eBook displayed on a tablet.
Campus Technology reported on a recent survey of college students’ technology textbook preferences. Nearly 60 percent of students buy their own books. The survey also indicated that while 40 percent of students surveyed had experience with an eBook, there were disparate levels of satisfaction with the technology. The percentages of students somewhat or very happy with eBooks were 44 percent, with another 39 percent somewhat or very unhappy with their experience.
Why the significant percentage of students who are not pleased with their eBook experience? The survey does not detail this but a recent presentation by Dr. Andrew Feldstein of Virginia State University offered some possible explanations. While many students are considered so-called digital natives, e-books are still a relatively new technology, replete with competing platforms, interfaces, and features. Not all eBooks are intuitive, and this can quickly frustrate or disappoint students of even advanced digital literacy. Many students find that they can more easily navigate the traditional analog version, which requires no technical skills whatsoever. (Feldstein uses Venkatesh’s Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology as a framework to interpret his study’s results.)
Meanwhile, a Chronicle report on learning technologies indicated that 65 percent of colleges are using e-Books with another 25 percent considering the technology. As institutions prepare to adopt eBooks or even deploy e-reader devices, consideration should be given to student preferences and concerns, with special attention given to usability. Consultations with student governance groups, library representatives, and university bookstore stakeholders will help guide the selection process. Instructors considering adopting a certain eBook can search ratings or see if there are particular features that will enhance the students’ experience.
So while college adoption of eBooks is on the rise, student satisfaction with the technology, at least from this survey’s indications, remains ambivalent. We have not reached a tipping point on this matter, and in order to increase the odds in favor of the eBooks, designers and adopters must continually bear in mind the student experience.
Peripheral note: This same survey regarding e-textbook dissatisfaction also indicated a very high percentage (91) of students who still take notes on good old-fashioned paper. We recently had a blog post on the “art of note taking” and how laptops aren’t necessarily as effective as traditional note taking means. I found it interesting that in both cases (eBooks and digital note-taking practices) there are still strong arguments for using the traditional analog means, another reminder that it isn’t the technology that matters, it’s the application!
Photo by Andrew Mason, Creative Commons 2.0 License
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