Effects of digital

books in education
Roald van der Aa, r.m.j.vanderaa@students.uu.nl
Julius Blomme, j.p.blomme@students.uu.nl
Gerben de Gier, g.p.degier@students.uu.nl
Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht

Abstract
This paper is to investigate the influence of eReaders on educational environments. Can substitution or
the addition of the digital medium improve effectiveness and efficiency in university students? The
increased usage of digital documents requires an investigation to the effect this new form of distibution
has on education.
Keywords: eReader, education, effectiveness, efficiency, accessibility.

Table of contents
- Problem statement and research objective
- The theoretical framework
- The research methods that you used (research design and analysis)
- The main results
- Conclusions of your research
References

1.

Problem statement
1.1.

About this investigation

The presence of the digital world and its variance in applications increases every day in all aspects of our
society. This has a big influence of how we see information. It actually changes how we gather, save,
share and remember information. This is also visible in our education system, while more and more
information information can be found on the internet. Univerisity are stimulating the use of digital
products because it allows students and teachers to save time and decrease costs. The most important
question however, is left most unanswered. Is it really effective? Do students get better grades, or are they
able to achieve the same grades within the same amount of time as before (in other words, is it efficient)?
To answer these questions, research to scientifically test the validity of the questions is conducted and if
this is not the case, come up with possible underlying reasons. Also
To give a concrete answer to the problem statement for this study is as follows:
the use of large, printed books is time-consuming and cumbersome for small challenges. Students have to
bring books and search large parts of the literature for a small piece of information. E-books may be able
to solve the problem: using digital media portability and content accessibility.

2.

Theoretical framework

To place the given problem statement in a wider context, a small presearch has been concluded to see
what study already has ben done on this subject. An interesting question, for instance is what defines a
digital book. As the study Towards an educational model of eReaders in education (C. Gorissen, 2009)
suggests, there is no clear definition on an eReader. The use of eReaders increases, but there is no clarity
as to what a good standard should be. There is the eBook reader for reading books and an ePaper device
which attempt to replace all paper. Therefore, the term eReader has been put in a wider perspective, to see
what the preferred method is.
The report Preparing for Effective Adoption and Use of Ebooks in Education (ISC. 2012) Underlines
this increased usage of eBooks. The increasingly improved technology for eBooks and eReaders offers a
larger array of possibilities for present and future, allowing for more applications. However, increased
usage of the technology brings along other problems, such as security and digital rights. For these reasons
eBooks are suggested as a supplementary medium, rather than a replacement.
The paper Usability and usefulness of eBooks on PPCs: How students' opinions vary over time (Lam,
P., Lam, S.L., Lam, J. and McNaught, C., 2009) focuses on the effectiveness of digital material in
education. The studies the students were attending had an effect on the effectivess. Students with a
technical study tended to be able to make more use of the technology and thus increase their effectiveness.

3.

Research design and analysis

3.1 Sample

The sample used in this study is a university class with a combination of bachelor and master students,
wich study direction is related to information and computer sciences. Assumed is that in this sample there
will be enough students who use digital books to investigate the effects they have on study behaviour.

3.2 Measurements
To gather data to test the hypotheses, a questionnaire has as been held among 67 students in the sample.
They were asked questions about their nomal study behaviour, such as time spend on study and average
grades. They were also asked about their digital studybehaviour, such as the use of digital books and
preffered digital devices.

3.3 Hypotheses
For this study, four hypotheses are composed. They are linked to the a conceptual model on the next page.
1
The improved accessibility of digital books results in a relative higher use of digital books
opposed to the relative use of paper books.
2
The use of digital books will enhance efficiency (time spend on studying).
3
A combination of print and digital books results in a higher effectiveness(grades) in education as
opposed to just print or digital books.

4
A decrease in time spent on studying (by use of digitalbooks) leads to the same or a higher
effectiveness(grades) in education.

3.4 Used variables

Accessability
Use of digital books
Time Spend on study
Use of paper books/digital books
Grades

Independent variables
Mediating variable
Mediating variable
Moderating variable
Dependent variable

3.5 Conceptual Model

4.

Results
4.1 Hypothesis testing

1 The improved accessability of digital books results in a relative higher use of digital books opossed to
the relative use of paper books
Used variables: 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24(data was turned around because the question was
asked the wrong way around), 25.
All questions that we have asked corresponding to accessability of digital book (Q:15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21,
22, 23, 24) have been tested with a reliability test (Cronbachs alpha), this came out positive ( = 0.76).
So these variables are reliable and test the same hypothesis. Thats why these variables have been put
together as one variable (Som_Accessability).
Next with a paired sample t-test we tested whether time spend studying with printed books was
significantly different compared to time spend studying with digital books (Q:12, 13). This was the case
(t=2.27; df=66; p=0.027). The average time spend studying with digital books is 1.82 and with printed
books 1.51 (where 1=0-5hours and 2=5-10hours).

Next a correlation test showed that there is a negative correlation between the use of printed books and
accessabilty of digital books, this means when a high score is aswered for time spent with printed books,
they answerd low on the accessability questions.
Also, the test showed that there is a positive correlation between the use of digital books and their
accessability, this means when a high score is answered or the time spent with digital books, they also
answered high on the accessability questions.
2

The use of digital books will enhance efficiency(time spend on studying).

For this hypothesis we had to make a new variable (Printed_Digital_Both) in which we could see the
difference between the groups: only using printed studybooks, only using digital stuybooks and the group
using both. For this we used variables 9 and 10.
A one-way ANOVA test showed that there is no significant difference (F=0.600; df=2; p=0.552) between
the groups for the time they spend on studying. This means that students using only printed or digital
studybooks or students using both, spend on average an equal amount of time on studying.
3 A combination of print and digital books results in a higher effectiveness(grades) in education as
opposed to just print or digital books
Used variables: 8, 9, 10, 26
For this hypothesis we had to make a new variable (PrintedOrDigital_Both) in which we could see the
difference between the group that uses only printed or digital studybooks and the group that uses both.
For this we used variables 9 and 10.
An independent sample t-test showed that there is no significant difference (t=-.238; df=65 ; p=0.291)
between the groups for their grades. This means that students using only printed or digital studybooks or
students using both printed and digital studybooks have on average the same grades.
4 A decrease in time spent on studying (by use of digital books) leads to the same or a higher
effectiveness(grades) in education.
The relation between the average time students spend on their study per week and his average grade has
been visualized in Diagram A. It shows a wide spread of the occuring values, with not much relation
between the two variables.

To test if this is also the cause when the factor whether digital books are used an hypothesis test should
been conducted. However, hypothesis 2 was not significant. As it is not significant it will be of no use
further testing wether it leads to the same or a higher effectiveness (grades). Therefor it is impossible to
make any conclusion regarding this hypothesis.

5.

References

Lam, P., Lam, S.L., Lam, J. and McNaught, C. (2009). Usability and usefulness of eBooks on PPCs:
How students' opinions vary over time. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 25(1),
30-44.
ISC. (2012). Preparing for Effective Adoption and Use of Ebooks in Education (JISC Observatory
TechWatch Series, Report No. 4, Final Version, December 2012).
Gorissen, C (2009). Towards an educational model of eReaders in education