaking or worry about page loading. The least
problematic, page loading, suggests that the subject’s Internet connection
speed is sufficient to support the content. Audiences of this research paper
should consider the five problematic features surveyed in this research when
they choose course textbook materials.
According to Grajek (2013), three main factors that concern students
or faculty most about e-textbooks are cost, availability, and portability. The
findings from this research survey illustrate that accessibility and portability
are two important features that influence e-textbook usage. Ease of reading
ranked as fourth most beneficial. One should be aware that “ease of reading”
does not necessarily correlate or relate to headache/eyestrain in this study,
but exemplifies the ease of reading the size of the text on an electronic
video display. Although concerns related to page navigation and printability
were less significant when compared to the other three features, the ability
to easily navigate and print materials for notetaking may also be important
for other circumstances, such as students who want to scan from page(s)
to page(s) or students who prefer to read a printed text over an e-text.
Approximately 46% of subjects stated that printability was not a problem
that they encounter regularly. These five chosen features are factors that may
influence students’ interest in e-textbooks.
Figure 2 illustrates GPAs self-reported by the subjects as related
to e-textbook use. As shown by Figure 2, there is no apparent correlation
between e-textbook use and negative academic performance. Over half the
respondents reported a GPA between 3.1 and 4.0 on a scale of 1.0-4.0. This
may imply that students do relatively well while using e-textbooks. The
survey question asked for the subjects’ “estimated average GPA,” the survey
results may be skewed or miscalculated by the respondents. Nonetheless, as
shown by the figure, subjects appear to perform well academically when they
use e-textbooks. There are certainly other factors not addressed by this study
that may influence grade outcomes and the use of e-textbooks.
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Journal Student Research
Limitations
The respondents were UW-Stout undergraduate students, which
eliminated many potential subjects, including graduate students and other
e-textbook users from different universities, colleges, and high schools. The
small population for this research shows a result that affected a particular
audience, specifically, UW-Stout undergraduate students only. Future
studies of e-textbooks may benefit from additional elements with a focus
on a particular population, such as gender, learning style (face-to-face or
online), age, experience with digital media, course subject, major, e-textbook
experiences, grade-point averages, and more. Another significant factor that
has been discussed in similar studies–that was not included in this survey–was
an e-textbook versus print textbook cost comparison. Numerous other factors
that were not surveyed in this research may also influence student preferences
for e-textbooks; study of such factors could be addressed in further research.
Conclusion
Since its availability in the late 1990s, the e-textbook medium has
grown in popularity among learners of all ages, and particularly among
college students. Because technology, such as computers, tablets, and
electronic devices, play an immense part in many students’ academic careers,
e-textbooks provide an alternative content-delivery to printed textbooks.
E-textbook publishers are constantly refining e-textbook features to improve
user-friendliness. However, this study’s findings show that e-textbooks are
not preferred by the majority of college students. Printed textbooks are–
presently, and by a wide margin–the preferred reading medium for most
students. This survey analyzed five beneficial and five limiting features of
e-textbooks, confirming that eyestrain is the most problematic feature (of
the five choices) for e-textbook users, while ease of access was the most
significant positive feature (of the five choices). Although this research does
consider factors that may influence e-textbook preferences among students,
there may be other factors that were not addressed in this research that may
influence students’ preferences for electronic texts and printed texts.
Benefits and Limitations of E-textbook Use
45
References
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