In Book Smarts? E-Texts Receive Mixed Reviews From Students, an article by Ryan Knutson and Geoffrey A. Fowler found in the Wall Street Journal, a group of students and educators were questioned about the use of e-readers and e-textbooks in the classroom.
Students at various universities participated in studies where their traditional texts were replaced with e-readers or e-textbooks. In one case, many students dropped out after just the first two weeks sighting that the need to take notes and highlight the text were more important than the portability associated with these digital readers.
Despite their being environmentally friendly, portable and theoretically cheaper – what other benefits do these digital readers bring to education? I can definitely see the draw in that our nation as a whole is moving towards digital communication more and more. We’re on the go so much that many people no longer have home phones, relying totally on their cell phones. And, I must say, if you’re an avid reader having one of these e-readers handy for vacations or commutes to and from work can come in quite handy. But, for my studies I’m not so sure. Don’t get me wrong, lugging around 3 books each weighing 10 pounds is no picnic but I’m not sure I would enjoy sitting down to read 10 chapters on a digital reader either.
So, do you prefer traditional textbooks over these new e-readers and e-textbooks? Maybe these are the wave of the future, who knows?! Let us know what you think!