Reports on the course material preferences of college
students are all over the place. Some predict the age of digital content is
either just around the bend or already here, while others say students still
want print.
A survey of students at Northern State University,
Aberdeen, SD, found similar mixed results. The institution participated in a
six-school pilot program to test new e-textbook technologies during the 2013-14
school year, finding that its students were neutral about the e-texts used,
according to a report in the Aberdeen News.
A charge to cover the digital material was added to the
tuition of students taking courses that were part of the pilot. The cost of the
digital material was 25%-50% less than the hardcover textbook for the class.
In the fall, 85% of the students said they used a
computer to access digital course materials, with 6% using a tablet or e-reader
and 8% still printing out the material. Fewer students responded to the spring
survey, with 67.6% saying they accessed the material on a computer and 13%
printing it out.
The biggest issue for students, particularly in the
fall, was technical problems with the content. Forty percent reported having trouble
with their e-texts, noting that troubleshooting those issues cut into their
study time.
