There has been much debate of late as to whether e-readers, smartphones, and other new technologies will revolutionize how textbooks and printed material are delivered to students. Some believe hard copy textbooks are on the path to obsolescence and that electronic books, or e-books, will soon prevail as the standard form of text in this age of ever-expanding technology.
As an honors project for a Statistics 240 class at the University of Massachusetts, a group of students conducted a survey of fellow UMass students about their thoughts on switching to e-books and their current textbook preferences. Their results did not confirm the widely-discussed trend towards a paperless experience for students.
A majority of courses still use hard copy textbooks, the group found, and out of the students’ survey group, only between five and 15 percent of students had any exposure to electronic texts at all. Among those who said they use an electronic book, less than one in five students said they actually read the book.
So, then: does purchasing an electronic book save individuals money? For an electronic version of a book, students pay about 60 percent of the cost of a hard copy textbook, but, conversely, cannot sell it back for profit. Additionally, more than 50 percent of those who use an electronic version said they need to print the material at some point.
According to researcher and UMass student Clara Chekanov, her and her research partner Katelyn Kalutkiewicz also found that there may be a link between owning a physical copy of a book and reading it. In the study, users of hard copy textbooks read them more frequently than electronic versions. Between 55 and 65 percent of those in the study group who used hard copy textbooks read them on a regular basis.
Furthermore, the group came to some findings which may be disappointing to academics on either side of the digital discourse. The group observed that fewer and fewer students purchase textbooks in either form for their courses. Chekanov said her group’s results show that between 60 and 70 percent of students indicate cost as a major factor preventing them from purchasing a book, online or in print.
Chekanov said the group also asked students to describe their version of an ideal class. A majority said they would prefer PowerPoint presentations as opposed to taking their own notes. However, the group showed no preference regarding online or written homework. More than half believed attending lectures is the most helpful way to adequately digest their material. Finally, between 70 and 77 percent of students felt that personal response systems (PRS) would help them become engaged when they are used for checking comprehension of material.
Overall, Chekanov said the group’s results provide “valuable insight into the components of a student’s ideal class,” and that the group’s conclusions “do not support the belief that hard copy textbooks are fading and that electronic books are increasing in frequency.”
– Courtesy Collegian News Staff
