eBooks versus Textbooks Dr. Lisa Hain, Psy.D. Maria Helwig, B.S. - PowerPoint Presentation

eBooks versus Textbooks Dr. Lisa Hain, Psy.D. Maria Helwig, B.S.

Hello! Discuss recent literature in post-traditional learning State the study hypothesesDescribe the methods utilized in the studyReview the major results of the studyDiscuss conclusions of the study 2

Introduction

What is a post-traditional student? The American Council on Education (2017) defined post-traditional students as meeting these criteria: Are age 25 or aboveAre needed wage earners for themselves or their familiesAre military connectedMay have dependentsWork full time4

Demographic Changes in the Classroom According to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (2013): Post-traditional learners made up 57.7% of undergraduate students According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2013): By the year 2020, more than 9.6 million adult students will be enrolled in collegeRepresents a 3% increase from 2009 where students 25 and older composed approximately 40% of college and graduate students 5

Digital Natives Many of today’s traditional students are known as ‘digital natives’: These students were typically born after 1980 Were raised with and by technologyAre used to being surrounded by technologyAre comfortable with technologyDigital natives vs. Digital Immigrants(Prensky, 2001) Digital Immigrants Many of today’s post-traditional students are known as ‘digital immigrants’: These students were born prior to 1980 Were not raised with technology May not be surrounded with technology in everyday life Feel less comfortable with technology 6

Launching of the eBook The advent of the eBook began a whole new world for innovative teaching and learning The use of eBooks in college courses have both advantages and disadvantagesOne of the more pressing questions is, given that many post-traditional learners may be digital immigrants, how does this population of students feel about eBooks?7

According to the American Council on Education (2017), “…learning ecosystems are mediated by technology and the Internet, making different kinds of physical and digital learning environments accessible to post-traditional learners. This allows post-traditional learners to access knowledge and engage in learning in ways that fit with their learning preferences, time constraints, and responsibilities.” 8

To eBook or not to eBook 9

Literature Review

Chao, Fuxman, and Elifoglu (2013) United States alone uses 30 percent of all paper; this is extremely high Over one year, 60,000 square kilometers of forest area is reduced to aid paper industries Depreciating resourcesPractical for Colleges and UniversitiesOnline access, cost, and ease of searchability11

Rockinson-Szapkiw, Courduff, Carter, and Bennett (2013) Study examined issues with the eBook in learning Students found eBooks difficult to read from the screenCannot print or save materialsBattery life, copyright issues, potential of an increase of student fees, and that most colleges prefer paper textbooks for educational purposes 12

Rockinson-Szapkiw et al., (2013) Research supports higher levels of reading comprehension and learning when using traditional printed text Complaints of eye-strain when reading from a screenPrefer printing the text from electronic deviceComplaints that eBooks take more time to read13

Berg, Hoffman, and Dawson (2010) Study examined undergraduate students’ abilities to retrieve information using an eBook Results suggested that the students performed poorly when retrieving information after reading the eBookStudy provided support for the position that printed textbooks are better for learning14

D’Ambra, Wilson, and Akter (2013) Paper textbooks may cost more than eBooks; however, the initial cost of a device in order to access the eBook is relevant Electronic device-costlyInternet access to access materials-costlyNo resale value on eBooks and leasing materials until class has ended15

D’Ambra et al., (2013) Usability of eBooks is less than desirable Students often comment as to the difficulty of making margin notes and highlighting capabilities eBook could negatively affect a student’s learning16

Hypotheses

Null Hypotheses There is not a significant relationship between type of student and textbook preferences. There is no significant difference between traditional and post-traditional students in their opinions of eBook effectiveness.There is no significant difference between traditional and post-traditional students in their opinions of printed textbook effectiveness. 18

Null Hypotheses There is no significant difference between traditional and post-traditional students in their opinions regarding the feasibility of eBooks in learning. There is no significant difference between traditional and post-traditional students in their opinions regarding the feasibility of printed textbooks in learning. There is no significant difference between traditional and post-traditional students in their opinions regarding their comfortability of technology used in the classroom.19

Method

Procedure The study explored the preferences for either electronic textbooks (eBooks) or traditional paper textbooks in a sample of undergraduate students. The study surveyed a small liberal arts college of currently enrolled students who self-identified as either traditional or post-traditional. The study utilized a two-group design comparing the post-traditional students to the traditional students in their preferences for eBooks or paper textbooks. 21

Procedure An email invitation to participate in the survey was disseminated to students. The participants read an informed consent form and upon agreement to participate, a link directed them to Survey Monkey to complete the survey. Once the survey was completed, the participants were debriefed. 22

Survey The survey consisted of 28 questions that took approximately 10 minutes to complete. The first set of questions centered on demographics and the remaining questions were 5-point Likert scaling questions relating to the study hypotheses. 23

Results

Demographics Final sample size consisted of 121 undergraduate students: 70% identified as traditional (n = 85)30% identified as post-traditional (n = 36)Males constituted 28% of the sample (n = 35) Women constituted 70% of the sample (n = 85) Mean age was 27 years old with a range of 18-60 years 25

Demographics Year in College Freshman – 28% (n = 34)Sophomore – 12% (n = 14)Junior – 24% (n = 29)Senior – 36% (n = 44)Housing StatusOn campus – 49% (n = 59)Off campus –51% ( n = 62) 26

Demographics Marital Status Married – 19% (n = 23)Single – 65% (n = 79)Divorced – 3% (n = 4)Partnership – 13% (n = 15)Parental StatusHave Children – 24% (n = 29)Do Not Have Children – 76% (n = 92) 27

Demographics Employment Status Full Time – 25% (n = 31)Part Time – 45% (n = 54)Unemployed – 30% (n = 36)Income Status66% made less than $25,000 a year21% made between 25,000 and 75,00013% made more than 75,000 a year28

Preference of Technology 29 Laptop Computer68% Tablet/iPad 17% Desktop Computer 12% Mobile 3%

Not At All 27% Somewhat Frequently 25% S e ldom 36% eBook Frequency 30

Frequently 32% SomewhatFrequently 16% All of the Time 42% T e xtbook Frequency 31

Never 31% Somewhat Frequently15% Seldom 34% eReader Frequency 32

Approximately 70% of the sample indicated that they preferred printed textbooks over eBooks! 33

Easy to Transport 17% Eco-Friendly15% Lower Cost 35% Most Favorite A s pects of eBooks 34

Physiological Effects 23% Difficult to Use 17% Not a T an gible Resource 34% Least Favorite A s pects of eBooks 35

Retainable R e source 16% Reliability 15% T an gible Resource 45% Most Favorite A s pects of Printed Textbooks 36

Cumbersome 31% Not Accessible on Multiple Sources 9% More Expensive 48% Least Favorite A s pects of Printed Textbooks 37

Relationship between Type of Student and Preference of Book A Pearson Chi Square analysis was conducted to determine if there was a significant relationship in textbook preference (eBooks or Printed Textbooks) and type of student (Traditional or Post-Traditional). According to the analysis, there was a significant relationship between preference for textbooks and type of student χ2 = (1, N = 121) = 7.32, p = .007.38

eBook Effectiveness Central Tendency M SD Post-Traditional 2.81 1.28 Traditional 3.45 1.28 39

Printed Textbook Effectiveness Central Te ndency M SD Post-Traditional 4.50 .56 Traditional 4.13 .88 40

Independent Samples t Tests t p eBook Effectiveness -2.51 .013 Printed Textbook Effectiveness 2.32 .022 41

eBook Feasibility Central Tendency M SD Post-Traditional 2.25 1.25 Traditional 2.78 1.31 42

Printed T extbook FeasibilityCentral Tendency M SD Post-Traditional 4.17 1.10 Traditional 3.64 1.22 43

Independent Samples t Tests t p eBook Feasibility -2.04 .043 Printed Textbook Feasibility 2.24 .027 44

Approximately 90% of the sample indicated that they were – comfortable to strongly comfortable – in the use of technology in the classroom! 45

Comfortability Central Tendency M SD Post-Traditional 8.47 1.63 Traditional 7.51 2.54 46

Independent Samples t Test t p Comfortability 2.49 .014 47

Discussion

Conclusions Hypothesis 1 :There was a significant relationship between type of student and preferred textbook.Hypothesis 2:The post-traditional students felt that the eBook was significantly less effective as a learning tool than the traditional students. Hypothesis 3: The post-traditional students felt that the printed textbook was significantly more effective in learning than the traditional students. 49

Conclusions Hypothesis 4 :The post-traditional students felt that the eBook was significantly less feasible as a learning tool than the traditional students.Hypothesis 5:The post-traditional students felt that the printed textbook was significantly more feasible as a learning tool than the traditional students. Hypothesis 6: The post-traditional students felt signif i cantly greater comfort in the use of technology in the classroom than the traditional students. 50

Key Takeaways Study indicated that most students use a laptop to access eBooks Mobile phones and eReaders are seldomly used by undergraduate students to access eBooksPrinted textbooks continue to be used more frequently with 25% of this sample not ever having used an eBook for learningeBooks are considered lower cost, but less tangible; printed textbooks are considered more tangible, but also more expensive51

Key Takeaways Study indicated similar concerns with eBooks as reported in the literature (physiological effects, difficulty learning using the eBook) Study indicated that post-traditional students as a whole continue to prefer printed textbooks for effectiveness and feasibility in learningStudy indicated that post-traditional students are becoming much more comfortable in the use of technology in the classroom52

Future Directions The role of Open Educational Resources (OER) Utilizing eBooks alongside other supportive resources in the Learning Management System (LMS)Understanding that post-traditional students are a heterogeneous group due to the impact of technological advancesCreation of a college-wide learning ecosystem that supports post-traditional students 53

According to the American Council on Education (2017), “Better understanding the unique identities, responsibilities, and needs of post-traditional learners is crucial to designing a learning ecosystem that is optimized for them.” 54

References Chao, C., Fuxman, L., & Elifoglu, I. H. (2013). Electronic books impact global environment- An empirical study focuses on user perspectives. Journal of Management and Strategy, 4(2). doi:10.5430/jms.v4n2p52 D’ambra, J., Wilson, C. S., & Akter, S. (2012). Application of the task-technology fit model to structure and evaluate the adoption of E-books by academics. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 64 (1), 48-64. doi:10.1002/asi.22757 National Center for Education Statistics (2013). National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 2011–12 (NPSAS:12). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. 55

References Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6. Rockinson-Szapkiw, A. J., Courduff, J., Carter, K., & Bennett, D. (2013). Electronic versus traditional print textbooks: A comparison study on the influence of university students’ learning. Computers & Education, 63, 259-266. Soares, L. (2013). Post-traditional Learners and the Transformation of Postsecondary Education: A Manifesto for College Leaders. Washington, DC: American Council on Education.Soares, L., Gagliardi, J. S., & Nellum, C. J. (2017). The Post-traditional Learners Manifesto Revisited: Aligning Post-secondary Education with Real Life for Adult Student Success. Washington, DC: American Council on Education. 56

Thanks! Any questions? You can find us at lhain@albright.edu and maria.helwig@albright.edu A special thank you to al l the students of the H arrisburg 17 cohort who conducted this researc h study as part of their program requirements! 57

Credits Special thanks to all the people who made and released these awesome resources for free: Presentation template by SlidesCarnivalPhotographs by Unsplash 58