TheWakefield survey results revealed that most students own digital and mobile devices, and would prefer that content be delivered that way. In fact, more than half of respondents said they would be more likely to complete required reading in time for class if it was available digitally or could be accessed on a mobile device. Eighty-eight percent of students said they have used a mobile device to study for a test at the last minute.
Those results showed “just how much students have embraced mobile devices and digital course materials to enhance their productivity, efficiency and performance, all of which impact students’ educational success and financial prospects in this highly competitive, globally connected world,” said Sean Divine, CEO of CourseSmart.
The mainstreaming of eTextbooks has sometimes been impeded by students’ and educators’ lack of familiarity with the electronic books.
Some schools, including Trine University, have appointed a campus official to oversee the sometimes-rough transition to eTextbooks, helping students and faculty members understand how to best use the nontraditional books and their various features.
“Change is difficult, and we understand that,” said David Wood, Trine’s overseer over the eBook transition. “Students have a very particular way of doing things. … Most of that [hesitation] comes from fear of, ‘What does this mean for me? Am I going to be able to handle the technology.”
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