Abstract
This article reports on a research project at the University of Agder that has studied the use of e-readers as a tool for academic study. E-readers (Kindle DX and iPad) were loaded with texts from required reading lists in five courses with 94 participating students. Initially, 87 students responded to the invitation to participate in a survey, but eventually 13 of these submissions had to be removed, as the degree of completion was not sufficient. The final response rate achieved was 79%. Students were in general positive to the use of e-readers but still show a preference for print on paper as the best medium for serious academic study. When reading books, 54% preferred print, 28% a combination of print and e-reader, and finally only 11% were satisfied solely using an e-reader. The iPad scored significantly better than the Kindle DX on tasks that required active interaction with the texts such as highlighting and note taking.
Highlights
The emergence of e-book readers as a realistic alternative for content delivery gives us the opportunity to reexamine usability issues with regard to e-books and other e-texts
No incentives were offered for completing the survey, but the students were made aware of the obligation they had upon receiving the reading device
A total of 46% of the participants left a comment using the open-ended question at the end of the survey
Summary
The emergence of e-book readers as a realistic alternative for content delivery gives us the opportunity to reexamine usability issues with regard to e-books and other e-texts. Our main research question in the following article is whether current e-book readers loaded with curriculum-based e-books and articles can provide an effective learning experience for students in higher education. Academic libraries have been purchasing e-books for quite a few years. Electronic versions of major reference work such as encyclopedias and dictionaries were natural candidates for purchase in the beginning. Pioneering vendors such as Ebrary and Netlibrary were successful in launching subscription-based collections for academic libraries at an early stage. The journal Library Hi Tech devoted a special issue to e-books more than 10 years ago The journal Library Hi Tech devoted a special issue to e-books more than 10 years ago (D. Dillon, 2001a, 2001b)
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