Search results

This paper is part of an extensive research conducted as part of a doctoral thesis. The purpose of this paper is to collect and present the comprehensive list of e-textbook characteristics acquired from research in the English as a foreign language (EFL) subject area in Croatian higher education and present a useful checklist in the form of a conceptual model for e-textbook creation.

Literature was reviewed with the aim of collecting published e-textbook characteristics which were then combined with the characteristics obtained from research data. The data were collected through four distinct online questionnaires on the Survey Monkey platform.

Teaching EFL requires the use of different materials, authentic and specifically published for this purpose. The research results are used to discuss the possibility of blending all materials into one electronically published unit by considering the proposed e-textbook characteristics. The presented conceptual model for e-textbook creation can be used as a foundation for e-textbook design and evaluation in all subject fields.

The paper presents a list of e-textbook characteristics as an extensive list which can be applied in e-textbook design and evaluation in any subject field.

Today’s digital and mobile learning environment has contributed to the increased availability of and interest in e-textbooks, and many school systems are conducting trials to evaluate their effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze instructors’ levels of use (LoU) of e-textbook features and innovations at a southeastern US community college. This study also evaluated the effectiveness of e-textbooks compared to paper textbooks on student achievement during a pilot period of e-textbook implementation.

Using a survey research design, the LoU of the Innovation framework was applied to identify and analyze instructors’ LoU rankings for eight e-textbook features. The study also used historical data on student demographics and final course grades to evaluate student achievement between text formats. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to answer the research questions.

Results showed that e-textbook features were used at a low to non-existent level by instructors and that there was no significant difference in grade average between text formats among students. However, interactions between text format, age and gender were found.

This study added to the body of knowledge regarding e-textbook efficacy. While many studies stop with the conclusion that there is no difference in student outcomes between text formats, this study addressed a gap in literature on how to improve student performance with e-textbook technology by using the LoU of an innovation framework.

The prevalence of information technology (IT) has been introducing new trends into learning modalities spurring dedicated e‐textbook applications for learning. However, there is only a limited understanding of what factors drive university students' attitudes/willingness to use the new devices for learning. Hence, this study attempts to investigate what factors drive university students to use dedicated e‐textbook applications for learning.

By integrating previous theories such as the technology acceptance model (TAM), innovation diffusion theory (IDT), and convenience in the form of an integrated model, this study presents a causal model that explores the influence of technological, intrinsic, and extrinsic factors, i.e. convenience, compatibility, enjoyment, usefulness, on university students' attitudes towards using dedicated e‐textbook applications for learning.

The results of this study suggest that perceived usefulness, convenience, compatibility, and perceived enjoyment all significantly contribute to dedicated e‐textbook application acceptance.

The present research clearly portrays drivers for acceptance of dedicated e‐textbook applications for learning among university students which would be an important topic for current and future research.

The study's findings outline and describe how the dominant factors affect university students' attitudes towards adoption of dedicated e‐textbook applications for learning. By considering extrinsic, technological, and intrinsic factors, such as usefulness, convenience, compatibility, enjoyment, in the stage of product development, practitioners can provide well‐accepted dedicated e‐textbook applications for potential users.

These findings would facilitate development of a more robust understanding of university students' attitudes toward using dedicated e‐textbook applications for learning. It also might assist practitioners developing innovative e‐textbook applications as well as provide directions for researchers interested in developing and testing theories pertinent to e‐textbook applications.

The current study aims to investigate college students' behavioral intentions to adopt e-textbooks for their studies according to well-known theoretical intention-based models.

This paper empirically assesses five theoretical models of technology acceptance, including the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the technology acceptance model (TAM), the decomposed TPB model (DTPB), the combined model of TAM and TPB (C-TAM-TPB), and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). The survey methodology and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed to examine and compare these five models. Moreover, explanatory power, goodness-of-fit indices, and model parsimony were taken into consideration in the model comparisons.

Both TPB and TAM provided less effective but adequate predictive behavioral power. However, TPB appeared to be more parsimonious than TAM and the other models. By focusing on specific beliefs of attitude, social and control influences, DTPB shares many of the same advantages as TPB and TAM, but is less parsimonious. Similarly, C-TAM-TPB, an augmented version of TAM that incorporates social influences and behavioral control, is superior to TPB and TAM in terms of its explanatory power of behavioral intention to use e-textbooks. Overall, however, the results indicated that UTAUT appeared to be the best model in terms of the metrics of parsimonious fit and explanatory power.

Theoretical comparison of different models is important. This is believed to be the first study to present model comparisons by investigating undergraduates' intention to adopt e-textbooks as tools for their on-campus learning in Taiwan.

This study aims to add to the body of literature by examining students’ satisfaction with e-textbooks. As higher education evolves, one instructional tool, the classic textbook, is undergoing various transformations. In today’s classrooms, many e-textbooks are in use and there are implications.

A researcher-developed instrument measured 115 undergraduate students’ satisfaction levels for e-textbooks used in two courses, and a learning styles instrument was given to identify student learning preferences.

Through factor analysis, a few dimensions emerged regarding factors related to satisfaction. The factors included features, usability and learning facilitation provided by the e-textbooks. In general, students had a moderately above-neutral, positive attitude toward the e-textbooks. Gender, grade point average, time spent weekly reading e-textbooks and a few learning style tendencies can significantly predict, to some extent, different dimensions of satisfaction.

Usability design of e-textbooks plays a key role in student satisfaction toward digital materials. Moreover, instructors need to use meaningful instructional activities as they adopt the usage of e-textbooks.

The findings can help shed light on ways to enable students to become more satisfied with digital textbooks and can help policymakers and instructors evaluate and effectively adopt the appropriate digital materials to meet individual needs.

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of how students accept and use e-textbooks in higher education by assessing their experiences with e-textbooks from Flat World Knowledge (FWK) and Nelson Education during a two year campus pilot.

Students enrolled in one of 11 classes involved in the library’s e-textbook pilot were recruited to complete an online survey including questions related to the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of electronic textbooks, as well as their general habits with the textbook. This study uses the Technology Acceptance Model as a framework for analysis.

Students experienced a drop in enthusiasm for e-textbooks from the beginning to the end of the pilot. While research suggests that students prefer for print over electronic in some contexts, students rarely acted on that preference by seeking out available alternative print options. Student experience with the open/affordable textbook (FWK) was very comparable to that of the high cost commercial text (Nelson).

While previous research suggests that students have a general preference for textbooks in print rather than electronic, the study suggests that preference may not dictate the likelihood that students will use print options. Students appear to be willing and able to easily make use of the content and functions in their e-textbooks. Despite overall positive reviews for the e-textbooks, students experienced a drop in enthusiasm for e-textbooks from the beginning to the end of the pilot.

This paper aims to highlight the value of a library led e-textbook programme at a the UK university.

The data for the results were obtained from two surveys of students. First, from an online survey of 575 students who received an individual copy of an e-textbook from The University of Manchester Library. Second, from a face to face survey of 146 students, based on a random sample of students entering the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons at the University. In addition, a series of one-to-one interviews were conducted with 40 members of academic faculty, who were teaching the course modules, on which the students received their own e-textbook.

This research highlights the significant benefits a library led e-textbook service can offer to students, academic faculty, the wider University and to the profile of the library. Provision of the e-textbooks leads to higher engagement of learning from students, their increased satisfaction with the University and Library, plus addresses issue of reducing their direct costs. It also leads to enhanced pedagogy from the perspective of academic faculty.

The paper addresses issues of inequality of provision for individual students and contributes to enhanced learning for all students.

Library led initiatives are very new in this field and this project is one of the first to both undertake this provision and to undertake extensive research to assess the value of the project.

A survey of students in different undergraduate majors and years asked where they bought their textbooks, the types of electronic devices they used, and their post-class use of textbook material. The research goal was to determine the groups of students likely most receptive to e-textbooks and to assess the potential environmental benefits of e-textbook adoption. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The student population of freshmen and juniors registered at Michigan State University were surveyed via e-mail/online in summer 2010. 477 freshmen (7.8 percent of surveyed) and 652 juniors (10.2 percent of surveyed) responded. Responses were grouped together into seven categories by student major.

Surveyed students used far more print textbooks than e-textbooks. Laptops were the dominant student device and their future promise for e-textbook use is limited. The higher-than-expected rate of e-waste generation by students indicates that the environmental benefits of e-textbook adoption may be limited without improvements in e-waste management. However, results suggest that students from all majors and years were willing to experiment with different textbook vendors, so if functionality and cost incentives are improved, e-textbook adoption will likely be a widespread campus phenomenon.

Research on e-textbooks often focuses on educational value or student preference; this research instead provides results assessing whether current e-device use on campus will support e-textbooks and whether adopting e-textbooks will have an environmental benefit over print textbooks. The study also reveals that many students learn to adapt their purchasing behavior with experience, and that this trend is widespread throughout all majors.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of library instruction on the use of e-textbook features in a seventh-grade science class in Budapest, Hungary. Using the theory of value-expectancy, library instruction was designed to show students how the e-textbook features would improve their study habits.

Using a time-series, within-subject design, the researchers examined the students’ use of e-textbooks before receiving library instruction, and then again after receiving library instruction. Data were collected from student survey responses, focus group interviews, and digital library usage. A repeated-measures t-test was used to compare data collected prior to and following the instructional sessions.

The results indicate that the use of e-textbook features (glossary, audio, quizzes, notes, highlighter, and video) increased after library instruction. While the use of e-textbook features increased, this did not translate to other types of e-books: the use of the digital library did not increase.

This paper has implications for research on the use of e-textbooks in academic settings. Baseline findings support the existing literature that shows that students do not use all of the features of an e-textbook. The research in this study adds that direct instruction on those features will increase use.

Librarians and teachers may want to consider direct instruction on e-textbooks. While it may not increase digital library usage, it may benefit the student learning experience.

This study builds on the work related to the student experience of using e-textbook. It highlights the value of library instruction in improving the student experience and use of e-textbooks.

This paper investigates the potential electronic textbooks (e‐textbooks) have to augment the learning and education of children.

The study consisted of a total of 60 pupils, split into five groups of 12 participants (six boys and six girls). Each of the five groups were in turn split into two sub‐groups of six (three boys and three girls): one sub‐group used the printed textbook, while the other used a CD‐ROM on a laptop computer. The pupils completed a group test and an individual multiple choice test on information found in the textbooks.

The study showed that the e‐textbook was widely accepted by the participants, and motivated group participation. Those using the e‐textbook achieved significantly higher test results on average in the group test. Higher (but not significant) average results were achieved by e‐textbook users in the individual test.

An acknowledged limitation of the study is that the textbooks used for the study were not identical in content. They were equivalent according to subject and recommended age range, but did not contain specifically the same information. Further studies would benefit from making use of an electronic version which is identical, or more similar, to a printed textbook. It would also be worthwhile to investigate the effects of long‐term use once the novelty value of the electronic book has subsided.

The paper aims to fill the gap in the original literature on the subject of how children relate to and learn from electronic textbooks. The research is of particular interest to teachers, librarians and parents.