General Education Oral Communication Assessment and Student Preferences for Learning: E-textbook versus Paper Textbook

General Education Oral Communication Assessment & Student Preferences for Learning: E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook

Manuscript first presented: Dwyer, K.K. & Davidson, M. M. (2011, November). Student Voices on Reading an E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook: Performance and Preferences for Learning and Spending. A paper presented at the National Communication Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (competitively selected). The edited version was published: Dwyer, K. K. & Davidson, M. M. (2013). General Education Oral Communication Assessment and Student Preferences for Learning: E-textbook versus Paper Textbook published in Communication Teacher 01/2013; 27(2). DOI: 10.1080/17404622.2012.752514 Assessment of textbook usage can be especially pertinent to the basic communication

course because many publishers are now offering e-textbooks at a lower cost than their paper

textbook counterparts. With the skyrocketing cost of textbooks, the adoption of an e-textbook

package may be a pragmatic choice for any basic speech course program.

An e-book is an electronic book that can be read digitally on a computer, an e-book

reader, a cellular phone, or a personal digital assistant; when it is used as an instructional or

educational book, it is often called an e-textbook (E-textbook, n.d.). E-books and e-textbooks

include interactive features, such as built-in dictionaries and pronunciation guides, integrated

video, embedded hyperlinks, highlighting and underlining capabilities, bookmarking, full-text

searching, and the linking of multimedia objects. In the past decade, many e-books came in

online versions where the user could read the text through an Internet browser, but more recently

they come in offline versions that allow users to read e-textbooks through special e-book

software which can be downloaded from the Internet and read on electronic devises (e.g., Kindle,

Nook, iPad).

As part of a yearly university mandated assessment of a large basic communication

course that fulfills the oral communication general education requirement, this study examined

the student preferences for textbooks, reading, and learning. The goal of the study was to access

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 1

student perceptions of hard copy printed (paper) textbook vs. e-textbook reading and the

relationship to overall course performance. The results of this assessment study could help

instructors make decisions about adopting e-textbooks vs. paper textbooks as well as alert them

to the challenges students may experience with textbook reading.

Literature Review and Rationale

Higher education is expected to be at the forefront of e-book and e-textbook adoption.

Investments in e-book collections by institutions like Stanford University “send a strong signal to

the academic library community that e-books have entered the mainstream of book acquisition

for major university libraries” (Coutts Information Services, 2007, para. 3). By 2008 college

stores had jumped on board, with over 20% of the industry offering e-books and e-textbooks to

students—this jump was up from a relative handful of stores just two years before that (Nelson,

2008).

There is a growing movement by students, parents, and professors protesting the high

price of traditional paper textbooks in higher education and denouncing the weight and strain of

carrying such textbooks in grades K-12 (Allen, 2008). According to a United States Government

Accounting Office report textbook prices have increased at over twice the rate of inflation in the

last couple of decades (“GAO reports finds prices skyrocketing,” 2005) and according to another

report the average student spends between $700 and $1,000 per year on textbooks (“Turn the

page: Making college textbooks more affordable,” 2007). In contrast, one study found that that

cost of e-textbooks was 20% to 50% lower than paper textbooks (Buczynski, 2006).

Publishers and campuses continue to explore the use of e-books, and these investigations

signal a move from occasional e-book usage to a mainstream technology on college campuses.

According to the Association of American Publishers, sales of e-books hit over $90 million, up

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 2

over 200% when compared to the same month the previous year (Sporkin, 2011). Thus when the

cost of textbooks and the availability of formats is considered, the adoption of an e-textbook

package may be the reasonable choice for any basic speech course program.

With the advances in technology comes the development and availability of e-books. An

e-book is not to be confused with an e-reader. One might envision the e-book as the software

and the e-reader as the hardware. E-books are electronic books that can be read digitally on a

variety of different devices, an e-reader being one of those devices. In some cases, particularly

with e-textbooks, individuals are bound by subscription restrictions and often require that they

access the reading materials using an internet connection. Many of these subscriptions come

with access to built-in dictionaries, integrated video, embedded hyperlinks, highlighting and

underlining capabilities, bookmarking, quizzing functions, full-text searching, and other

interactive features. E-readers are electronic devices that display digital print content, and one

type that can be displayed on e-readers is an e-book (see Rao, 2001 for definitions of both

terms). A variety of e-readers (e.g., Kindle, Nook) and even some mobile devices (i.e., iPhones)

can function as e-readers (Levack, 2009). As of right now e-textbooks accessed via e-readers do

not have the same interactive capabilities and additional learning functions as those e-textbooks

accessed via the internet.In the last few years several scholarly articles have been published on

the use of e-books on campuses. However, mush of the research has focused on the usage of e-

books in academic libraries and the use of e-textbooks in specific disciplines.

Academic E-book Usage

Chu (2003) completed a study of 27 library and information science students regarding

their use and experience with e-books. The majority of the students indicated their primary

reason for not using e-books was that they were “hard to read and browse” and they needed

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 3

“special equipment” to use them, while the two most popular reasons for using e-books were

their searchability and the fact they were available 24 hours per day. Hodges, Preston, and

Hamilton (2010) identified major concerns associated with e-books and their expanding role in

libraries. The study found that libraries would prefer greater uniformity across e-book publishers

in areas such as simultaneous publishing, printing ability, access models, resource sharing use,

and compatibility with handheld reading devices. If these issues could be resolved, libraries

would purchase even more e-books (Hodges et al., 2010).

Anuradha and Usha (2005) surveyed students and faculty at the Indian Institute of

Science and found that students were more likely to use e-books as opposed to faculty and staff.

In 2006, a study by Levine-Clark revealed that even though e-books were used, users still

reported issues related to reading and/or viewing materials on a screen for an extended period of

time. About 51% of respondents indicated that they had indeed used e-books, and 56.6% of

respondents indicated that they generally read as much as a chapter online as opposed to printed

material. Carlock and Perry (2008) found that faculty were interested in using e-books, but

noted they had been hindered by interface difficulties and problems using the technology.

University libraries are not the only place that e-books are being adopted in academia; they are

also being incorporated into the college classrooms.

E-textbooks in the Classroom

There have been studies focused on e-textbooks incorporated into college classrooms and

they have attempted to examine how well students utilize textbooks. For example, one study

surveyed 19 non-major students in an introductory science course who agreed to use an e-

textbook for the semester and found that 100% would recommend using an e-textbook in college

courses to a friend, nearly 95% wished other courses offered an e-textbook option, and 58%

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 4

indicated that they would be more inclined to take a particular section of a course if it offered an

e-textbook option (Simon, 2001). A study of core medical textbooks in a medical library found

much higher usage of e-textbooks than paper textbooks (Ugaz, 2008).

In a study examining the perceptions and performance of introductory psychology

students who used an e-book versus a traditional paper textbook, researchers found that course

grades did not differ between the two formats (Shepperd, Grace, Koch, 2008). Of the 392

students who were given the option of purchasing an e-textbook or a more expensive paper

textbook, only 10% of students purchased the e-textbook, despite easy access and an in-class

demonstration of the e-textbook. Students using the e-textbook reported spending less time

reading for class (only 2 hours compared to the 2.3 hours per week on average), viewed the e-

textbook as somewhat easy to use, remained generally neutral in their liking for the text, rated

the e-textbook unfavorable for convenience, and for their willingness to use one in the future or

recommend to friends.

A study of a class of fourteen undergraduate business law students found that all chose to

use the e-textbook option because it was less expensive and 85% of the students reported never

previously using any electronic book (Nicholas & Lewis, 2009). Over 78% of students reported

it was easy or very to use and 92% reported the e-textbook was helpful or very helpful in

preparing for the quizzes. The students were evenly split on their overall e-textbook experience

with 50% rating the experience positive or very positive and 50% rating the experience neutral or

negative. In a study by the Center for Information and Communication Studies at Ball State

University, the authors concluded that students can learn just as well using e-books as using

printed books (Wiggenhorn & Bellaver, 2003). However, not all studies of e-textbooks have

been positive.

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 5

A study at Southwest Baptist University found that only 18% of students preferred e-

textbooks, while 67% preferred paper textbooks (Walton, 2007). Another study utilizing a

website as the primary text in the course found that 75% of students would have preferred a hard

copy/paper textbook (Vernon, 2006). The study also found that instead of reading directly from

the website, many students read from printed copies of the website content. These findings

suggest that students preferred using paper because “paper is embedded in [the] culture” (p. 426).

Woody, Daniel, and Baker (2010) found in a study of 91 students enrolled in a general

psychology course that students did not prefer e-textbooks over paper textbooks regardless of

gender, computer use, or comfort with computers. Their results also indicated that previous

experience with e-books did not increase overall preference for e-textbooks. Of those 54

students who had previously indicated having an option of using an e-textbook for a college

course and choosing yes, students still preferred a paper textbook for learning.

Interacting with E-Textbooks

An important area to consider when investigating e-textbooks is how student’s use and

interact with the text. Factors such as comfort with technology and design-layout can impact the

usability and impact of e-textbooks in the classroom. For example, the placement of illustrations

and other textbook features has been demonstrated to impact learning (Levin & Mayer, 1993;

Mayer, Steinhoff, Bower, & Mars, 1995) as well as student preference (Marek, Griggs, &

Christopher, 1999).

Many e-textbooks are often a PDF of the actual text page with the possible addition of

hyperlinks. Although e-textbooks tend to imitate the traditional paper or printed textbook,

students may not read e-textbooks the same way as they do paper textbooks. For example,

students report skimming (not reading) computer-based textbooks more often than paper-based

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 6

text (Nielson, 1997; Rho & Gedeon, 2000) and reading e-textbooks by searching for key terms

rather than reading line by line (Nielsen, 2006). Although differences in comprehension may not

be immediately evident (Aust, Kelley, & Roby, 1993), variables such as student effort,

differences in cognitive processing, and eye strain from computer screens can lead to a level of

discomfort and differential usage of e-textbooks (Kropman, Schoch, & Teoh, 2004) that could

affect students’ preferences. The prospect that e-textbooks could have an impact on learning is

an important consideration in the adoption of digital books for any discipline, including

communication. Few studies, if any, have examined the student usage of e-textbooks in basic

communication courses that meet on campus.

As mentioned earlier, digital books are making huge gains in popularity as millions of e-

book readers are added every year with an estimate of between three and five million new e-book

readers added over the 2010 holiday season alone. In 2007, Amazon introduced the Kindle, an

e-book reader that helped popularize the e-book development and digital reading trend.

Ownership of e-readers like Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook doubled from 6

percent in fall 2010 to 12 percent in spring 2011 while tablets, like Apple's iPad, are owned by 8

percent, as noted by Pew Internet & American Life Project (Purcell, 2011). In fact for the first

week in 2011, the USA Today Best-Selling Books List showed that “e-book versions of the top

six books outsold the print versions” and “of the top 50, 19 had higher e-book than print sales”

(Minzesheimer & Memmott, 2011, p. 1).

The next target for digital books is textbooks. Apple recently announced a new service,

iBooks 2 that will bring digital textbooks to the iPad. Apple said that 1.5 million iPads are

already being used in classrooms. Apple has teamed up with educational publishers to create e-

textbooks with features like interactive diagrams and videos (Lazarowitz, 2012).

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 7

Many textbook publishers are now offering both paper textbook and e-textbook formats

for communication courses. With the rising costs of textbooks making it more difficult for

students to afford the paper textbooks, many students, anecdotally estimated at up to 20% , try to

“get by” without buying a textbook (Boyd, n.d.). Consequently, basic course instructors need to

consider the possibilities and challenges of adopting an e-textbook vs. a paper textbook.

Scholarly articles have been published on the use of e-books in the past several years to help

with this decision, but few studies, if any, have queried the use of e-textbooks as educational

tools in the classroom and the impact on student learning specifically in the basic communication

course.

Background

As the result of the adoption of an e-textbook package for basic course students at a large

Midwestern university, the university mandated oral communication assessment recently focused

on course materials including an e-textbook. The reason for the e-textbook adoption was based

on the skyrocketing cost of the previously used textbook. The package, including textbook and

custom workbook, increased to approximately $130 and many students informally reported

“trying to get by” without buying the textbook package because of the expense. A new e-

textbook, a concise paper textbook outlining basic course material, and a custom workbook

package became available from a different publisher and could be purchased for approximately

$48. The concise paper textbook includes limited basic information whereas the e-textbook is a

standard all-inclusive textbook. The material covered the same content, and included similar

materials as the expensive hard copy package. Students could access and read the course e-

textbook via the university’s learning management system (i.e., Blackboard). Students were

redirected to the publisher’s website where students entered their username and password,

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 8

created at the beginning of the semester, and gained access to the e-textbook and publisher’s

course material for the semester. The website included the ability for students to not only read

the text but to also take quizzes, watch sample speeches, and search key words and definitions

from the text. At the time of this study few publishers, if any, provided access to e-textbookvia

e-readers or mobile devices. The faculty at the large Midwestern state university proceeded to

adopt the new e-book package.

Therefore, this assessment study was designed to query the use of an e-textbook vs. a

paper textbook used in a large multi-section basic communication course and also to discover

any impact of textbook reading on student performance in the course. The following research

questions guided this assessment study:

RQ 1: How often are students reading the e-textbook vs. the small paper textbook?

RQ2: Do students feel comfortable or enjoy reading the e-textbook and if not, why not?

RQ 3: Do students report preferences for course materials based on the cost?

RQ4: What course materials do students perceive facilitate their learning?

RQ5: Is regularity of reading of the e-textbook/paper textbook or enjoyment/comfort with

reading the e-book or comfort accessing the e-book online indicative of grade in the

course?

Methodology

Participants

Participants in this study were 321 undergraduate students (175 men, 139 women, 7

unknown) enrolled at a large Midwestern university. The participants were enrolled in 18

sections of the basic public speaking course, with a maximum enrollment of 26 students per

section. Since this course fulfills an oral communication general education requirement, a wide

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 9

variety of majors were represented and their ages ranged from 18 to 31+ with a mean age of

20.1. Respondents also represented a cross-section of class rankings (202 freshmen, 66

sophomores, 33 juniors, 14 seniors, 6 unknown). Although there were 450 students originally

enrolled in the18 sections of the course, only 321 students completed the online measure due to

attrition or choice not to participate in the survey.

The course used a standard syllabus as well as the same e-textbook, concise paper

textbook, and student workbook in all sections. Students were required to deliver at least four

formal speeches, engage in classroom activities, and take two exams. Students had access to

both the complete e-textbook and paper handbook. Reading was assigned from the e-textbook.

All exams were based on the e-textbook material and students were asked to use the concise

paper handbook as a summary of the e-textbook. Many students brought the concise paper

handbook to class as a reference. Instructors included trained and seasoned GTAs, adjuncts, and

full-time faculty. All instructors were given weekly lesson plans, class policies, and instructional

training materials.

Procedures and Instrumentation

To assess e-textbook usage, members of the basic communication course faculty created

items for an online survey to answer the research questions. The survey consisted of three

demographic items (e.g., age, year in college, sex) and 14 survey items deigned to answer the

research questions.

The basic course director invited all basic course instructors to participate in the e-

textbook assessment process. Participating instructors (12 out of 20, representing 18 sections)

invited their students during the last month of a spring semester to complete an online

assessment survey about their e-textbook that would benefit instructors in the future selection of

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 10

textbooks. Some instructors offered extra credit points for completing the survey. Students were

assured that the survey would be tabulated by an outside person who would inform each

instructor of the students’ names who had completed the survey so each could receive the points.

Final course grades were also collected from instructor records at the end of the semester and

matched with student survey responses. The basic course director downloaded and tabulated the

results and then removed all identifiers. The final results were reported to the basic speech

course instructors at their monthly meeting and used in the assessment of student textbook usage,

student performance related to textbook usage, and the future adoption of course materials.

Results

Responses related to Research Question One (asking how often students are reading the

e-textbook vs. the paper textbook on a weekly basis), using the IBM SPSS-19 report summaries,

showed that the majority of students, over 57%, reported during most weeks, they Never, Rarely

or Often Not read the e-textbook. In contrast, the majority of students, over 62%, reported during

most weeks, they read the paper textbook Occasionally, Often, Usually, or Always. See Table

One for a summary of the responses. A paired samples t-test was calculated to compare the

means for the how often students reported reading the e-textbook (M=2.98, SD=1.61) and how

often students reported reading the paper textbook (M=3.84, SD=1.71). Results showed a

significant difference (t(319)=8.79, p =.000) between the two groups. Thus, students reported

reading the paper textbook much more often than the e-textbook.

Responses to Research Question Two (asking if students enjoy reading and are

comfortable using the e-textbook and if not, why not), using the IBM SPSS-19 report summaries,

showed that overall students were unsure or disagreed that they enjoyed reading the e-textbook

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 11

(M=2.23, SD= 1.02;), but agreed they felt comfortable using the Blackboard portal to access the

e-textbook (M=3.72, SD= 1.14). See Table Two for summary of responses.

Only twenty-two percent of those surveyed reported they did not find it difficult to read

the e-textbook online. The remaining students indicated it was difficult to read the e-textbook

for the following reasons: 1) the e-textbook was inconvenient to read (45%); 2) the e-textbook

strained their eyes (36.8%), 3) could not highlight important items (33.6%); 4) did not always

have computer access to read the e-textbook (24.6%); 5) reading the e-textbook gave them a

headache (23.1%); and 6) they could not make notes while reading it (17.8%). See Table Three

for a summary of all responses.

Responses to Research Question Three (asking how much students are willing to pay for

current course materials) found that 17% of students reported they would be willing to pay $130

for a paper textbook package while 82% of the students reported they would pay the $48 for the

e-book package and therefore, would want to keep the e-textbook package.

Responses to Research Question Four (asking what course materials students perceive

facilitate their learning) showed that students perceived they learned the most in their public

speaking course from attending class and listening to the instructor (94.7%), giving speeches to

the class (66.8%), doing assigned homework (61.4%), practicing their assigned speeches (60.2%)

and listening to the other students give speeches (53.9%). Only 9.7% of students who completed

the survey reported learning most from reading the e-textbook, while 41.7% reported learning

the most from reading the concise paper textbook and 50.2% from reading the workbook. Only a

few students reported learning the most from the e-textbook online quizzes (3.8%). See Table

Four for a summary of responses.

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 12

Responses to Research Question Five asked if regularity of reading the e-textbook/paper

textbook or enjoyment with reading the e-book, or comfort accessing the e-book online is indicative

of course grade. Only 283 students were able to be matched with class grade (M=3.42, SD= 1.14).

Using Pearson Chi- Square, this investigation found that participants grades did not differ by reading

the e-textbook, χ2(18, N = 283) = 15.7, p = .61 or reading the paper textbook, χ2(18, N = 283) =

18.91, p = .40 or enjoyment for reading the e-textbook, χ2(12, N = 283) = 12.52, p = .41. However,

this investigation did find that participants grades did differ by comfort in accessing the e-textbook

online through the Blackboard portal, χ2(12, N = 283) = 25.3, p = .01. Post hoc analysis of six

pairwise comparisons were calculated to determine where the actual differences were. To correct for

Type 1 error in the procedure, a Dunn-Sidak procedure was conducted to correct for possible

compounded error due to the 6 pairwise comparisons. The new calculated alpha value is p=.001.

Based on the new alpha value, only one pairwise comparison was found to be statistically significant.

Participants who earned A’s vs. B’s differed significantly by comfort in using the Blackboard online

portal to access the e-textbook, χ2(4, N = 259) = 15.02, p = .005. Thus, reported comfort in

accessing the e-textbook online though the Blackboard portal was indicative of earning A’s more than

B’s.

Discussion

This assessment study examined student performance and perceptions of e-textbook and

paper textbook usage in a large multi-section basic communication course. The ultimate goal of

the assessment study was to help basic course instructors and directors make decisions about

adopting e-textbook vs. paper textbook packages for their courses, as well as help them

understand the challenges students may face in reading e-textbooks and paper textbooks.

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 13

The findings from this study showed that students reported on average “often not”

reading the e-textbook and only “occasionally” reading the paper textbook. They reported it was

difficult to read the e-textbook because (1) it was inconvenient; (2) they did not always have

computer access for reading it; (3) reading at the computer strained their eyes; and (4) it was

hard to highlight or take notes on the e-textbook. In addition, they reported learning the most in

their public speaking course from attending class and listening to the instructor, giving speeches

to the class, doing assigned homework, practicing their assigned speeches, and listening to the

other students give speeches. Interestingly, about 40% of students who completed the survey did

report learning from the e-textbook (even though they did not read it on a weekly basis and listed

several difficulties with reading the e-textbook). Instructors’ intentions were for students to read

the e-textbook to prepare for class lectures and exams while the concise handbook was meant as

a quick reference in the classroom or at home. Surprisingly, students relied on the concise paper

handbook more than the e-textbook for class preparation. Only 17% of students reported they

were willing to pay $130 for the paper textbook package, if offered, while 82% of the students

reported they were willing to pay the $48 for the e-textbook package.

This research further indicated that student grade did not differ based on perceived regularity

of reading of the e-textbook or paper textbook or perceived comfort with reading the e-textbook.

However, students who received A’s included more who reported comfort in accessing the e-textbook

online than those who earned B’s.

Our findings suggest that e-textbooks are not at the place where students are embracing

them. They prefer the lower cost of e-textbooks, but do not appreciate the many challenges and

difficulties of e-textbook reading. They miss the conveniences provided in the use of the paper

textbooks. Most importantly, they do not like having to read the e-textbook at their computers or

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 14

laptops. Thus, it is not surprising that when the two formats are compared, four times the

number of students reported that they learned the most from reading the paper textbook

compared to the e-textbook. Almost 80% of the students reported rarely or never reading the e-

textbook during most weeks, while 25% reported rarely or never reading the paper textbook

during most weeks.

One of the issues for instructors that arose out of this study and beyond the textbook

format is how to motivate students to read textbooks in general. Boyd (n.d.) recommends an

instructional activity called a "Course Overview Exam” where early in the semester, students are

asked to bring the textbook, syllabus, workbook, class packet, etc. to class to take a fairly long

true-false quiz over those materials (of course, it is open book for those who have the materials

with them). Hobson (2004) recommends that when textbook readings are assigned, instructors

should explain the relevance of the readings and how it will be important to success in the

course. Nilson (2003) recommends that instructors, who want to motivate students to read the

textbooks, use strategies to hold students accountable for reading, including assigned homework

with question responses turned in electronically, quizzes covering the major points, written

exercises that must be turned in at the beginning of class, and oral presentations that cover the

material. E-textbooks, with their new technology tools, could foster reflections on readings,

journaling, or quiz-taking over the readings by making them more accessible to students at the

click of a finger.

Recommendations

One of the goals for using the e-textbook is to help textbooks become more accessible,

helpful, and affordable for students. It seems that students want more help and greater efficiency

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 15

in studying—they want to absorb more material in the least amount of time or effort expended.

It is evident that providing a PDF copy of the textbook content is not a good approach. It may be

that when e-book technology comes to a place where all students see the reading experience as

interactive and engaging, the advantages of e-textbooks in the classroom will become evident.

Even as you read this, e-book technology is advancing and with this will come more reader-

friendly features. We recommend that publishing companies work with universities and

instructors to create online platforms for e-textbooks that facilitate learning as well as make e-

textbooks more accessible by making them available on e-readers. At present the e-textbooks

are attractive to students because they are less expensive. However, students do not want to

spend hours reading at their computers or laptops. It may be that when electronic textbooks

become more available and attainable through portable e-readers and other electronic devices,

students will favor them over paper textbooks. As more students begin to own e-readers and

become familiar with reading books electronically, students will see the value in them, the ease

and availability of e-textbooks will win out over their conventional counterparts, traditional

paper textbooks.

There may be an adjustment time for students to get used to reading with technology—

beyond using it for Facebook, Twitter, email, etc.— as well as an adjustment time for faculty to

use the e-textbooks as an effective teaching tool. We suggest that instructors not give up on e-

textbooks in the classroom after a bad first experience. E-textbook adoption is similar to

teaching a new course, the first semester is the hardest but after that it gets easier. Students will

likely slide into reading e-textbooks when the e-formats offer the amenities of paper textbooks

and instructors encourage the use of them. Technology resistant instructors might be having a

hard time helping make the transition to e-textbooks a successful experience. Additional e-

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 16

textbook training that includes directions on how to access the e-textbook or how to download

the material on an e-reader as well as how to use the additional resources/e-tools for both

instructors and students could benefit the learning experience for everyone. For now, the present

findings suggest that instructors and directors consider their students and their preferences, as

well as options available, in the adoption of electronic textbooks.

Limitations and Future Research

This study does have some limitations. For example, the data was collected from one

large multi-section basic communication course at one large Midwestern university so more

research needs to be collected in order to make generalizations. In addition, the survey

instrument in this study represented a first attempt at assessing e-textbook vs. paper textbook

usage and student performance in a basic speech course. As with the development of any new

assessment survey, items often need to be refined, clarified and added.

Future research needs to assess if students are reading e-textbooks in other courses and in

other e-formats, and if they read their textbooks or e-textbooks in general. Research questions

should ask students what motivates them to read a textbook and if the format or e-format makes

a difference in their motivation. Also, future research should continue to explore students’

preferences for e-textbooks as the new technologies such as applications for electronic tablets,

develop or other e-textbook reading devices become affordable and available with more

sophisticated amenities for students.

In conclusion, the results from this assessment study have been especially useful to basic

course instructors and the course director at the university where this data was collected. All

instructors were presented with the results of this study and instructors recommended that the

program continue to use the e-textbook package with the concise paper-textbook for at least one

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 17

more year, giving students options. Students can choose to go to the e-textbook for more

information and examples and instructors can specifically assign the e-textbook chapters where

elaboration on material in the concise paper-textbook is important. The Midwestern university

basic course instructors concluded that e-textbooks will get easier for students to read as they

become available in other electronic applications and when students can highlight, take notes,

and avoid eye strain. With such enhanced technology, they may enjoy e-textbook reading. They

may not read the e-textbooks more than paper textbooks, but the challenge of sitting at a

computer or laptop to read e-textbooks will be eliminated.

E-textbooks are the future and basic communication course instructors need to be on the

cutting edge with the way the use course materials. Instructors must continue to work at keeping

the costs of materials down for financially strapped students. As new e-textbook formats

emerge, they may help with cutting costs and increasing motivation. Paper textbooks may be

embedded in the culture for now, but this too is changing. Faculty need to find ways to help

their students grow with the changes in technology and learn from interactive e-textbook

benefits. E-textbook technologies may positively impact the readership of our next generation of

students who are familiar with newer technologies when they have all the conveniences of paper

textbooks and more.

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 18

References Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. (2007). Turn the page: Making college

textbooks more affordable. Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance

(ACSFA). Retrieved February 17, 2012, from

http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/acsfa/turnthepage.pdf.

Allen, N. (2008). Course correction: How digital textbooks are off track and how to set them

straight. American Student PIRGs. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from

http://cram.whitematter.ca/images/uploads/PIRGS_Course_Correction.pdf

Anuradha, K.T., & Usha, H.S. (2006). Use of e-books in an academic and research environment:

a case study from the Indian Institute of Science. Program: Electronic Library and

Information Systems, 40(1), 48-62.

Aust, R., Kelley, M. J., & Roby, W. (1993). The use of hyper-reference and conventional

dictionaries. Educational Technology Research and Development, 41(4), 63-73.

Boyd, D. R. (n.d.). Using textbooks effectively: Getting students to read them. Association for

Psychological Science. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from

www.psychologicalscience.org/teaching/tips/tips_0603.html.

Buczynski, J. A. (2006). Faculty begin to replace textbooks with freely accessible online

resources. Internet Reference Services Quarterly, 11(4), 169-179.

Carlock, D., M., & Perry, A. M. (2008). Exploring faculty experiences with e-books: A focus

group. Library Hi Tech, 26(2), 244-254.

Chu, H. (2003). Electronic books: Viewpoints from users and potential users. Library Hi Tech

19(2), 113-124.

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 19

Coutts Information Services. (2007, June 28). Major ebook acquisition at Stanford University

[Press Release]. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from

http://www.couttsinfo.com/About/Pressreleases/PDF/CouttsStanford.pdf.

E-textbook (n.d.). PC Magazine. Retrieved from

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=e-textbook&i=60687,00.asp

GAO report finds textbook prices skyrocketing. (2005). PIRGIM: Standing up to powerful

interests. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from http://www.pirgim.org/news-

releases/higher-education/higher-education/gao-report-finds-textbook-prices-

skyrocketing#idNxBNDD8B0dklonXLs3_3MQ.

Hobson, E. H. (2004). Getting students to read: Fourteen tips. The IDEA Center. Retrieved

February 17, 2012, from

http://www.theideacenter.org/sites/default/files/Idea_Paper_40.pdf

Hodges, D., Preston, C., & Hamilton M. J. (2010). Resolving the challenge of e-books.

Collection Management, 35(3/4), 196-200.

Ingraham, B., & Bradburn, E. (2003). Sit back and relax: A guide to producing readable,

accessible onscreen text. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from http://readability.tees.ac.uk/.

Kropman, M., Schoch, H.P., & Teoh, H.Y. (2004). An experience in e-learning: Using an

electronic textbook. In R. Atkinson, C. McBeath, D. Jonas-Dwyer & R. Phillips (Eds),

Beyond the comfort zone: Proceedings of the 21st ASCILITE Conference (pp. 512-515).

Perth, Australia. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/perth04/procs/kropman.html

Lazarowitz, E. (2012, January 19). Apple looks to rev up market for e-textbooks with new

iBooks 2 app for the iPad. New York Daily News. Retrieved April 14, 2012, from

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 20

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-01-19/news/30644959_1_e-textbooks-free-app-

new-app

Levin, J. R., & Mayer, R. E. (1993). Understanding illustrations in text. In Britton, B. K.,

Woodward, A., and Brinkley, M. (eds.), Learning from Textbooks (pp. 95–113). Erlbaum:

Hillsdale, NJ.

Levine-Clark, M. (2006). Electronic book usage: A survey at the University of Denver. Portal:

Libraries and the Academy, 6(3), 285-299.

Marek, P., Griggs, R. A., & Christopher, A. N. (1999). Pedagogical aids in textbooks: Do college

students’ perceptions justify their prevalence? Teaching of Psychology, 26, 11-19.

Mayer, R. E., Steinhoff, K., Bower, G., & Mars, R. (1995). A generative theory of textbook

design: Using annotated illustrations to foster meaningful learning of science text.

Educational Technology Research and Development, 43, 31-44.

Minzesheimer, B., & Memmott, C. (2011, January 5). E-books sales hit new highs. USA Today,

p. 1A.

Nelson, M. R. (March/April 2008). E-Books in higher education: Nearing the end of the era of

hype? EDUCAUSE Review, 43(2), 40-56. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from

http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume4

3/EBooksinHigherEducationNearing/162677.

Nicholas, A.J., & Lewis, J.K., (2009). Net-generation and e-textbooks. Salve Regina University:

eScholar@Salve Regina. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from

http://escholar.salve.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=fac_staff_pub

Nielson, J. (1997). Why web users scan instead of read. [Web log comment]. Retrieved

February 17, 2012, from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/whyscanning.html

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 21

Nielson, J. (2006). F-shape pattern for reading web content. [Web log comment]. Retrieved

February 17, 2012, from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html

Nilson, L.B. (2003). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors. San

Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Purcell, K. (2011, June 27). E-reader ownership doubles in six months. Pew Research Center.

Retrieved April 14, 2012, from http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/E-readers-and-

tablets.aspx

Rao, S. S. (2001). Familiarization of electronic books, Electronic Library, 19(4), 247-256.

Rho, Y. J., & Gedeon, T. D. (2000). Academic articles on the Web: Reading patterns and

formats. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 12, 219-240.

Shepperd, J. A., Grace, J. L., & Koch, E. J. (2008). Evaluating the electronic textbook: Is it time

to dispense with the paper text? Teaching Psychology, 35(1), 2-5.

Simon, E. J. (2001, Winter). Electronic textbooks: A pilot study of student e-reading habits.

Future of Print Media Journal. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from

http://www.ericjsimon.com/papers/papers/ebook.pdf

Sporkin, A. (2011, April 14). Popularity of Books in Digital Platforms Continues to Grow,

According to AAP Publishers February 2011 Sales Report. Association of American

Publishers. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from http://www.publishers.org/press/30/

Ugaz, A. G., & Resnick, T. (2008). Assessing print and electronic use of reference/core medical

textbooks. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 96(2), 145-147.

Vernon, R. F. (2006). Paper or pixels? An inquiry into how students adapt to online textbooks.

Journal of Social Work Education, 42(2), 417-427.

E-textbook vs. Paper Textbook 22

Walton, E. W. (2007). From the ACRL 13th National Conference: E-book use versus users’

perspective. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 14(4), 19-35.

Wiggenhorn, S., & Bellaver, R. (2003, September). Continuing eBook classroom studies. The

UPA Voice, 5(3). Retrieved February 17, 2012, from

http://www.upassoc.org/upa_publications/upa_voice/volumes/5/issue_3/ebookstudy.html

Woody, W. D., Daniel, D. B., & Baker, C. A. (2010). E-books or textbooks: Students prefer

textbooks. Computers & Education, 55(3), 945-948.