Why Undergraduate Students Choose to Use E-books

1. Why Undergraduate StudentsChoose to Use E-books Edward W. Walton MOBUS Annual Conference June 4, 2013

2. Background • My Interest • Started more than 15 years ago • Wondered would e-books supplant printed books • 1990s and Early 2000s • E-books existed • Few Adopters (Innovator Stage) • Late 2000s (2007) • Kindle sparked growth of e-book use in trade market • Expectation • Students will embrace e-books (Unrealized) • E-books will make inroads into academia

3. Background • E-book • ConundrumThe e-book is a conundrum. It is loved. It is hated. Sometimes, the lover and the hater is the same person. • Printed Book • Romanticized TechnologyThe e-book is an innovation that is purported to replace the printed book, a beloved and romanticized technology.

4. Background To successfully replace the printed book, the e-book must overcome significant cultural barriers to become a mainstream technology.

5. Background • Diffusion of Innovations (Theory)--Rodgers, 2003 • Getting an innovation through the adoption process is extremely difficult when the current practice is entrenched within the culture. • To be adopted, an innovation must possess a compelling advantage over the technology that it proposes to supersede or there must besufficient external motivation to compel adoption over the perceived advantage of the current practice.

6. Background • Question: Does the e-book provide a compelling advantage that will entice students to embrace the innovation? • Question: Are there compelling external motivations influencing students’ decision to adopt the use of e-books?

7. Literature Review • Impact of E-books on Academic Libraries • Desired Features and Technical Issues • Impact of E-books on Student Learning • Use Rates in Academic Libraries • Purpose Students Use E-books • Students Preference for Books vs. E-books

8. Literature Review • Impact of E-books on Academic Libraries • Academic Quality • Accessibility • Acquisitions • Competition • Currency • Efficiency • Reserves

9. Literature Review • Desired Features and Technical Issues • Access to Multiple E-books • Appearance • Awareness • Bookmarking • Desirable Features • Disparate Systems • Navigation • Portability • Searchability • Reading on Screen • Technology Issues

10. Literature Review • Impact of E-books on Student Learning • Use as a Textbook • Learning Outcomes

11. Literature Review • Use Rates in Academic Libraries • E-books Used • Patterns of Use

12. Literature Review • Purpose Students Use E-books • Complete Course Assignments • Convenience

13. Literature Review • Reading Preference • Prefer Printed Books • Limited Reading • Use for Research

14. Purpose of Study • Investigate whether eight factors are related to e-book adoption by undergraduate students at SBU • Leisure Reading • Textbook Use • Conducting Research • Assigned Reading • Read in a Classroom • Availability of E-book & Printed Book Impact on Use • Using an E-book Because of Forced Adoption • Using an E-book Because of Convenience

15. Institutional Background • Southwest Baptist University • Liberal Arts Institution w/Professional Degrees • 6 Associates • 45 Bachelors • 4 Masters • 1 Specialist • 2 Doctoral • Traditional, Non-traditional and Online Programs • Research Focus • Traditional Undergraduate Students (1,405) • E-book Collection • 2002 – First Collection (19,768) • Multiple Collection & Individual Purchase • Today – 95,415 (33.2% of Titles Available)

16. Participants • Instrumentation • Survey -- 15 Questions • Convenience Sample • Participants Selected During Chapel Service • Study Conducted in Spring 2012 • 263 Participants (18.7% of Population) • Freshman – 87 (33.1%) • Sophomore – 78 (29.7%) • Junior – 70 (26.6%) • Senior – 28 (10.6%)

17. Data Analysis • Chi Square Analyses (X2) • RQ1 & 2: Two-Way X2 • RQ3 & 4: One-Way X2 • If X2 Value Exceeds X2cv (Critical Value) • Correlation Found Between Factors • Run Standardize Residual Test • Residual >= | 2 | -- Identifies Cells w/Correlation

18. Research Questions • RQ1: How often is students’ use of e-books related to (a) reading for leisure; (b) reading a textbook; (c) using to conduct research for a class assignment; (d) reading an assigned reading for a class; or (e) reading an assigned reading in class? • RQ2: How often is students’ use of the printed book and e-book related to which format is accessible? • RQ3: How often is forced adoption related to students’ choice to use an e-book? • RQ4: How often is convenience related to students’ choice to use e-books?

19. Findings: General

20. Findings: RQ1 • RQ1: How often is students’ use of e-books related to (a) reading for leisure; (b) reading a textbook; (c) using to conduct research for a class assignment; (d) reading an assigned reading for a class; or (e) reading an assigned reading in class? • Null-Hypothesis: there is no difference in the frequency of students’ use of e-books for leisure reading, textbook use, conducting research, assigned reading, and in-class reading.

21. Findings: RQ1 • Pearson’s Two-Way Chi Square • df = 16 (Degrees of Freedom) • X2cv = 7.96 • X2 = 143.54 (Exceeds X2cv) • Asymp. Sig. = .00 (<.05) • Correlation Found to Exist Between Purpose and Frequency of Use • Run Standardize Residual Test

22. RQ1: Purpose by Frequency Cross-Tabulation

23. Findings: RQ1 • Leisure Reading • Negative Relationship • Never Used Category (-2.4) • Positive Relationship • Rarely Used Category (+3.1) • Always Used Category (+2.2) • Thus, some students Rarely use and some students Always use e-books for leisure reading

24. Findings: RQ1 • Conducting Research • Negative Relationship • Never Used Category (-3.2) • Positive Relationship • Rarely Used Category (+3.4) • Occasionally Use Category (+3.5) • Always Used Category (+2.7) • Thus, some students Rarely, some students Occasionally and some students Always use e-books to conduct research

25. Findings: RQ1 • In-Class Reading • Negative Relationship • Rarely Used Category (-3.6) • Occasionally Used Category (-4.4) • Usually Used Category (-2.9) • Always Used Category (-2.2) • Positive Relationship • Never Used Category (+5.1) • Most students Never use e-books to read aloud in class

26. Findings: RQ1 • Textbook Use • All Categories Unrelated to Students Use of E-books • Assigned Reading (Outside of Class) • All Categories Unrelated to Students Use of E-books • Thus, students use of e-books is Unrelated to textbook use and reading assigned readings outside of class

27. Findings: RQ1 • Summary • Students Use of E-books Related to • Leisure Reading • Conducting Research • Students Non-Use of E-books Related to • Reading Aloud In-Class • Students Use of E-books Unrelated to • Textbook Use • Reading Assigned Readings Outside of Class

28. Findings: RQ2 • RQ2: How often is students’ use of the printed book and e-book related to which format is accessible? • Null-Hypothesis: there is no difference in the frequency of students’ use of e-books and printed books when both the printed book and the e-book are available. • Pearson’s Two-Way Chi Square • df = 4 • X2cv = .711 • X2 = 233.25 • Asymp. Sig. = .00 (<.05) • A relationship exists between the available format and students’ choice to use printed books or e-books.

29. RQ2: Format by Frequency Cross-Tabulation

30. Findings: RQ2 Printed Books • Positive Relationship • Rarely Used (3.0) • Usually Used (4.1) • Always Used (6.6) • Negative Relationship • Never Used (-6.8) E-Books • Negative Relationship • Usually Used (-4.1) • Always Used (-6.7) • Positive Relationship • Never Used (6.8) • Rarely Used (3.1) • Overall, when both the printed book and the e-book were available, some students Rarely, some students Usually and some students Always chose to use the Printed Book • Conclusion: Students’ prefer to use the printed book

31. Findings: RQ3 • RQ3: How often is forced adoption related to students’ choice to use an e-book? • Null-Hypothesis: there is no difference in the students’ frequency of using e-books when the printed book was not available. • Pearson’s One-Way Chi Square • df = 4 • X2cv = .711 • X2 = 106.15 • Asymp. Sig. = .00 (<.05) • A relationship exists between forced adoption and the frequency of students’ use of e-books.

32. RQ3: Print Not Available Frequency

33. Findings: RQ3 • E-book Only Available Format • Negative Relationship • Never Used Category (-37.2) • Rarely Used Category (-29.2) • Positive Relationship • Usually Used Category (8.8) • Always Used Category (56.8) • Thus, when the e-book was the only format available, some students Usually and some students Always used the e-book

34. Findings: RQ4 • RQ4: How often is convenience related to students’ choice to use e-books? • Null Hypotheses: there is no difference in the frequency of students’ use of e-books due to convenience. • Pearson’s One-Way Chi Square • df = 4 • X2cv = .711 • X2 = 62.80 • Asymp. Sig. = .00 (<.05) • A relationship exists between convenience and the frequency of students’ use of e-books.

35. RQ4: Convenience Frequency

36. Findings: RQ4 • E-book Use Due to Convenience • Negative Relationship • Never Used Category (-30.6) • Rarely Used Category (-8.6) • Occasionally Used Category (-6.6) • Positive Relationship • Always Used Category (47.4) • Thus, when use of the e-book was convenient many students Alwaysused the e-book

37. Summary • Factors Affecting Students’ Use of E-books • Using • Leisure Reading • Conducting Research • Forced Adoption • Convenience • Not Using • In-Class Reading • Unrelated to Use • Textbook Use • Reading Assigned Readings Outside of Class

38. Summary • Question: Does the e-book provide a compelling advantage that will entice students to embrace the innovation? • For Leisure Reading • For Conducting Research • Question: If not, are there compelling external motivations influencing students’ decision to adopt the use of e-books? • Forced Adoption (Printed Book is Unavailable) • Convenience

39. Impact on Library Decision • Research • Students Using E-books • Continue to Purchase Both Formats • Collections • Acquire Selectively • Individual Titles • Use Established Collection Development Process

40. Summary Questions