All About Ebooks

A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF E-BOOK FORMAT ON
STUDENT ACCEPTANCE, USAGE AND SATISFACTION
by
Blair A. Smith
JOHN LATHAM, Ph.D., Faculty Mentor and Chair
JOHN DENIGRIS, Ph.D., Committee Member
RICHARD SCHUTTLER, Ph.D., Committee Member
Kurt Linberg, Ph.D., Dean, School of Business & Technology
A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Capella University
September 2008
© Blair A. Smith, 2008
Abstract
This study examined the acceptance, usage, and satisfaction of electronic textbook (e-
book) formats by students. The focus of this study was the application of the technology
acceptance model (TAM) methodology, developed by Davis, identifying the preferred e-
book format by higher education students, identifying preferred e-book format
differences between students in generational age groups and identifying differences in
preferred e-book formats between students attending in online and on-campus delivery
methods. The research in this study was conducted at a higher educational institution to
measure the students’ perspective on the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use,
usage and satisfaction of different e-book formats. The findings of this study indicate
there are preferences for particular e-book formats by students with differences based on
campus delivery method as well as by generational age groups. These findings validate
the use of the TAM modified for this study and also provide the usage rates for each of
the different e-book formats. These findings will assist educational institutions and
educational publishers to make strategic and management decisions regarding the
adoption of e-books. Future research is recommended on possible changes to e-book
format preferences based on the changing ages of the student population and the use of
portable hardware devices that could support the usage of e-books in an academic setting.
Dedication
This dissertation is dedicated to my wife, Claudia, who is my best friend, loving
mother and grandmother, and greatest supporter. Claudia’s support on the long road to
completion of my dissertation and doctoral program has been consistent and unwavering.
iii
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I am grateful to Dr. John Latham for the support, guidance,
patience, and mentoring provided to me over the last years and keeping me focused on
this dissertation. The feedback and suggestions received from the members of my
dissertation committee members, Dr. Rich Schuttler and Dr. John DeNigris to refine this
study is appreciated. My thanks are given to the University of Phoenix for the support
and assistance provided to me in the completion of my doctoral program. I am grateful to
the data collection assistance given me by the Institutional Research Department and the
support from Dr. Jay Klagge. I also wish to extend my thanks to Dr. Rob Olding for his
technical assistance to support the analysis of this dissertation. Lastly, I wish to express
my great appreciation to Dr. Adam Honea, Provost, University of Phoenix, for his
support and encouragement during this journey to complete this dissertation and my
doctoral program.
iv
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments iv
List of Tables viii
List of Figures xii
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1
Introduction to the Problem 1
Background of the Study 1
Statement of the Problem 2
Purpose of the Study 4
Rationale 5
Research Questions 6
Conceptual Framework 10
Significance of the Study 11
Definition of Terms 12
Assumptions and Limitations 13
Organization of the Remainder of the Study 14
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 15
Introduction 15
E-Book Literature 16
E-Book Definitions 17
E-Book Usage 19
E-Book Retail Market and E-Book Publishers 35
E-Book Development and Future Trends 37
v
E-Book Literature Summary 39
Technology Acceptance Model 39
Generational Definitions 44
Conclusion 45
CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY 49
Research Design 49
Sample 50
Instrumentation 51
Pilot Study 53
Data Collection 54
Survey Distribution 54
Data Analysis 55
Validity and Reliability 64
Ethical Considerations 66
CHAPTER 4. RESULTS 67
Purpose of the Study and Research Questions 67
TAM and Research Questions Relationship Results 67
Usage Differences—Age Groups and Delivery Methods 81
Survey Frequency Statistics 90
Differences Among Groups 94
CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 98
Summary and Discussion of Results 98
Methodology 101
vi
Study Findings 101
Conclusions 110
Recommendations 111
REFERENCES 114
APPENDIX A. SURVEY INSTRUMENT 121
APPENDIX B. VARIABLE RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS TABLES 124
APPENDIX C. USAGE ANALYSIS 129
APPENDIX D. SURVEY FREQUENCY STATISTICS 139
APPENDIX E. DIFFERENCE TEST ANALYSIS 150
vii
List of Tables
Table 1. Survey Questions for E-Book Function 52
Table 2. Coding for Survey Responses 56
Table 3. Analysis of Survey Responses 57
Table 4. TAM Reliability Statistics 65
Table B1. Spearman’s Rho Measurement for Usefulness and Satisfaction

Variables 124
Table B2. Spearman’s Rho Measurement for Ease of Use and Satisfaction
Variables 125
Table B3. Spearman’s Rho Measurement for Usefulness and Usage Variables 126
Table B4. Spearman’s Rho Measurement for Ease of Use and Usage Variables 127
Table B5. Spearman’s Rho Measurement for Satisfaction and Usage Variables 128
Table C1. Generational Age Group Usage of the for Online Read Function of
The E-Book Collection 129
Table C2. Generational Age Group Usage of the Online Print Function of the
E-Book Collection 130
Table C3. Generational Age Group Usage of the Download PDF Read Function
of the E-Book Collection 131
Table C4. Generational Age Group Usage of the Download PDF Print Function
Table C5. Generational Age Group Usage of the Purchase the Book Function
Table C6. Campus Delivery Method Usage of the Online Read Function of the
Table C7. Campus Delivery Method Usage of the Online Print Function of the
Table C8. Campus Delivery Method Usage of the Download PDF Read
Function of the E-Book Collection 136
viii
Table C9. Campus Delivery Method Usage of the Download PDF Print
Table C10. Campus Delivery Method Usage of the Purchase the Book
Table D1. Question 1: I Use the Online-Web Read Function of the E-Book
Collection 139
Table D2. Question 2: I Use the Online-Web Print Function of the e-book
collection 139
Table D3. Question 3: I Use the Download PDF Offline Read Function of the
Table D4. Question 4: I Use the Download PDF Offline Print Function of the
Table D5. Question 5: I Use the Purchase the Book Function of the E-Book
Collection 141
Table D6. Question 6: Perceived Usefulness of the Online-Web Read Function

Table D7. Question 7: Perceived Usefulness of the Online-Web Print Function

Table D8. Question 8: Perceived Usefulness of the Download PDF Offline

Read Function of the E-Book Collection 142
Table D9. Question 9: Perceived Usefulness of the Download PDF Offline Print
Table D10. Question 10: Perceived Usefulness of the Purchase the Book
Table D11. Question 11: The Online-Web Read Function of the E-Book
Collection is Easy to Use 144
Table D12. Question 12: The Online-Web Print Function of the E-Book
Table D13. Question 13: The Download PDF Offline Read Function of the
E-Book Collection is Easy to Use 145
ix
Table D14. Question 14: The Download PDF Offline Print Function of the
E-Book collection is Easy to Use 145
Table D15. Question 15: The Purchase the Book Function of the E-Book
Table D16. Question 16: The Level of Satisfaction With the Online-Web Read
Function is: 146
Table D17. Question 17: The Level of Satisfaction With the Online-Web Print
Function is: 147
Table D18. Question 18: The Level of Satisfaction With the Download PDF
Offline Read Function is: 147
Table D19. Question 19: The Level of Satisfaction With the Download PDF
Offline Print Function is: 148
Table D20. Question 20: The Level of Satisfaction With the Purchase the Book
Function is: 148
Table D21. Question 21: Overall Level of Satisfaction With E-Books 149
Table E1. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Ranks for E-Book Usage by Campus Delivery
Method 150
Table E2. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Usage by Campus

Delivery Method 150
Table E3. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Ranks for E-Book Perceived Usefulness by

Campus Delivery Method 151
Table E4. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Perceived Usefulness by

Table E5. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Ranks for E-Book Perceived Ease of Use by
Table E6. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Perceived Ease of Use by
Table E7. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Ranks for E-Book Satisfaction by Campus

Delivery Method 153
x
Table E8. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Satisfaction by Campus
Delivery Method 153
Table E9. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Ranks for E-Book Usage by Generational Age
Groups 154
Table E10. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Usage by Generational

Age Groups 154
Table E11. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Ranks for E-Book Perceived Usefulness by

Generational Age Groups 155
Table E12. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Perceived Usefulness by

Table E13. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Statistics for E-Book Perceived Ease of Use
by Generational Age Groups 156
Table E14. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Perceived Ease of Use
by Generational Age Groups 156
Table E15. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Statistics for E-Book Satisfaction by

Table E16. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Satisfaction by

xi
List of Figures
Figure 1. Conceptual framework for exploring the e-book format for student
usage and satisfaction 10
Figure 2. Online Read usage by generational age group 82
Figure 3. Online Read usage by campus delivery method 82
Figure 4. Online Print usage by generational age group 83
Figure 5. Online Print usage by campus delivery method 84
Figure 6. Download PDF Read usage by generational age group 85
Figure 7. Download PDF Read usage by campus delivery method 86
Figure 8. Download PDF Print usage by generational age group 87
Figure 9. Download PDF Print usage by campus delivery method 88
Figure 10. Purchase the Book usage by generational age group 89
Figure 11. Purchase the Book usage by campus delivery method 90
Figure 12. E-book collection function usage 91
Figure 13. E-book collection usefulness 92
Figure 14. E-book collection ease of use 93
Figure 15. E-book collection function satisfaction 93
Figure 16. Overall e-book collection satisfaction 94
Figure 17. Conceptual framework with relationship significance 100
xii
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Problem
With advances in computer and Internet technology, there is an opportunity for
educational institutions, faculty members, and students to utilize the advantages
associated with the growing presence of electronic textbooks (Sharp, 2005). The
challenge confronting educational institutions considering the adoption of electronic
textbooks (e-books) is to determine which particular e-book formats will be accepted and
used by students. This determination may also have an effect on the institutions in that
the acceptance and usage by student has the potential to increase textbook revenues for
textbook publishers or to decrease textbook costs for the institution (Shiratuddin, 2005;
Thomas, 2006).
Background of the Study
A number of studies and authors reviewed in this study such as Abram (2004),
Agee (2003), Barlow and Wetherill (2005), and Bell, McCoy, and Peters (2002)
presented findings that indicate there is growing favorable acceptance of e-books by
students. Blumenstyk (2001) examined the efforts by publishers and a number of higher
education institutions to expand the use of e-books by students. Blumenstyk noted the
nation’s largest private university undertook the initiative to move toward becoming a
“bookless” institution of higher education. Mercieca (2003) conducted a study of e-book
acceptance by using different formats of e-books for students to review. Two of the
1
formats used in his study were conversions of existing hardcopy textbooks into Portable
Document Format (PDF) and online HTML.
Beyond the studies by Abram (2004), Agee (2003), Barlow and Wetherill (2005),
and Bell et al. (2002) citing growing student acceptance of e-books, studies by Anthony
(2004), Balas (2006), Burk (2001), Carlson (2005), Simon (2001), and Young (2006)
presented findings that conclude the broad acceptance of e-books is still considered
sometime off in the future. These authors presented this unfavorable view of e-books
based their conclusions based on improvements being needed in the cost of e-books as
well as identified deficiencies of e-book reader devices where poor battery life and
insufficient screen clarity coupled with the lack of search and notation capabilities make
current devices unacceptable for students. Two very recent sources by Guess (2008) and
Nelson (2008) conclude the barriers preventing widespread adoption of e-books are
slowly coming down with the market for e-book acceptance and usage growing slowly.
The conclusions identified by Guess and Nelson are oriented toward e-book reader
devices and came to the same conclusions as Simon and Young that hardware
improvements are needed before a device solution is accepted and used by students. The
findings related to the deficiencies in e-book acceptance and usage contribute to the
validity of conducting this study to identify an e-book format that could be used without
waiting on a hardware solution for e-book adoption.
Statement of the Problem
The problem being addressed in this study is the lack of empirical knowledge
related to the e-book formats that prevent the development of fact based strategies to
2
implement methods for more cost effective and efficient delivery of e-books. Educational
institutions and publishers are likewise lacking sufficient information to make informed
decisions regarding the preferred format of e-books by students. Although literature
describes a number of studies and research efforts such as those conducted by Abram
(2004), Agee (2003), Barlow and Wetherill (2005), Bell et al. (2002), and Mercieca
(2003) related to e-books; little research has been found with students who have had
experience using several different e-book formats. Research conducted by Mercieca did
examine e-book format preferences using a small number of students with no previous
experience using e-books. This problem is illustrated by an existing management
dilemma at the organization where this study will be conducted. The management team
within the study organization does not currently have sufficient or current information to
make a sound management decision as to which e-book format will be accepted and used
by students. In addition to the study organization, other institutions in higher education
(Shiratuddin, 2005), university and public libraries (Rogers, 2004, 2006; Shiratuddin;
Snowhill, 2001; Van Epps, 2004) and school districts (McGraw, Burdette, & Seale, 2002)
face the same management dilemma of finding an e-book format that is acceptable to
students.
Two recent publications examine a number of current questions related to the
adoption of e-books by students in higher education. Guess (2008) explored the potential
of students becoming more receptive to e-books considering technology advancements
related to hardware devices, the growing availability of content by publishers and the
rising cost of traditional textbooks. The article by Guess indicates that both universities
and publishers realize that the digital content of e-books is considered a growing market
3
in higher education but the preferred delivery formats preferred by students remains
undetermined. The research bulletin by Nelson (2008) is in agreements with many of
observations stated by Guess. Among the findings by Nelson is data that show a good
number of students in grades 6 – 12 are now using e-books and view the usage of e-books
in different formats gaining increased usage in the future. The findings of Guess and
Nelson show there are changes occurring in the adoption and usage of e-books in higher
education but there are no definitive findings or predictions related to specific e-book
format preferences by students.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this correlation study is to explore the student’s acceptance of
electronic textbooks in terms of usage, usefulness, ease of use, and satisfaction. The
results from this study will provide publishers and educational institutions with current
data to gain the insight necessary to support the development of strategies for more
effective and efficient delivery of e-books. This exploratory correlation study will utilize
a survey instrument to measure the usage, satisfaction, and acceptance of e-books by
students in a higher education setting who have experience with e-books. The experience
survey will enable a correlation analysis of the data gathered from the student responses.
The correlation analysis of the survey response data will be conducted to analyze the
relationships in the data with the purpose to answer the research questions associated
with this study (Cooper & Schindler, 2003).
This exploration of e-book acceptance will provide educational institutions the
basis for possible management decisions regarding the most accepted e-book format in
4
which to add e-books to their institutional library. Additionally, this exploration can assist
with the possible development of a digital strategy for delivery of other educational
materials such as academic and technical journals. The management decision to acquire
e-books for inclusion in their institutional library can enhance the credibility of the
institution as well as the reputation of the institution to meet the expressed preferences of
students to use electronic materials. Educational institutions and textbook publishers can
benefit from understanding student expectations related to the delivery and format of
electronic educational materials. The potential benefit to the educational institutions and
textbook publishers in the shared understanding of the preferred format would be the
possible reduction in textbook delivery times, physical storage requirements, and more
efficient methods to maintain currently of the textbook intellectual and technical content.
This study will determine the preferred e-book format among several different e-book
formats based on responses from students with e-book experience in a higher education
setting. To meet the purpose of this study, the analysis of the data will be accompanied by
tables and graphs to illustrate the relationships to be examined by the research questions.
Rationale
For educational institutions, the identification of a preferred e-book format will
provide information that can be used to respond to student preferences. As previously
stated, by being responsive to student preferences, the institution can potentially enhance
their reputation and satisfaction with students. With the understanding of a preferred e-
book format, it might be possible for the institution to improve their distribution methods
as well as the costs associated with acquisition and storage of textbooks. The same
5
advantages and benefits could be achieved for faculty members utilizing books in their
classes, review of new and alternative textbooks for adoption as well as the space saving
advantages for book storage.
From the publisher’s perspective, the identification of a preferred e-book format
from this study would possibly enable the publisher to focus their efforts on the
preferences expressed by students. Furthermore, it is possible the establishment of a
preferred e-book format could reduce publishing, inventory, and distribution costs for the
textbook publishers. With the possible reduction in publisher costs an incentive may be
provided for broader adoption of e-books by both educational institutions and students.
Research Questions
The research questions to be addressed in this study are based on the technology
acceptance model (TAM) methodology (Davis, 1989). The responses to the survey
instrument will be used to identify the preferred formats of e-books based on student
acceptance and usage. The application of the TAM methodology will address the
following research questions:
1. What is the relationship between perceived usefulness of an e-book format

and the level of satisfaction for each e-book format?
1.1. What is the relationship between perceived usefulness of the Online

Read e-book format and the level of Online Read e-book format
satisfaction?

Print e-book format and the level of Online Print e-book format
satisfaction?
6
1.3. What is the relationship between perceived usefulness of the
Download PDF Read e-book format and the level of Download PDF
Read e-book format satisfaction?

Download PDF Print e-book format and the level of Download PDF
Print e-book format satisfaction?
1.5. What is the relationship between perceived usefulness of the Purchase

the Book function and the level of Purchase the Book function
satisfaction?
2. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use and level of student
satisfaction relative to a particular e-book format?
2.1. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use of the Online
Read e-book format and the level of Online Read e-book format
satisfaction?
2.2. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use of the Online
Print e-book format and the level of Online Print e-book format
satisfaction?
2.3. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use of the

Download PDF Read e-book format and the level of Download PDF
Read e-book format satisfaction?
2.4. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use of the

Download PDF Print e-book format and the level of Download PDF
Print e-book format satisfaction?
2.5. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use of the Purchase
the Book function and the level of Purchase the Book function
satisfaction?

and the usage rate for each e-book format?

Read e-book format and the usage rate for the Online Read e-book
format?

Print e-book format and the usage rate for the Online Print e-book
format?
7
Download PDF Read e-book format and the usage rate for the
Download PDF Read e-book format?

Download PDF Print e-book format and the usage rate for the
Download PDF Print e-book format?
3.5. What is the relationship between perceived usefulness of the Purchase

the Book function and the usage rate for Purchase the Book function?
4. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use of an e-book format

4.1. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use for the Online
Read e-book format and the usage rate for the Online Read e-book
format?
4.2. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use for the Online
Print e-book format and the usage rate for the Online Print e-book
format?
4.3. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use for the
Download PDF Read e-book format and the usage rate for the
Download PDF Read e-book format?
Download PDF Print e-book format and the usage rate for the
Download PDF Print e-book format?
Purchase the Book function and the usage rate for Purchase the Book
function?
5. What is the relationship between the usage rate of an e-book format and the
level of satisfaction for each e-book format?
5.1. What is the relationship between the usage rate for the Online Read e-
book format and the level of satisfaction for the Online Read e-book
format?
5.2. What is the relationship between the usage rate for the Online Print e-
book format and the level of satisfaction for the Online Print e-book
format?
8
5.3. What is the relationship between the usage rate for the Download PDF
Read e-book format and the level of satisfaction for the Download
PDF Read e-book format?
5.4. What is the relationship between the usage rate for the Download PDF
Print e-book format and the level of satisfaction for the Download
PDF Print e-book format?
5.5. What is the relationship between the usage rate for the Purchase the
Book function and the level of satisfaction for Purchase the Book
function?
5.6. What is the relationship between the usage rate and overall e-book
satisfaction?
6. What are the stated the usage rates for each e-book format by each
generational age group of students?
6.1. What are the stated usage rates for the Online Read e-book format by
each generational age group of students?
6.2. What are the stated usage rates for the Online Print e-book format by
6.3. What are the stated usage rates for the Download PDF Read e-book
format by each generational age group of students?
6.4. What are the stated usage rates for the Download PDF Print e-book
format by each generational age group of students?
6.5. What are the stated usage rates for the Purchase the Book function by
These questions relative to a particular e-book format have not been addressed in
previously published research. The studies and research analyzed in the chapter 2
literature review of this study do examine electronic textbooks in general including those
available as hypertexts as well as those electronic textbooks on hardware devices.
9
Conceptual Framework
Figure 1 illustrates the key variables, research questions, and instrument questions
explored in this study. These key variables are used to explore the level of technology
acceptance for e-books expressed in terms of usefulness (T1) and ease of use (T2) of e-
books, the rate of e-book usage (U) by students, and the level of student satisfaction (S)
with the e-book formats is examined.
Satisfaction Usage
(S) Q (U)
5
Usefulness
Q (T1) Q
1 3
Q Ease of Use Q
2 (T2) 4
Q
6
Generational Age Groups and Campus Delivery Method
Figure 1. Conceptual framework for exploring the e-book format for student usage and
satisfaction.
10
In addition to illustrating the key variables and the research questions related to
this exploration, the application of the survey instrument questions is also provided in
Figure 1.
Significance of the Study
There have been a number of studies and papers written and predictions regarding
the evolution of e-books in different formats including Web-based presentations,
hypermedia, and electronic formats such as word processing documents and PDF format.
A number of studies have identified both student satisfaction as well as dissatisfaction
with the various electronic formats. Although the study by Mercieca (2003) did provide a
comparison of several e-book formats, the study was conducted with a relatively small
number of students with no prior experience with e-books. This study will examine the
responses on e-book format from a potentially large number of students with experience
using e-book in a number of courses.
The objective of this study is to identify the format that students find the most
useful and consider easy to use in a comparison between an online Web-based format and
a PDF format. The results of this study will provide an analysis of the survey data for
educational institutions, academic libraries, school districts and textbooks publishers
considering decisions related to the use and implementation of electronic textbooks. The
determination of a preferred format of e-books based on student acceptance, usage, and
satisfaction has the potential to impact the process by which electronic textbooks are
delivered.
11
Definition of Terms
The following are the significant terms used in this research and the associated
meaning within the context of this study:
Ease of Use. This variable (T1) describes the degree to which a person believes
that using an e-book would be free from effort (Davis, 1989).
E-book. For purposes of this study, this is an electronic software representation of
a printed book.
E-book reader device. A dedicated, specialized device solely used for the purpose
of reading and electronic textbook.
Electronic textbook. An electronic version of a textbook presented in software
form.
Hyperlinks. Links to locations within the electronic document or to external
materials such as journals, news publications, or Web sites related to the text (Allison,
2003).
Hypermedia/Hypertext. The combination of structural links within an electronic
document that enable the possible integration of graphics, audio, and video with the text
(Allison, 2003).
Portable Document Format (PDF). A document format developed by Adobe
Systems intended for sharing documents with text and graphic using any computer on
any operating system (Leurs, n.d.).
Technology acceptance model (TAM). A model developed to test end-user
acceptance of new information systems (Davis, 1989). The model uses the variables of
perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use to predict the acceptance and usage of a
12
new technology. The model and extensions of this model have been used in numerous
studies.
Usage. The degree to which an end-user will use an information system or
particular technology (Davis, 1989).
Usefulness. The degree to which a person will use an information system or
particular technology to enhance their job performance (Davis, 1989).
XML. A computer based markup language that enables the sharing of documents
in different formats across information systems and the Internet. XML can be used to
break a document into elements for future usage in a variety of document types (Carey,
2004).
Assumptions and Limitations
The basis of this study is the application of the TAM research methodology
developed by Davis (1989). The TAM has been used, modified, and extended in
numerous studies examining and exploring the acceptance, usefulness, ease of use, and
usage of different forms of technology. The assumptions of this study include (a) the
responses to the survey will be honest and, (b) the results of this study will provide
applicable results to electronic textbook publishers and other educational institutions
considering electronic textbooks.
The limitations of this study are based on using a population limited to students
attending the institution being studied and (a) the only e-books formats evaluated in this
study are those available to student attending the institution being studied, (b) this study
will not evaluate e-book reader devices, and (c) the results of this study may not be
13
applicable to all educational institutions considering the variability of student populations
and demographics. Another limitation of this study is that it will not gain input from all
stakeholders beyond students such as faculty, publishers, university leaders, employers of
alumni, and so forth to more fully explore the topic.
Organization of the Remainder of the Study
Chapter 2 reviews the literature related to the usage of e-books by students,
libraries, schools, and school districts. The literature discussing usage of e-book reader
device hardware, retail e-book markets, e-book publishers, and future trends in e-books
are also reviewed. Chapter 2 concludes with a review of the literature regarding the
technology acceptance model and the generational definitions examined in this study.
Chapter 3 of this study explains the purpose of the study including the research questions
and the design of the research based on the technology acceptance model developed by
Davis (1989). This chapter includes the description of the organization and the
participants selected for this study including the research procedure, research instrument,
data collection process and the expected findings. Chapter 4 presents the data collected in
this study from the participants and reports on the statistical analysis of the responses
from the study instrument. Chapter 5 will include an overview of the study with a
restatement of the problem, the literature reviewed and the findings based on the data
collected. This chapter will provide recommendations based on the data provided by the
participants in the study and recommendations for further research.
14
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
As technology has evolved, there are a number of instances where paper
textbooks have been replaced by electronic books. There are different presentations of e-
books currently being developed in formats from Web pages described by Brown (2001)
to hypermedia laden textbooks that can adapt to the reading and learning patterns of the
audience (Allison, 2003). A study of students using the eTextReader in a computer
science course questioned whether the use of an electronic book would have any impact
on student learning. The results of the study found no significant differences between the
students learning from paper textbooks or those using the electronic version. The student
responses to the usefulness of the e-books were rated as neutral (McFall, 2005). A
number of findings related to the use of electronic textbooks indicated students in K–12
are becoming increasingly interested in the usage of technology to better meet their
personal and educational needs (Farris-Berg, 2005).
A number of studies and dissertations have applied the technology acceptance
model as a tool to determine the usage of a particular technology based on the perceived
usefulness and ease of use from a user perspective. The TAM was developed by Davis
(1989) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The use of TAM in a 2-year study
by Gabbard (2004) found a relationship did exist between student satisfaction and the
attitude toward accepting the technology used in an online community college
environment. A study of computer usage comparing the intentions of student classroom
teachers with the intentions of experienced classroom teacher based upon the TAM also
15
determined that perceived usefulness and ease of use are indicators to predict computer
usage in the classroom setting (Smarkola, 2004). In addition to numerous studies using
the basic TAM, there have been a number of studies that have extended the TAM.
Boswell (2004) extended the TAM by including additional factors of perceived
invasiveness and perceived objections to the acceptance of technology. This study did
find that invasiveness in technology could be perceived as to have a negative impact
toward the usage of technology. Another example of extending the TAM is provided by
Landry (2003) where the variables of computer background and student demographics
were also considered in a study of Web-enhanced instruction used to supplement a
traditional lecture course.
Lancaster and Stillman (2002) examined the various generations and determined
there are differences in workplace attitudes between the generations. These differences
could also have some implications toward the usage of electronic textbooks. The study of
demographics conducted by Market (2004) also found some distinction between the
various age groups that could have an impact on society, which could also extend to the
adoption and usage of electronic textbooks.
E-Book Literature
The literature review for e-books focused on numerous studies and articles that
examined the increasing usage and acceptance of e-books in a number of setting
including students, including those from K–12 to higher education, libraries, and school
districts. Following the e-book definitions, the literature reviewed describes the findings
in these settings in which a variety of perspectives related to e-books were examined.
16
E-Book Definitions
The initial idea of an e-book was defined by Bush (1945) with the
conceptualization of a hypertext engine he called the Memex. Bush envisioned this
device as a mechanized library where the individual could store all their books, record
and communications to be later retrieved with speed and flexibility. He further
envisioned a screen on which the content could be projected for reading (Bush). Another
early visionary idea was proposed by Alan Kay in 1968. Kay proposed the idea of the
Dynabook as a device that very much fits the description of current personal laptop
computers found in today’s environment. Kay’s concept of the Dynabook was defined as
a device that will provide connections to online libraries and enable the searching and
reading of books using a personal computer.
In the arena of e-book libraries, Project Gutenberg was the starting point in 1971
when Hart (1992) began the process of collecting and making electronic books available
via the Internet. The objective of Project Gutenberg is to enable the replication and
distribution of public domain books throughout the world. Moving beyond the theories of
Bush and Kay, Hart delivered the vision of electronic texts and other forms of
information available to the public for free.
As e-books have evolved, a number of different formats and presentation methods
have emerged. Abram asserted that e-books are best suited for reference materials and
education materials rather than the public’s typical view of novels and popular literature.
Although there have been a number of efforts to deliver electronic books via hardware
devices that emulate the portability, readability and size of a traditional printed book, the
conclusion by Abram was that a printed hardcopy book is better for recreational reading
17
(Abram, 2004). In terms of trends related to the format and usage of e-books, O’Leary
(2003) initially made a number of predictions in 2001 related to the emerging use of e-
books. Although O’Leary’s predictions for the widespread use of e-book devices have
not come to pass, in 2003 O’Leary updated his predictions to assert that four major trends
would emerge in the e-book market.
E-books that are used but not read are identified as primarily research or reference
sources such as textbooks, manuals, and reference books. E-books in this category are
those that the reader spends little time actually reading. The most successful example
implementations of this trend are electronic libraries or e-book collections such as Safari
Tech Books Online, Oxford Reference and NetLibrary (Connaway, 2001).
The next trend identified by O’Leary (2003) was the implementation of an
aggregation reference collection rather than a library of single works that can be searched
as a single database. Books related to information technology are the most frequently
found example of aggregations for computer and information technology references.
Institutional customers such as libraries and corporations make up the third trend
as opposed to individual customers for e-books. These types of customers are attractive to
sellers as they get access to large purchasers, to the users who are provided access to
large collections, and to libraries that can provide a service needed and desired by their
customers.
All of the foregoing definitions of e-books have been oriented toward a format
that presents the content of a hardcopy printed book in electronic form. There are several
additional definitions often associated with e-books that go beyond the simple creation of
electronic version of a printed book. A number of authors have identified the use of Web-
18
based books as a format with search and linking capabilities (Brisco, 2006; Y. Chen,
2003; Connaway, 2001). Another format used by a number of publishers of e-books is the
use of the CD-ROM format where search and linking capabilities within the electronic
text are often found (Clyde, 2005). There have also been a number of initiatives to deliver
the accessibility of e-books by means of dedicated electronic devices or readers.
E-Book Usage
The focus of this study is to examine the acceptance of e-books by student usage.
The literature indicated there are a variety of audiences that have become the main users
of e-books. The literature reviewed in the following sections will include descriptions,
analysis and e-book usage by students, libraries, school districts, and professionals.
Student E-Book Usage
Agee (2003) examined a number of positive aspects of technology as applied to
electronic textbooks. One of the aspects of his study concluded that younger people who
are comfortable with technology are more likely to be receptive of e-books than are older
citizens who would be required to change their reading habits. The availability of e-books
continues to grow and become increasingly available for student usage. Agee determined
that 66% of a given list of books recommended for new student majors by the Central
Missouri State University’s English Department was available on the free access Project
Gutenberg Web library. The technological features of e-books utilized by the students
included the ability to adjust the font size, insert book mark, select and search the book
marks, highlight and underline the text, and to insert notes.
19
Studies continue to emerge that indicate the usage of e-books is expected to grow
among students in a number of settings. A number of initiatives undertaken at the
University of North Carolina at Wilmington were described as a part of a project to
prepare future teachers to use technology in K–12 classrooms. One aspect of the project
evaluated the use of pocket PCs (Hewlett Packard iPAQ) and e-books for advanced and
gifted students and special needs students. The results of this project saw improvements
for both groups of students in terms of increased reading motivation and improved
reading skills. Several additional benefits were attributed to the iPAQ and e-book
technology for both student groups including improvements in self-esteem and a 100%
passing rate for end of grade exams. The teachers also indicated the technologies enabled
them to have greater capabilities to customize the curriculum to meet student interests
and educational needs (Barlow & Wetherill, 2005). Another study examined the
acceptance of e-book devices by college level students in two courses in which the
students used handheld devices to complete their reading assignments. The findings of
the study demonstrated that many students were enthused and satisfied with the use of
dedicated devices. The researchers speculated that dedicated reader devices might give
way to portable multifunctional devices such as personal digital assistants in the near
future. The students participating in this study expressed a desire for more course content
to be available with enhanced features such as color, audio, and animation as well as the
ability to highlight, attach notes and look up definitions (Bell et al., 2002).
Although there are numerous articles and works of research that illustrated the
potentially positive outlook for the growing usage and acceptance of e-books, there have
been a number of studies that identified remaining deficiencies with e-books and
20
instances of resistance to the widespread use of e-books. Despite significant advances in
e-book devices and the software capabilities to allow readers to access electronic
materials, the paper-based publishing industry is concerned about piracy of their digital
content. Furthermore, the technical advances and acceptance of e-books by the reading
public, the digital rights management restrictions established by publishers have
adversely affected the availability of electronic content to consumers (Burk, 2001).
Carlson (2005) examined student acceptance of e-books and publisher strategies to take
advantage of emerging e-book technologies. A 2004 survey of 4,000 students at 21
college campuses across the country indicated that only 11% preferred electronic
versions; however, it is important to note that many students to this point had been
educated using traditional textbooks, which offer a more familiar hardcopy textbook
format. There have been indications that although printed books might never be
completely replaced by e-books; there is increasing usage of electronic reference
materials that could establish an accepted combination of print and digital resources. A
dissertation by Dominick (2005) examined the increased use of electronic textbooks in a
university setting compared to the traditional use of paper-based textbooks. In general,
this study found the amount of reading performed by the students is heavily dependent on
the assessment requirements and pedagogy of each class. Additionally, students
expressed a preference for reading on paper over the use of an electronic textbook despite
the availability of greater academic resources available in the electronic textbooks.
Mercieca (2003) examined the issues related to the acceptance of electronic textbooks
materials. The study compared a number of different digital formats to determine if there
is a preferred format for reading textbook materials on a computer screen. The focus
21
group used in this study consisted of postgraduate students who expressed a preference
for printed textbooks; however, there is a cost limit under which the students would move
to an electronic presentation. Additionally, the focus group further stated there would be
a possible preference for electronic textbooks where advantages of the electronic
capabilities such as animation of important concepts or the use of other media
components could be integrated with the text materials.
Cavanaugh (2002) explored the capabilities available with e-books that can meet
the accommodation requirements for handicapped readers. There are available
technologies in the form of variable print size, text-to-speech, and interactions that
support a variety of student learning needs and can be a significant advantage over
printed text. Overall, Cavanaugh asserted that the emerging e-book technologies are
valuable tools for learner of various abilities, languages, and needs. The e-book software
and tools available on all forms of computers can assist teachers to meet the needs of
student. The advanced technological features found in today’s e-books are found to
support the intellectual demands required by gifted readers. The features found in e-
books are attractive and also include options and accommodations to promote reading by
children. The findings of Weber and Cavanaugh (2006) indicated that gifted readers are
more often demanding of more robust and challenging materials beyond what a printed
text can offer, thus demonstrating a preference for the usage of e-books. Additionally, the
authors stated the use of e-books are better suited for adjusting the reading materials to
meet the needs of a variety of students with various abilities found with gifted and
advanced readers.
22
L. Chen’s (1998) dissertation described the rationale and process for developing
an electronic textbook that could result in the use of a hypertext college level textbook.
Both the content experts and the students participating in the study provided positive
feedback on the project and the benefits of the interactive usage provided by the
electronic textbook. A significant observation of the study was that students were more
engaged with the hypertext textbook than they were with printed textbooks. Clyde (2005)
examined a number of different presentation formats for electronic books. The
examination identified and discussed a number of the potential advantages and
disadvantages associated with electronic books. One of the concerns discussed by Clyde
was expressed by a number of librarians that reading comprehension might be more
difficult for young people in an electronic environment. However, based on research
conducted by Matthew (1997), it had been determined that students using CD-ROM
version of books had significantly higher mean comprehension scores than student only
using printed textbooks.
A study by Chu (2003) examined the reasons for both using and not using e-books
by individual users. The findings of this study identified both the advantages and
disadvantages for the use of e-books by individual users. This study also identified
economics, business, computer science, medicine and health as the subjects most often
considered for e-books as they lend themselves to quick reference look-up in an
electronic format.
The purpose of the dissertation by Church (2002) was to determine if any
differences existed in the short-term knowledge retention for college freshmen using
traditional printed texts, computer displayed linear text or computer displayed hypertexts.
23
The results of the study showed that the students did perform better on short-term
knowledge retention when they used the traditional printed texts for self-study versus
those students using computer displayed hypertext. However, the author further asserted
that computer display linear text shows no significant difference of short-term knowledge
retention over printed text or computer displayed hypertext.
The results of a report conducted for the Education/Evolving organization
presented a summary of the research of student attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors
related to the use of technology in K–12 education and specifically the use of electronic
textbooks. A number of findings presented in this summary indicate students are
interested in the increased usage of technology in their schools to better meet their
personal and educational needs (Farris-Berg, 2005). Research conducted by Fasimpaur
(2004) identified a number of advantages that have become available to K–12 students
using of e-books by means of handheld devices. In addition to identifying a number of
benefits, the Fasimpaur study also listed a number of ideas that have been found to
improve the usefulness of electronic materials for K–12 students. The Fasimpaur study
concluded that the capabilities of e-books offer a new dimension for student interaction in
the classroom beyond that of printed textbooks.
Guasco (2003) described an evaluation of an American History course presented
to students using an early version of an electronic textbook. A number of advantages and
disadvantage related to the use of the new online electronic textbook were identified. The
author asserted the benefits to students using the online text as being able to highlight
text, take notes and participate in online discussions with students in the course. Finally,
Guasco argued that although the transition to technology and the use will not
24
immediately pay dividends for students or faculty, as technology advances and becomes
more convenient, the concept of electronic texts will be more easily accepted. Guerard
(2002) examined a number of advantages associated with use of e-books for both the
students and the schools in the K–12 setting. Significant advantages were identified for
disabled students such as the ability to adjust the size of the text and brightness of the
display as well as he integration of audio and video being integrated into the e-books.
Another study examined effectiveness of electronic books to support the teaching
vocabulary in children. The study evaluated two groups of students wherein one group
used only the animated features of the e-books while the other groups were given
supplemental activities in addition to the animated features. The findings in this study
indicated that electronic books can be effective tools to assist children in the attainment
of improved reading skills (Higgins & Hess, 1999).
A recent dissertation by Lane (2006) evaluated the usefulness and the usability of
electronic textbooks by undergraduate business students in a university setting. The
findings of this dissertation indicated students were satisfied with the usefulness of
electronic textbooks to meet the learning objectives of their studies. Additionally, those
participating in this study found the electronic textbook interface satisfactory in order for
them to complete the tasks required during their studies. Another study examined the use
of the electronic features found in a CD-ROM version of storybook by children and
students. The findings in this study indicated common behaviors in six main categories.
A number of advantages and disadvantages were associated with the electronic features
of the CD-ROM storybook examined in study (Lefever-Davis & Pearman, 2005). A
comparable study examined the impact on student reading and comprehension in a
25
change from printed text to electronic texts. One of the primary findings of the study
noted that there were no statistically significant differences in reading comprehension as
measured by open-ended questions. However, the study did find there was a significance
difference in reading comprehension when measured by retelling the story by the group
that had read the CD-ROM format of the story. The major findings determined by the
experiments related to this study indicate that readers’ comprehension can be improved
by the use of electronic texts (Matthew, 1997). Maynard and Cheyne (2005) determined
that electronic textbooks could support the learning and education of children. Their
study demonstrated that students were receptive to the use of electronic textbooks. The
results of the study indicated that those using electronic textbooks achieved higher test
scores.
McFall (2005) conducted a study on the use of electronic textbooks to replace
paper textbook and the potential impact on student learning. The findings of this study
were based on responses from 38 students in two section of a computer science course
using the Microsoft eTextReader. The results of this study indicated a positive outlook by
students for the usefulness of the device once the navigation and use of the content
displays were accomplished. Although the results also indicated the use of all device
features were considered neutral. A pilot program conducted in Florida Public Schools in
which electronic textbooks were used in several schools among students from middle and
high school grades was found to have very positive results. The major findings indicated
higher rates of assignment completion, a better transition to office productivity software
to complete assignment and students remain engaged longer with greater interest in the
curriculum content (Branigan, 2003). The growing popularity of the Web and public
26
acceptance of electronic materials including e-books has affected the publishing industry.
The primary findings of an article by Rao (2004) suggested that although the users are
beginning to accept of the current state of e-book technology, the burden to advance the
widespread usage of electronic texts will fall upon publishers.
Roach (2001) examined the advantages associated with the innovations offered by
electronic textbooks. In another research project, the students expressed interest for using
e-books while indicating a preference of e-book reading software over a dedicated
device. Rogers (2001) described the results of a 2000 survey of students attending 63
colleges in 22 states on the acceptance of electronic texts. The results of the survey
asserted that a significant majority of students, as much as 87%, found the electronic text
more interesting when augmented with supplemental materials in a digital format. The
reasons identified in the survey for students staying away from electronic text included
the price, difficulty of use, and difficulty in reading on a computer screen. The students
participating in the survey also stated that more of their professors are telling them to go
online to perform research, collaborate with their peers, and to obtain materials being
posted by these professors.
Educause (“7 Things You Should Know About E-books,” 2006) listed a number
of assessments related to the current state of e-books. In addition to defining the different
versions of e-books, several advantages and disadvantages to be encountered in the use of
e-books were identified. Several of the benefits or advantages identified include shorter
delivery time for book producers as well as capabilities for students to highlight and
make note in the text and to be able to navigate the text with hyperlinks and search
features not found in printed textbooks. Several disadvantages included the ongoing
27
challenges with copyright issues, the ability for the technology to efficiently integrate
sound and graphics, and overcoming history, which has supported printed textbooks. This
article described the positive potential for e-books usage by students as well as the future
potential for e-book usage to support teaching and learning.
There have been studies that described the early experiences of several
professors’ experiences with the use of e-book in higher education institutions. The
professor’s interviewed for this article indicated a positive attitude on their part as well as
the student’s for adopting and using electronic textbooks. The article identified royalty
payments, reading from a computer screen and digital rights management as several
issues that needed to be addressed in order for electronic textbooks to replace paper texts
on campus (Associated Press, 2000). Sharp (2005) examined the use of electronic
textbooks in a university setting in 2005. Sharp concluded that technological
implementation of e-books and pricing will continue to evolve and gain growing
acceptance. Sharp further predicted that e-books are here to stay with advantages over
printed books including abilities to search and highlight text, make notations and to
bookmark pages. In some forms, electronic textbooks include video and interactive
elements that greatly enhance the electronic textbook as learning and teaching tool.
Positive conclusions were reached in a number of studies related to the usage and
usefulness of e-books (Barlow & Wetherill, 2005; Chu, 2003; Lane, 2006; McFall, 2005).
These studies have also determined there is growing usage of e-books by students being
more engaged and enthused with the usefulness of e-books by providing functionality
beyond printed textbooks such as can be found with hypertext versions of e-books (Bell
et al., 2002; L. Chen, 1998; Weber & Cavanaugh, 2006).
28
Student E-Book Reader Device Usage—Hardware
The University of Minnesota, Duluth studied the implementation and effects of
handheld computers (iPAQ Pocket PC) to support the reading of e-books. This ongoing
project examined a number of challenges related to the presentation of electronic
materials on a handheld platform. The size of the Pocket PC screen limited the ease of
use for reading as well as making the usage more challenging than the use of a full sized
computer screen or even using hardcopy printed materials. This study continues to
examine various aspect of the handheld computer environment for reading electronic
materials including applicability to university library holdings and the use of a wireless
network to enhance access capabilities (Deneen & Allert, 2003). A 2002 study analyzed
the results of a research study conducted to evaluate student acceptance of e-book
devices. The researchers assumed the study would be a simple comparison between
textbooks on electronic devices and traditionally printed books. However, the findings of
the study indicated that the devices presented challenges to the students that resulted in
numerous complaints although the students using e-books scored as well on quizzes as
those using traditional print textbooks. The conclusion presented suggested the use of the
technology for e-book devices need improvement before students willingly use them over
printed textbooks (“Technology of E-books,” 2002).
A 2006 article examined the latest advances in technology available to support the
publication of electronic documents. The most used devices today include keyless PCs
such as the tablet PC, Web pads and Internet appliances, slate readers and PDAs or
Pocket PCs. Although these devices have their advantages; there are also a number of
disadvantages for each. In conclusion, the article argued electronic devices are not likely
29
to completely replace paper; however, within the next 5 to 10 years, there is likely to be a
shift wherein there may be more documents published electronically than in printed form
(“New Chapter Opens for eBook Revolution,” 2006). A 2006 article by Rothman (2006)
took a critical examination of the numerous and varied formats and devices that have
appeared into the e-book marketplace. The author proposed a number of steps that should
be followed in order to arrive at an acceptable industry standard that will enable the
widespread acceptance that CD and VHS format have experienced.
A study by Young (2006) examined recent e-book devices with an emphasis on
the Sony Reader as the most prominent example. The findings in this article were based
on interviews with a number of librarians and other users of the Sony Reader. Based on
the interviews and research, the author asserted that although the Sony Reader offers the
appropriate device size, clarity of text, and improved battery life over prior devices; the
lack of search capabilities, notation support, and color features required by college
students will make this device unacceptable in a college academic setting.
Vernon (2006) examined and analyzed the acceptance of electronic textbooks by
students in a graduate level university class. This study was conducted with electronic
textbooks that emulated the format of a printed text. The electronic textbooks were
accessible by means of the student’s computers or computers available on campus. Over
the duration of the study there was an indication that the online experience improved for
the students. One downside of this study suggested that online reading was physically
more taxing for students as opposed to reading a traditional textbook. The conclusion of
this study justified more exploration into the advantages of using hypertext features as
well as further researching the substitution of electronic text in place of paper.
30
Simon (2001) conducted a study of students using e-book reading devices as their
single source for reading materials during a one semester course. The results of the study
showed that the portability of e-book devices was preferred over CD-ROM books and
Web-based books. Lack of sufficient sustained battery power for the e-book readers was
a noted disadvantage. There were some disadvantages noted by the size of the screens to
display the e-book text as well as the lack of color screens, which would seem necessary
for this format to gain wide acceptance. The overall conclusion of this study was that e-
books and the hardware devices should be accepted in the future as the technology
becomes more convenient for students and more e-book content is made available to
meet the demands of readers.
Unfred (2002) conducted a study of two electronic textbook interfaces to
determine learner performance as well as to gain insight into which interface designs
promote learner satisfaction. This study also extended the use of the learning orientation
model to the electronic textbook environment. The primary findings of this study
indicated that there was greater student satisfaction with the 3-D book interface over an
Internet browser interface design for the electronic textbook. The findings of this study
indicated that the development of electronic textbooks will continue to develop and as
future enhancements include music, voice and animated content, the level of acceptance
as well as student performance are likely to increase.
Technology advancements have enabled the presentation of electronic books on
devices that are handheld and portable. The current state of hardware devices for
supporting e-books have not been favorably accepted by students who have expressed
needs for greater functionality and improved battery life (“Technology of E-books,”
31
2002; Young, 2006). Although the current state of hardware devices is disappointing,
there were some promising aspects with regard to portability, clarity of text and device
size that indicated there are likely to be improvements in the future that could make the
hard devices more useful and acceptable (Simon, 2001; Young).
Public Library E-Book Usage
Rogers (2004) reported on several areas at a conference discussing the usage of e-
books in public libraries. One of the findings agreed upon was that public libraries are
considered significant entities to the future success of e-books. A number of the issues
discussed at this conference included the challenges related to the various e-book formats
offered by publishers and the potential trade-offs associated with acquisition costs versus
shelving and storage savings. An article by Snowhill (2001) reviewed the experiences of
the University of California’s California Digital Library E-book task force to evaluate the
libraries’ electronic experience, the e-book market and the development of guidelines and
strategies for further implementation for the use of e-books at the University. The task
force concluded that although e-books have made progress and hold great promise, there
are a number of elements related to e-books that are not quite in place at this time to
make the e-book market completely viable. Those elements would include the
implementation of standards among e-book publishers, pricing models, and the
technologies available. From an academic library perspective, it is unclear if the
identified issues will be sufficiently addressed for e-books to completely replace the
printed book (Snowhill).
Another significant aspect of e-book usage by libraries is the adoption of more
electronic reference materials. A study by Van Epps (2004) examined the transition of
32
reference handbooks from an electronic and static representation of a printed version to
electronic versions that utilize the robust capabilities available in a state of the art
electronic environment. The findings of this study indicated there are significant
advantages available related to the gains made in time saving, searchability, and overall
improved usability found in reference materials converted to an electronic format. Van
Hoorebeek (2003) discussed the possible impact of “Napster-like” cloning peer-to-peer
file sharing software that might be applied to academic e-books. Although his article
discussed a number of different issues such as digital rights management and piracy
control methods, the most significant finding is the role of libraries and universities that
utilize e-books in an academic environment have the potential to increase book sales in
the form of e-books and offset the threat of piracy.
In a 2006 article, Rogers (2006) presented some of the reasons as to why
electronic books have not reached a greater market presence and usage in libraries despite
enhancements in e-book technology. The primary findings indicated the cost of devices,
the lack of standards, a broad variety of platforms, and lack of desired content have
hindered acceptance. Rogers indicated there has been positive progress on the
development of e-book software with improvements to support content presentation and
reading capabilities. One new development identified in this article was the increasing
capabilities of smart-phone that have the potential to replace the current generation of
PDAs and Blackberries.
Much of the research related to e-book adoption for public libraries has identified
concerns related to standards, pricing, digital rights management and technology
differences that can hinder the implementation of e-book offerings (Rogers, 2004, 2006;
33
Snowhill, 2001; Van Epps, 2004; Van Hoorebeek, 2003). Despite these identified issues
some libraries believe e-books hold great promise with significant advantages for access
to reference materials as well as trade-offs between acquisition costs versus shelving and
storage savings and the potential to offer creative possibilities for expanding general
collection access (Snowhill; Van Epps).
School and School District E-Book Usage
The primary focus of an article by Shiratuddin (2005) described an ongoing
project to examine the various definitions associated with e-books in higher education.
Although this project is ongoing, the conclusion presented indicates that e-books will
continue to see future use and growth in academia as an important part of the future. The
author further stated that electronic textbooks are most useful in educational
environments. The results of the study showed that greater than 54% of students were
interested in purchasing an electronic book, whereas slightly 21% expressed no interest in
purchasing an e-book.
The premise of an article by Thomas (2006) was that e-books are gaining
popularity among university libraries in the UK although there remain a number of
challenges that are limiting wide spread acceptance. Although e-books are becoming
more popular with students for the fact they can access them from anywhere at anytime,
the publishers are struggling with different delivery platforms, digital rights management,
and cost models.
The institute for the Advancement of Emerging Technologies in Education
conducted a study of forecasted e-book usage in America’s School in 2002. This study
conducted a survey of 17 states and 14 school districts to examine the state of currently
34
used printed textbooks and to gather opinions on the possible future adoption of e-books.
Although more than 90% of the states and districts believed the current use of paper
textbooks meet the standards and assessments necessary, less than 80% of the states and
less then 45% of the districts believed the information is up-to-date, particularly
textbooks covering science and world events. Only slightly more than 60% of the states
and districts reported that the current books meet the needs of the students. When
responding to the question of electronic media replacing the current textbooks,
approximately 59% of the state and 35% of the school districts indicated electronic media
would be dominant within 10 years. The two areas in which both the states and the
districts saw the greatest benefits for electronic media were in providing the students with
current information as well as expanded opportunities for learners to use technology
(McGraw et al., 2002).
The future for e-book usage in schools and school districts is expected to continue
with growing interest by students as well as in academics (Shiratuddin, 2005; Thomas,
2006). Many schools and school districts perceived the same issues identified by libraries
related to delivery platforms and acquisition costs, although these same entities saw the
greatest benefits of e-books is the ability to provide current information as well as to
provide students with opportunities to use technology in the learning environment
(McGraw et al., 2002; Thomas).
E-Book Retail Market and E-Book Publishers
A study by the International Digital Publishing Forum (2006) identified the
findings of a survey conducted using customers from two e-book retailers. The customers
35
of these e-book retailers are primarily readers of books for recreational purposes as
opposed to readers using e-books for research or academic purposes. The survey
examined customer e-book experience, importance of e-book features, and improvements
suggested by customers. The findings of the survey indicated that most recreational
customers responding to this survey were satisfied with most of the content available;
however, there are some popular authors not currently in the e-book market. With regard
to e-book features, most customers were satisfied with the basic capabilities to read the
content purchased without the need for audio or multimedia enhancements. Most
improvements suggested by customers were related to the cost of e-books compared to
paperback products and the perceived burdens associated with digital rights management
and content encryption.
O’Leary (2003) provided several forecasts related to the growth of the e-book
market. His findings indicated e-books are growing in acceptance in texts, manuals,
reference books and professional books. His article further concluded that although the e-
book market has been overestimated for sales to individuals, the market has grown to
institutional customers such as libraries. O’Leary asserted the acceptance of e-books will
follow the trends previously set by journals, magazines, and newspapers.
The retail market for e-books appears to be the area where the lowest potential for
growth exists. Although the e-books have the capabilities for inclusion of audio and
video, these features appear to have little interest for recreational readers. The most
viable area for commercial advancement of e-books other than educational textbook
publishing was in the area of journals, magazines, and newspapers (International Digital
Publishing Forum, 2006; O’Leary, 2003).
36
E-Book Development and Future Trends
A 2000 study examined the use of a multimedia database to manage the content
associated within an electronic book. The primary focus of this study was to set forth a
design that would support the automated assembly of the lessons to be delivered using a
particular electronic book (Ozsoyoglu, Balkir, Cormode, & Ozsoyoglu, 2000).
Rose (2000) provided a recap of a number of studies related to technological
advancements that will support the use of electronic textbooks. In general, the studies
indicated a positive future for textbooks and reference type materials to be Web accessed
or presented in an electronic format when utilizing the technology features available. The
issues indicated in this article discuss digital rights and the process necessary to get a
book ready for electronic delivery. The future for e-books was described by Rossman
(2005) in an effort to foresee the significant capabilities to assist the reader with a reading
experience suited to match their needs and expectations. The forecast set forth included
high user acceptance of electronic texts with multimedia features superior to that of
printed books.
A study by Terry (2001) examined emerging technologies known as electronic
ink and electronic paper that figure to be prominent resources in the future success of
electronic publications. Relative to e-books, the author asserted that the capabilities
available with either electronic paper or electronic ink have the potential to give the
reader a much improved experience than what is currently available for electronic book
devices. The problems of device weight, viewing capabilities in a variety of lighting
situations, and battery life were expected to be easily addressed by these emerging
technologies. In terms of meeting the needs of higher education support, the advantages
37
described were believed to be very applicable to educational books and reference
materials. A study of current advancements in e-books by Villano (2006) questioned the
long term possibilities of printed books with the advancements in technology and the
continued rise in the cost of printed books. This article identified the advantages of some
e-book libraries to faculty members who can select content from a number of authors and
sources to create a customized text for the students. Additionally, Villano concluded that
e-books and electronic libraries also support different learning styles desired by students
than that can be offered by traditional textbooks.
Warnick (2005) examined the rationale for moving away from print-centric
materials and advocates innovative methods for the creation of electronic texts. Warnick
advocated the use of advances in technology to enhance the development of the
functionality and capabilities of electronic texts. Leveraging the advancements in
technology was considered an important factor to increased acceptance of electronic texts
in the future. A study by Whalley (2006) touched on a number of different current
technologies available to the development of e-books and their potential for presenting
textbook information. Whalley suggested that the current technologies available for e-
books have the potential to contribute to the learning environment when designed to
provide inexpensive and easy-to-use access for students and faculty.
The application of technology to advance the development of e-books would
include the use of multimedia databases and the ability to customize the book content to
meet the needs of students (Ozsoyoglu et al., 2000; Villano, 2006). Advancements
utilizing electronic ink and electronic paper were identified as examples of technology
under development to address the problems of device weight, lighting to improve
38
viewing capabilities, and battery life, which would enhance the multimedia capabilities
and likely the increased acceptance of e-books (Rossman, 2005; Terry, 2001; Warnick,
2005; Whalley, 2006).
E-Book Literature Summary
Although there are several resources reviewed such as Blumenstyk (2001), Burk
(2001), and Carlson (2005) that express some reservations regarding e-book acceptance,
there has been positive advances in the usage of e-books in a number of settings. Some of
the resources that indicated there were growing usage and acceptance of e-books included
studies by Abram (2004) and Agee (2003) and more recently Albanese (2006) and
Brewer and Milam (2006). The study by Mercieca (2003) demonstrated some similarities
to this study in that it examined the student perceptions regarding several different e-book
formats. However, the Mercieca study used a focus group of 14 postgraduate students
with little experience with electronic textbooks. Mercieca identified further research with
younger students and those more amenable to reading e-books could provide a more
positive result in evaluating the usage and acceptance of e-books. This study will utilize a
purposive sample focusing on students with the most experience using e-books.
Technology Acceptance Model
Introduction
The technology acceptance model was developed by Davis (1989) at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The use of TAM in a 2-year study by Gabbard
(2004) found a relationship did exist between student satisfaction and the attitude toward
39
accepting the technology used in an online community college environment. A study of
computer usage comparing the intentions of student classroom teachers with the
intentions of experienced classroom teachers based upon the TAM also determined that
perceived usefulness and ease of use are indicators to predict computer usage in the
classroom setting (Smarkola, 2004). In addition to numerous studies using the basic
TAM, there have been a number of studies that have extended the TAM. Boswell (2004)
extended the TAM by including additional factors of perceived invasiveness and
perceived objections to the acceptance of technology. This study did find that
invasiveness in technology could be perceived as to have a negative impact toward the
usage of technology. Another example of extending the TAM was provided by Landry
(2003) where the variables of computer background and student demographics were also
considered in a study of Web-enhanced instruction used to supplement a traditional
lecture course.
TAM Usage
The TAM has been used in a number of studies related to the acceptance of
different technologies in a variety of settings. Adamson and Shine used the TAM to
determine end user acceptance of new technology in a bank treasury. The findings of the
study suggested that demographic variables such as age, position in the company, and
length of employment provided significant contributions to satisfaction leading to end-
user usage of new technology (Adamson & Shine, 2003).
Drennan, Kennedy, and Pisarski (2005) used the TAM to examine the factors
affecting student education in an online learning environment. The authors of this study
modified the variables of the TAM to measure course satisfaction, the perceived
40
usefulness of flexible learning, perceived ease of use of flexible learning and the ease of
electronic recovery for handling error encountered with the course materials. The
findings in this study indicated that course satisfaction was achieved through the useful
and ease of use of the online learning environment. This study was applied to a course in
management education.
A 2006 study applied the use of the TAM to the mobile capabilities of wireless
technology. In addition to the standard TAM variables of perceived usefulness and
perceived ease of use, this study extended the TAM model to include perceived
playfulness and perceived security. The findings of the study indicated that perceived
usefulness and perceived ease of use were significant factors in determining the intention
to use wireless technology for general tasks not solely involving transactions or gaming.
The factor of perceived playfulness contributed to the intention to use wireless
technology for gaming. The presence of perceived security contributed to the intention to
use wireless technology in a transactional environment (Fang, Chan, Brzezinski, & Xu,
2005–2006).
As indicated in the introduction of this literature review, Gabbard (2004) used the
TAM to determine student persistence in completing courses in an online educational
environment. The study determined that the TAM did predict student satisfaction with
online classes in both synchronous and asynchronous learning environments. There is a
conclusion that a positive relationship exists between student satisfaction and technology
acceptance in an online learning environment. A dissertation by Landry (2003) examined
the application of the TAM in order to measure student reactions to the use of the
Blackboard, a Web Enhanced Instruction (WEI) tool. The findings from this study
41
indicated that the TAM is an appropriate tool for measuring student’s acceptance in an
academic setting. Additionally, the results of this study indicated that perceptions of
Blackboard usage were unaffected by differences in computer background and gender but
were effected by differences in academic level, age and the primary access location for
utilizing Blackboard.
Another application of the TAM examined individual differences consisting of
self-efficacy and knowledge of search domains as well as system characteristics relative
to the intention to use digital libraries. The results of this study indicated that the TAM
was successfully applied to determining the intention to use digital libraries based on
usefulness and ease of use. Additionally, this study found that individual differences and
system characteristics were important factors in determining the perceived ease of use for
digital libraries (Hong, Thong, Wong, & Tam, 2001–2002).
Another study used the TAM to examine the adoption of WebCT by students and
the relationship of WebCT acceptance to the student’s final grade. The findings of this
study indicated that both the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use with WebCT
contributed to the student’s attitude toward WebCT, which consequently led to the
student usage of WebCT. The results of the study also indicated that the student attitude
toward and the usage of WebCT were predictors of the student’s grade (Pan, Gunter,
Sivo, & Cornell, 2004–2005).
A 1994 study extended the TAM to include a cultural affinity component to
investigate Chinese industries and the adoption of technologies. The findings of the study
and the use of the TAM suggested when there has been an established demand for a
product; the adoption process is encouraged by a positive attitude toward new
42
technology. Furthermore, these positive attitudes were determined by both the perceived
ease of use and utility of the technology as defined by the TAM (Phillips, Calantone, &
Lee, 1994). A dissertation by Smarkola (2004) investigated the computer usage beliefs,
intentions, and self-reported usage in the classroom by both student teachers and
experienced classroom teachers. Using the framework of the technology acceptance
model, the results of this study indicated that the perceived ease of use and perceived
usefulness by both student classroom teachers and experienced classroom teachers
predicted their positive usage of computer application usage in the class delivery.
Szajna (1996) conducted a longitudinal study to validate the use of the TAM with
an additional object to measure actual use as opposed to self-reported usage of an
electronic mail system. The findings of the study indicated that the TAM is a useful tool
for predicting the use of information technology. This study further stated that the
substitution of actual usage in place of self-reported usage appears to be an improvement
in the configuration of the TAM.
Another study used the TAM to explain the use of a Web site known as the Health
Education Professional Resource (HEPR) by registered users. In addition to using the
TAM, this study introduced a variable to measure the attitude toward the use of HEPR.
Although the original version of the TAM did indicate that perceived usefulness and ease
of use was able to predict the usage of HEPR. The addition of the attitude variable made
no significant contribution to the study (Tomita, 2000). Walker (2005) also extended the
use of the TAM as a tool to evaluate an instructor’s intention to use Web-based
instructional materials. Beyond the original design of the TAM, this study included the
computer background of the instructor and the perceptions of management support of the
43
Web-based instructional environment. The results of using TAM in this study indicated
positive correlation between the usefulness and the ease of use for Web-enhanced
instruction as well as a positive correlation between the perceived usefulness and the
intended use of Web-enhanced instruction by faculty. Another use of the TAM was
examined by Waterman (2004) in an examination of the 12 technical competencies
developed by the Association of Counselor Education and Supervision for counselor
education students. This study determined that all 12 competencies were being used to a
moderate extent based upon the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of ease aspects
of the TAM.
TAM Summary
The usage in numerous studies demonstrated the acceptance and applicability of
the TAM where an analysis of a particular technology is needed. In studies relative to
educational settings using technology, Drennan et al. (2005), Gabbard (2004), and
Landry (2003) successfully utilized the TAM to conduct their studies and to achieve valid
results using the TAM. The study of digital libraries by Hong et al. (2001–2002) utilized
the TAM to determine perceived ease of use by library patrons. The application of the
TAM in these studies provided the motivation to utilize the variables of usefulness, ease
of use and usage to be examined in this study of e-book usage and satisfaction.
Generational Definitions
The analysis of this study is expected to reveal some differences in attitudes
toward e-books from a generational perspective. A number of authors have stated that
there are four generations that are predominant on today’s college campuses. Coomes and
44
DeBard (2004) defined the generations by birth years as well as the traits and
relationships between the generations. The Silents generation are considered birth years
are 1925 to 1942, Baby Boomers were born from 1943 to 1960, the Generation Xers were
born from 1960 to 1981 and the latest generation, identified as Generation Y, also know
as Millennials, was born from 1982 to 2002. The importance of defining the generations
is to understand the differences between the generations and their acceptance of
technology and their expectations in a higher education environment.
Lancaster and Stillman (2002) examined the generations found in today’s
workplace. There are some differences in the years defining the generations studied by
Coomes and DeBard but only by 1 or 2 years at the upper limits of birth years. It is
pointed out that most authors consider the range of birth years as guidelines as there is no
magic birth year that designates a person belonging to a particular generation. The studies
Lancaster and Stillman provide some warnings that caution should be taken in
stereotyping the generations as there already exists a number of resentments between the
generations in the workplace.
Conclusion
This chapter reviewed a number of areas related to the usefulness, ease of use and
usage of e-books by students, libraries and the retail market. Although some authors and
research studies (Blumenstyk, 2001; Carlson, 2005; Dominick, 2005; Rothman, 2006)
have determined that not all students are ready to completely give up hard copy printed
textbooks, as time passes and technological enhances evolve, the usage of e-books
appears to gain greater acceptance. In a number of instances cited in this literature review
45
(“7 Things,” 2006; Abram, 2004; Agee, 2003; Bell et al., 2002; Branigan, 2003; Brisco,
2006; Brown, 2001; Rao, 2004; Roach, 2001; Rogers, 2001; Rose, 2000; Rossman, 2005;
Sharp, 2005; Shiratuddin, 2005; Unfred, 2002), students have expressed satisfaction with
using e-books as well as electronic reference materials. Several researchers (Barlow &
Wetherill, 2005; Cavanaugh, 2002; Vernon, 2006; Weber & Cavanaugh, 2006) argued
that e-books offer significant advantages over printed textbooks for gifted, exceptional
and disabled students.
The use of dedicated reader hardware for reading e-books has become the most
significant challenge facing the acceptance of e-books. Several studies (Burk, 2001;
Rothman, 2006; Simon, 2001; Young, 2006) identified issues expressed with regard to e-
book reader hardware including the quality of displays, cost of devices, length of battery
life, and availability of content. Despite numerous failures in this area to gain public
acceptance, manufacturers continue to conduct research in this area with the possibility of
developing an all purpose device that might include cell phone and multimedia
capabilities (“New Chapter Opens,” 2006; Rothman; Vernon, 2006; Young).
Libraries are adding e-books to their collections for a number of reasons. Those
reasons include increased access and demand by patrons, research time savings,
searchability and overall usability for reference materials (Connaway, 2001; Ozsoyoglu
et al., 2000; Rogers, 2004; Thomas, 2006; Van Epps, 2004). As library patrons become
more technologically skilled, they are expressing a desire to have access to e-books as
well as other electronic reference materials (Van Epps). Additional benefits encountered
with e-book adoption for libraries would include lower acquisition costs, lower storage
and shelving costs (Rogers).
46
Although the general public has provided some input on what features would be
desirable to make e-books more acceptable, a large focus is being placed on the cost of
reliable and easy to use hardware devices. The reality found in this literature review is
that the market for e-books at this time is best suited for reference and research materials
as well as academic textbooks that are not dependent on any particular hardware device
to ensure acceptance (O’Leary, 2003). For recreational reading such as novels, hard copy
paper books will be difficult for any current e-book product to surpass (Burk, 2001;
“New Chapter Opens,” 2006; O’Leary; Rogers, 2004).
With regard to development efforts and future trends of e-books, the literature
suggests that the incorporation of multimedia and hyperlinked materials would likely
increase the usefulness and usage of e-books (Rossman, 2005). In view of the
technologies available and those being developed, the capability for e-books to assist
readers with reading and learning the materials is in the forecast (Barlow & Wetherill,
2005; Cavanaugh, 2002; Guerard, 2000; Higgins & Hess, 1999; Maynard & Cheyne,
2005; Vernon, 2006; Weber & Cavanaugh, 2006). Other technological advancements
such as electronic ink, electronic paper, and portable all purpose devices still hold the
possibility for hardware acceptable for reading an e-book (Terry, 2001).
The variables of usage, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use associated
with the TAM were used in this study to determine the e-book format preferred by
students. The TAM has been successfully used in a number of studies where the
perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were key variables used to measure the
usage of the technology being examined in the study (Adamson & Shine, 2003; Boswell,
47
2004; Davis, 1989; Drennan et al., 2005; Fang et al., 2005–2006; Gabbard, 2004; Hong et
al., 2001–2002; Landry, 2003; Smarkola, 2004; Tomita, 2000).
The generations described in the literature were used as a part of the analysis of
this study (Coomes & DeBard, 2004; Lancaster & Stillman, 2002). The differences in
attitudes between the generations were expected to have an impact on their perspectives
toward the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as related to their acceptance
and usage of e-books. These differences between the generations were expected to have
an impact on the expectations of how educational materials are to be presented and
available to those generations entering higher education institutions.
From the literature, it is known e-books are gaining greater acceptance in
educational settings and in libraries (McGraw et al., 2002; Shiratuddin, 2005; Thomas,
2006). Students and teachers have shown acceptance for the usage of e-books as
resources for enhancement of reading skills. Although the study by Mercieca (2003)
examined student acceptance of e-books, the study was conducted with a small number of
students with no prior experience using electronic textbooks. What has not been
demonstrated in the literature is any preference in e-books formats by students with
significant experience using e-books. With the purpose of this study to explore the
student’s acceptance of e-books, it is also intended to identify which e-book format has
the highest student usage based on usefulness and ease of use.
48
CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The design of this study used a cross-sectional quantitative survey to examine the
acceptance, usefulness, usage and satisfaction of e-books by students in a higher
education setting. The students to receiving the survey were currently enrolled in degree
programs where they had access to an e-book collection provided by the school with the
functions previously described in chapter 1. The survey design is based on the original
theory of the TAM developed by Davis (1989). This study used an enhanced version of
the TAM with additional questions related to the satisfaction students expressed for each
function of the e-book collection available to the students participating in this study. The
variables examined in this study are the usage, usefulness, ease of use, and satisfaction of
e-books.
The primary assumption underlying this study was that the student will answer the
survey honestly based on their experience with the functionality available from the e-
books assigned to the courses assigned in their degree program. Another assumption was
that students are reading the books to complete their course work and have accessed some
of the functions of the e-book collection in order to have developed some opinion on the
usefulness, ease of use and their level of satisfaction.
In this study, the HTML format was examined for reading online; this format was
identified as the Online Web Read format. The e-book collection studied also has the
ability for students to print from the Online Web Read format either by individual
chapters or the entire e-book. This print function was identified in this study as the Online
49
Web Print format. This method allowed the students to send chapters of the e-book
currently being accessed Online to a local printer. The e-book collection examined in this
study also allowed the students to download the e-books as a PDF file to their own
computer. After downloading the e-book PDF, the student could read the book offline or
they could print all of the book or any part of the book on their local printer. For purposes
of this study these functions were identified as Download PDF Offline Read and
Download PDF Offline Print. There was an additional function available to students in
this study that allowed the purchase of the hardcopy textbook. This purchase function
connected the students to a book distributor who can fulfill the student purchase of the
book (Honea, 2006).
Sample
The population surveyed in this study was students in a higher education
institution with access to an e-book collection for completion of their studies. The
selection criteria was students from all degree programs, all class levels, and all campus
delivery methods (online, on campus, and blended delivery) within 20 hours of degree
program completion who attended class within the last 60 days. These selection criteria
enabled the researcher to conduct a census survey of approximately 86,475 students. The
rationale for these particular criteria was these students would have had sufficient
experience with the e-book collection to provide their perceptions based on their
experience in a number of courses while completing their degree program rather than
including all students, some who might have limited experience with the e-book
collection.
50
The institution where this survey was conducted typically experiences a 25% to
30% response rate on surveys conducted with students. Given the size of the survey
population of approximately 86,475 students, this survey would be redistributed in the
event the response rate is below 15%. The survey would be redistributed two or three
times depending on the response rate from students to achieve the minimum response rate
of 15%.
Instrumentation
The survey instrument developed and used for this study was based upon the
application of the parameters associated with the TAM (usefulness, ease of use, and
usage) as well as the additional variable of student satisfaction. In a number of studies,
such as those by Gabbard (2004), Landry (2003), Tomita (2000), and Waterman (2004),
the TAM served as the basis for the instrument to determine the usefulness, ease of use
and usage of a technology being studied. In this study, the technology to be studied was
the described functions of the e-book collection.
The survey instrument used was a quantitative tool designed to capture the
students’ perceptions of usage, usefulness, ease of use and satisfaction for each of the
functions available in the e-book collection. The survey instrument is provided in
Appendix A. The measurement scales were derived from the Air University Sampling
and Surveying Handbook (Ross, Clark, Padgett, & Renckly, 1996). Each participant
indicated their response using a 5-point Likert scale using ratings related to the e-book
format being evaluated. As stated by Cooper and Schindler (2003), the use of the Likert
scale is the most used variation of the summated rating scale, which enables the recording
51
of the participant’s attitude toward an item of interest. Table 1 illustrates the variables
and measurements examined in this study.
Table 1. Survey Questions for E-Book Function
TAM construct Measurement
Usage Never, Infrequent, Often, Frequently, Always
Usefulness Of no use, Not very useful, Of considerable use, Extremely useful
Ease of Use Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree or disagree, Agree,

Strongly agree
Satisfaction Very unsatisfactory, Unsatisfactory, Borderline, Satisfactory, Very

satisfactory
The first section of the survey examined perceived usage and was measured with
five questions, one for each e-book function available to the student. The responses
available to the participants ranged from never to always on a 5-point Likert scale. The
second section of the survey enabled the participants to indicate their opinion of
perceived usefulness of each e-book collection function. Perceived ease of use was
examined in the third section of the survey. The last section of the survey enabled the
participant to indicate their level of satisfaction with each e-book collection function.
The survey instrument for this study was tested by administering a pilot study to
several classes of students in a classroom setting. It was necessary to test the survey
instrument used in this study as it had not been used in prior studies. The classroom pilot
collected qualitative feedback from the students to determine if the design of the survey
52
instrument was understood by the participants and if the instrument adequately captured
the data intended for this study.
Pilot Study
The pilot study for the survey instrument was conducted using four classes (two
online classes and two on campus classes) of students who had previous experience using
e-books. The two online classes of students were first administered the survey and
solicited for their feedback on the clarity of the survey and their understanding of its use
and purpose relative to the objectives of the study.
Based on the feedback of the two online classes, the survey instrument was
modified to include a Not Applicable choice for questions related to Perceived
Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use and Satisfaction. The basis for adding the Not
Applicable choice to the selection for those questions was the fact that some students did
not use all formats available for the e-books. Additionally, the students in the online
classes stated a desire to enter comments on their experiences and opinions related to e-
books. A comment box was also added to the survey instrument to permit the participants
to enter freeform comments. Although the comments would be captured, they was be
used for the purposes of this study; however, they will be available for later analysis.
Then the updated survey instrument was administered to two on campus classes.
After completing the survey, the on campus classes of students were also interviewed for
their feedback on the format, clarity and purpose of the survey instrument. Based on the
feedback from the two on campus classes, no further modifications to the survey
53
instrument were deemed necessary. All together a total of 49 students from the four
classes participated in the pilot survey.
Data Collection
The data collection process for this study was conducted using a Web-based
survey, which the participants will access from a hyperlink embedded in an introductory
e-mail message. The students receiving the introductory e-mail message were those
identified using the criteria defined for the sampling frame. The introductory e-mail
message described the purpose of this study and requests the participants’ assistance by
completing the survey.
The survey data entered by the participants was captured into a database. The
database was used to analyze the data as described in the data analysis procedures in the
next section. The introductory e-mail message contained the necessary informed consent
language to inform the participants there was minimal potential risk to them by means of
their identity and data as these would be kept confidential. No personally identifying
information would be stored with the survey data for this study, nor would any personally
identifying information be associated with the finding of this study. The participation in
the survey was completely voluntary and the participants would be able to stop the survey
at any time.
Survey Distribution
The population for this study was potentially all university students worldwide
who have used electronic textbooks. As it was impractical to study and survey a
54
worldwide population of students, the sampling frame available for this study was 86,475
students as described previously in the sample section. Utilizing a sample size calculator
with an acceptable 5% margin of error, a confidence level of 95% with a response
distribution of 50% would yield a recommended sample size of 383 surveys (Raosoft
Incorporated, 2004). Raosoft Incorporated stated, “the sample size n and margin of error
E are given by
Z(c/100)2 r(100-
x =
r)
Nx
n = /((N-1)E2 + x)
Sqrt[(N - n)x/n(N-
E =
1)]
where N is the population size, r is the fraction of responses that you are interested in,
and Z(c/100) is the critical value for the confidence level c.” In order to distribute the
survey with a sample size that would be adequately supported by the database, 9,900
surveys were distributed. A randomly selected sample panel of 9,900 students was chosen
so that a response rate even as low as 12% would yield an n of 1,188 completed surveys
and a power level of 0.95. Following an initial distribution, a reminder to was sent out 10
days later. A total of 1,463 completed surveys were received.
Data Analysis
The data analysis began with the coding of the participant responses associated
with the variables related to each item on the survey instrument. Each coding scale was
55
coded using a 5-point bipolar category (Scott & Marshall, 2005). The coding for each
variable is illustrated in Table 2.
Table 2. Coding for Survey Responses
TAM construct Response Assigned code
Usage Never 1
Infrequent 2
Often 3
Frequently 4
Always 5
Usefulness Of no use 1
Not very useful 2
Of use 3
Of considerable use 4
Extremely useful 5
Ease of Use Strongly disagree 1

Disagree 2
Neither agree nor 3
disagree
Agree 4
Strongly agree 5
Satisfaction Very unsatisfactory 1

Unsatisfactory 2
Borderline 3
Satisfactory 4
Very satisfactory 5
As an initial step, the means, averages and standard deviations were calculated for
each of survey responses related to usage, usefulness, ease of the use, and satisfaction.
The analysis of the responses to the survey was conducted using the Statistical Package
for Social Sciences (SPSS). SPSS was used to analyze the responses to the survey and the
56
relationships among the variables. In view of the ordinal data captured by the survey
instrument, Spearman’s rho was used to measure the degree to which the variables in this
study are related. The application of Spearman’s indicates the degree to which there is a
linear relationship between the variables. The analysis of the relationships yielded a range
from –1.0 for a negative relationship to +1.0 for a perfect positive relationship between
the variables (Lane, 2006). SPSS was used to provide an analysis of the variables and the
strength of the relationships under examination. Table 3 summarizes the analysis
conducted on the results and responses to the survey for this study.
Table 3. Analysis of Survey Responses
Research question Research subquestions Survey instrument questions
1. Relationship 1.1 Relationship between 6. Online-Web Read

between perceived perceived usefulness of usefulness
usefulness of the the Online Read e-book
Online Read e-book format and level of 16. Online-Web Read
format and level of Online Read e-book satisfaction
satisfaction for each format satisfaction
e-book format
1.2 Relationship between 7. Online-Web Print
perceived usefulness of usefulness
the Online Print e-book
format and level of 17. Online-Web Print
Online Print e-book satisfaction
format satisfaction
57
1.3 Relationship between 8. Download PDF Offline
perceived usefulness of Read usefulness
the Download PDF
Offline Read e-book 18. Download PDF Offline
format and level of Read satisfaction
Download PDF Offline
Read e-book format
satisfaction
58
Table 3. Analysis of Survey Responses (continued)

perceived usefulness of Print usefulness
the Download PDF
Offline Print e-book 19. Download PDF Offline
format and level of Print satisfaction
Download PDF Offline
Print e-book format
satisfaction
1.5 Relationship between 10. Purchase the Book

the Purchase the Book
function and level of 20. Purchase the Book
Purchase the Book satisfaction
function satisfaction
2. Relationship 2.1 Relationship between 11. Online-Web Read ease of

between perceived perceived ease of use of use
ease of use and level the Online Read e-book
of student format and the level of 16. Online-Web Read
satisfaction to a Online Read e-book satisfaction
particular e-book format satisfaction
format
2.2 Relationship between 12. Online-Web Print ease of
perceived ease of use of use
format and the level of 17. Online-Web Print
Online Print e-book satisfaction
format satisfaction

perceived ease of use of Read ease of use
the Download PDF Read
e-book format and the 18. Download PDF Offline
level of Download PDF Read satisfaction
Read e-book format
satisfaction
59

perceived ease of use of Print ease of use
the Download PDF Print
level of Download PDF Print satisfaction
Print e-book format
satisfaction
2.5 Relationship between 15. Purchase the book ease of

perceived ease of use of use
function and the level of 20. Purchase the book—
Purchase the Book Satisfaction
function satisfaction
3. Relationship 3.1 Relationship between 6. Online-Web Read

between perceived perceived usefulness of usefulness
usefulness of an e- the Online Read e-book
book format and the format and the usage rate 1. Online-Web Read usage
usage rate for each for the Online Read e-
e-book format book format
3.2 Relationship between 7. Online-Web Print

format and the usage rate 2. Online-Web Print usage
for the Online Print e-
book format

perceived usefulness of Read usefulness
usage rate for the Read usage
Download PDF Read e-
book format
60

perceived usefulness of Print usefulness
usage rate for the Print usage
Download PDF Print e-
book format
3.5 Relationship between 10. Purchase the Book

function and the usage 5. Purchase the Book usage
rate for Purchase the
Book function
4. Relationship 4.1 Relationship between 11. Online-Web Read ease of

between perceived perceived ease of use for use
ease of use of an e- the Online Read e-book
book format and the format and the usage rate 1. Online-Web Read usage
usage rate for each for the Online Read e-
e-book format book format
4.2 Relationship between 12. Online-Web Print ease of

perceived ease of use for use
format and the usage rate 2. Online-Web Print usage
book format

perceived ease of use for Read ease of use
book format
61

perceived ease of use for Print ease of use
book format
4.5 Relationship between 15. Purchase the book ease of

perceived ease of use for use
function and the usage 5. Purchase the Book usage
rate for Purchase the
Book function
5. Relationship 5.1 Relationship between the 1. Online-Web Read usage

between the usage usage rate for the Online
rate of an e-book Read e-book format and 16. Online-Web Read
format and the level the level of satisfaction satisfaction
of satisfaction for for the Online Read e-
each e-book format book format
and the overall
satisfaction with e- 5.2 Relationship between the 2. Online-Web Print usage
books usage rate for the Online
Print e-book format and 17. Online-Web Print
the level of satisfaction satisfaction
book format
5.3 Relationship between the 3. Download PDF Offline

book format and the level 18. Download PDF Offline
of satisfaction for the Read satisfaction
book format
62
5.4 Relationship between the 4. Download PDF Offline

book format and the level 19. Download PDF Offline
of satisfaction for the Print satisfaction
book format
5.5 Relationship between the 5. Purchase the Book usage

usage rate for the
Purchase the Book 20. Purchase the book—
function and the level of Satisfaction
satisfaction for Purchase
the Book function
5.6 Relationship between the 21. Overall e-book

usage rate and Overall e- Satisfaction
book satisfaction
6. Stated the usage 6.1 Stated usage rates for the 1. Online-Web Read usage
rates for each e-book Online Read e-book
format by each format by each Student Generational Age
generational age generational age group of Group
group of students students
and campus delivery Campus delivery method
method
6.2 Stated usage rates for the 2. Online-Web Print usage
Online Print e-book
format by each Student Generational Age
generational age group of Group
students
Campus delivery method
63
6.3 Stated usage rates for the 3. Download PDF Offline

Download PDF Read e- Read
book format by each
generational age group of Student Generational Age
students Group
6.4 Stated usage rates for the 4. Download PDF Offline

Download PDF Print e- Print
book format by each
generational age group of Student Generational Age
students Group
6.4 Stated usage rates for the 5. Purchase the Book usage
Purchase the Book
function by each Student Generational Age
generational age group of Group
students
To address research question number six, a Kruskal–Wallis analysis of the results
from the usage section of the survey was performed to illustrate the differences of usage
and by generational age groups and campus delivery method. As defined previously in
chapter 2 of this study, the generational definitions used in this study were identified
based on birth year of the survey participants. The names of the generations and
associated birth year were defined as the Silents with birth years are 1925 to 1942, Baby
Boomers from 1943 to 1960, the Generation Xers from 1960 to 1981 and Generation Y,
64
also known as Millennials, was born from 1982 to 2002 (Coomes & DeBard, 2004). The
results from the application of the Kruskal–Wallis test were expected to disclose any
differences in the levels of satisfaction between the generation age groups. The analysis
of differences in level of satisfaction would possibly indicate expectations of younger
students relative to e-book usage.
In addition to the analysis by the age group generation, an analysis by campus
delivery method (online versus on-campus) was also performed using the Kruskal–Wallis
analysis of variance (Cooper & Schindler, 2003). Considering there could be differences
in e-book satisfaction by students relative to their choice of campus delivery method, the
analysis using the Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance was performed.
Validity and Reliability
A number of studies have successfully used the TAM to determine user
acceptance of a technology being studied. The completed studies using the TAM have
also addressed a variety of different technologies including Web-enhanced instructional
elements (Landry, 2003), a mandatory information system (Adamson & Shine, 2003),
student attitudes toward online learning (Drennan et al., 2005; Gabbard, 2004), wireless
technology (Fang et al., 2005–2006), and digital libraries (Hong et al., 2001–2002).
These studies used the basic concepts of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use
to analyze the usage of the technology being studied. The use of the TAM in these studies
has demonstrated the validity and reliability of this model to conduct the research
proposed by this study.
65
The validity of the survey instrument for this study was verified by the previously
described a pilot study. As with other studies using the TAM, the objective of this study
was to evaluate the perceived usefulness and ease of use relative to the usage and
satisfaction.
The reliability of the modified TAM instrument used in this study was evaluated
using Cronbach’s alpha. The result of the reliability statistics are shown in Table 4.
Table 4. TAM Reliability Statistics
TAM research question Cronbach’s alpha
Usage .267
Perceived Usefulness .658
Perceived Ease of Use .768
Satisfaction .812
According to Nunnally (1978), it is recommended that instruments used in basic
research have a reliability of .70 or better. The explanation for the reliability statistics
indicated in Table 4 being below .70 is likely the result of a composite scale due to the
inclusion of the research subquestions. The usage component of the survey instrument
would be considered a limitation for this study. Future usage of the survey instrument
will need to be analyzed for possible adjustments in the area of e-book usage.
66
Ethical Considerations
The primary ethical consideration in this study was the protection of the
participants in the study. As stated previously in the data collection section of this
chapter, the introductory e-mail message contained informed consent language and
confidentiality information to inform the participants there is minimal potential risk to
them. The risk to participant was minimized by ensuring their identifying information
will not be stored with the survey response data, nor will any identifying information be
associated with the findings of this study. The publication of the study findings will not
identify any participants.
67
CHAPTER 4. RESULTS
Purpose of the Study and Research Questions
The primary purpose of this study was to explore the student’s usage and
satisfaction of different electronic textbook formats. The focus of this study was in three
areas: (a) the application of the TAM to support the conceptual framework, illustrated in
Figure 1, in order to examine the relationships between usefulness, ease of use, usage and
satisfaction of e-book formats; (b) the stated usage by students for each e-book format;
and (c) an analysis of the differences between generational age groups and campus
delivery methods for each e-book format.
TAM and Research Question Relationship Results
The research questions addressed in this study are based on the application of the
TAM. A Spearman’s rho analysis was used to assess the degree to which the variables in
this study are related. The application of Spearman’s was used to indicate the degree to
which there is a relationship between the variables of usage, usefulness, ease of use and
satisfaction. The correlation coefficients for the research question variables are presented
as tables in Appendix B. Each research question and the related relationships, Q1 through
Q6, between the variables are represented on the conceptual framework in Figure 1. The
following section examines the student survey responses to each research question and
relationships relative to each e-book format.
68
Question 1. What is the Relationship Between Perceived Usefulness of an E-Book Format
and the Level of Satisfaction for Each E-Book Format?
The purpose of this question is to examine how students in this study perceive the
usefulness of each e-book format and how the perception of usefulness impacts the
students’ satisfaction with each e-book format. In the following sections, the results of
examining the relationship between usefulness and satisfaction are presented for each e-
book format.
Online Read. The relationship between perceived usefulness and satisfaction for
the Online Read format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .567, which is
significant at a .01 level (Table B1). The results of the Spearman’s rho correlation
coefficient analysis indicates there is a significantly positive correlation between
usefulness and satisfaction for the Online Read e-book format based on the responses
from the survey population. The .567 correlation coefficient for this relationship indicates
as the level of usefulness is increased for the Online Read format, the level of satisfaction
for this format would also increase but at a lesser rate.
Online Print. The relationship between perceived usefulness and satisfaction for
the Online Print format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .411, which is
coefficient analysis of .411 indicates there is a positive correlation between usefulness
and satisfaction for the Online Print e-book format based on the responses from the
survey population. The .411 correlation coefficient means that as the level of usefulness
is increased for the Online Print format, the level of satisfaction would also increased for
the Online Print format but at a lesser rate.
69
Download PDF Read. The relationship between perceived usefulness and
satisfaction for the Download PDF Read demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .523,
which is significant at a .01 level (Table B1). The results of the Spearman’s rho
correlation coefficient analysis indicates there is a significantly positive correlation
between usefulness and satisfaction for the Download PDF Read e-book format based on
the responses from the survey population. The .523 correlation coefficient for this
relationship indicates as the level of usefulness is increased for the Download PDF Read
format, the level of satisfaction for this format would also increase but at a lesser rate.
Download PDF Print. The relationship between perceived usefulness and
satisfaction for the Download PDF Print format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of
.396, which is significant at a .01 level (Table B1). The results of the Spearman’s rho
correlation coefficient analysis indicates there is a positive correlation between usefulness
and satisfaction for the Download PDF Print e-book format based on the responses from
the survey population. The .396 correlation coefficient for this relationship indicates as
the level of usefulness for the Download PDF Print is increased, there would also be an
increase in the level of satisfaction for the Download PDF Print, but at lesser level than
that of the perceived usefulness.
Purchase the Book. The relationship between perceived usefulness and
satisfaction for the Purchase the Book function demonstrated a correlation coefficient of
correlation coefficient analysis indicates there is a positive correlation between usefulness
and satisfaction for the Purchase the Book format based on the responses from the survey
population. The .203 correlation coefficient for this relationship indicates as the level of
70
usefulness for the Purchase the Book function is increased, the level of satisfaction would
also increase; however, the increases in the level of satisfaction would be expected to less
than the corresponding increases in usefulness for the Purchase the Book function.
The analysis of the correlation coefficients among each the relationships for
perceived usefulness and satisfaction indicates the strongest relationship is with the
Online Read format followed by the Download PDF Read format. The weakest
relationship between usefulness and satisfaction was demonstrated by the Purchased the
Book function. All five relationships based on e-book format related to the usefulness–
satisfaction relationship were found to be significant.
Question 2. What is the Relationship Between Perceived Ease of Use and Level of
Student Satisfaction Relative to a Particular E-Book Format?
The purpose of this question is to example how students in this study perceived
the ease of use for e-book format and how the perception for ease of use impacts the
students’ satisfaction with each e-book format. In the following sections, the results of
examining the relationship between ease of use and satisfaction are presented by each e-
book format.
Online Read. The relationship between perceived ease of use and satisfaction for
the Online Read format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .694, which is
significant at a .01 level, C2. The results of the Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient
analysis indicates there is a significantly positive correlation between ease of use and
satisfaction for the Online Read e-book format based on the responses from the survey
population. The .694 correlation coefficient indicates as the level of ease of use is
71
increased for the Online Read format, the level of satisfaction would also increase for this
format but at a lesser rate.
Online Print. The relationship between perceived ease of use and satisfaction for
the Online Print format demonstrated a correlation coefficient .662, which is significant
at a .01 level (Table B2). The results of the Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient
analysis indicates there is a positive correlation between ease of use and satisfaction for
the Online Print e-book format based on the responses from the survey population. The
.662 correlation coefficient for this relationship means that as the level of ease of use
functionality is increased for the Online Print format, the level of satisfaction would also
increase for the Online Print format, but the level of satisfaction would not as increase to
the same level as indicated for ease of use.
Download PDF Read. The relationship between perceived ease of use and
satisfaction for the Download PDF Read format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of
between ease of use and satisfaction for the Download PDF Read e-book format based on
the responses from the survey population. The .644 correlation coefficient for this
relationship means that the level of satisfaction for the Download PDF Read format
would increase as the level for ease of use was increased for the Download PDF Read
format. The level of satisfaction increase would not be expected to be in direct proportion
as related increases in ease of use for the Download PDF Read format.
Download PDF Print. The relationship between perceived ease of use and
satisfaction demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .673, which is significant at a .01
72
level (Table B2). The results of the Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient analysis
indicates there is a significantly positive correlation between ease of use for the
Download PDF Print format and satisfaction for the Download PDF Print e-book format
based on the responses from the survey population. The observation of a .673 correlation
coefficient indicates as the level of ease of use is increased for the Download PDF Print
e-book format, the level of satisfaction for the Download PDF Print format would also
increase but at a lesser rate.
Purchase the Book. The relationship between perceived ease of use and
satisfaction for the Purchase the Book function demonstrated a correlation coefficient of
between ease of use and satisfaction for the Purchase the Book function based on the
responses from the survey population. The .602 correlation coefficient for this
relationship means that as the ease of use for the Purchase the Book function increases,
the level of satisfaction for the Purchase the Book format would also increase but at a
lesser rate.
All correlation coefficients for the perceived ease of use – satisfaction relationship
demonstrate significantly positive relationships. The strongest positive relationships for
ease of use to satisfaction were found for the Online Read and Download PDF Print
formats. Although the Purchase the Book function also demonstrated a positive ease of
use to satisfaction relationship, it was the weakest relationship found relative to this
research question. All five relationships based on e-book format related to the perceived
ease of use–satisfaction relationship were found to be significant.
73
Question 3. What is the Relationship Between Perceived Usefulness of an E-Book Format
and the Usage Rate for Each E-Book Format?
The purpose of this question is to example how students in this study perceive the
usefulness of each e-book format and how the perception of usefulness impacts the
students’ usage of each e-book format. In the following sections, the results of examining
the relationship between usefulness and usage are presented by each e-book format.
Online Read. The relationship between perceived usefulness and usage for the
Online Read format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .600, which is significant at
a .01 level (Table B3). The results of the Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient analysis
indicates there is a significantly positive correlation between usefulness and usage for the
Online Read e-book format based on the responses from the survey population. The .600
correlation coefficient for this relationship indicates as the level of usefulness is increased
for the Online Read format, the usage rate would also increase but at a lesser rate than the
level of usefulness.
Online Print. The relationship between perceived usefulness and usage for the
Online Print format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .514, which is significant at
indicates there is a significantly positive correlation between usefulness and usage for the
Online Print e-book format based on the responses from the survey population. The .514
correlation coefficient for this relationship indicates as the level of ease of use
functionality is increased for the Online Print format, the level of satisfaction would also
increase but at a lesser rate.
74
Download PDF Read. The relationship between perceived usefulness and usage
for the Download PDF Read format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .534, which
is significant at a .01 level (Table B3). The results of the Spearman’s rho correlation
usefulness and usage for the Download PDF Read e-book format based on the responses
from the survey population. Based on the .644 correlation coefficient for this relationship,
it would be expected that the level of satisfaction for the Download PDF Read format
would increase as the level of ease use for the Download PDF Read format was
increased. The level of satisfaction increase would not be expected to be in direct
proportion as related increases in ease of use for the Download PDF Read format.
Download PDF Print. The relationship between perceived usefulness and usage
for the Download PDF Print demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .457, which is
usefulness and usage for the Download PDF Print e-book format based on the responses
from the survey population. The .457 correlation coefficient means that as the level of
usefulness for the Download PDF Print e-book format is increased, the level of usage
would also increase but at a lesser rate.
Purchase the Book. The relationship between perceived usefulness and usage for
the Purchase the Book function demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .254, which is
coefficient analysis indicates there is a positive correlation between usefulness and usage
for the Purchase the Book format based on the responses from the survey population. The
75
.254 correlation coefficient indicates as the level of usefulness for the Purchase the Book
function is increased, the level of satisfaction would also increase; however, the increases
in the level of satisfaction would be expected to less than the related increases in
usefulness.
The analysis of the correlation coefficients among each of the relationships for
usefulness and usage indicates the strongest relationship is with the Online Read format
followed by the Download PDF Read format. The least strong relationship between
usefulness and usage is for the Purchased the Book function. All five relationships based
on e-book format related to the usefulness–satisfaction relationship were found to be
significant.
Question 4. What is the Relationship Between Perceived Ease of Use of an E-Book

Format and the Usage Rate for Each E-Book Format?
The purpose of this question is to example how students in this study perceive the
ease of use for each e-book format and how the perceived ease of use impacts the
students’ usage with each e-book format. In the following sections, the results of
examining the relationship between ease of use and usage are presented by each e-book
format.
Online Read. The relationship between perceived ease of use and usage for the
Online Read format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .318, which is significant at
indicates there is a positive correlation between ease of use and usage for the Online
Read e-book format based on the responses from the survey population. The .318
correlation coefficient would indicate as the level for ease of use is increased for the
76
Online Read format, there would be an increase in the level of usage for the Online Read
format, although the rate of usage would increase less that than of the rate of ease of use.
Online Print. The relationship between perceived ease of use and usage for the
Online Print format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .109, which is significant at
indicates there is a positive correlation between ease of use and usage for the Online Print
e-book format based on the responses from the survey population. The .109 correlation
coefficient indicates as the level of ease of use for the Online Print format is increased,
there would be an increase in the level of usage for the Online Print format; however, the
rate of usage increase for the Online Print format would be less than that of the related
increase rate for ease of use.
Download PDF Read. The relationship between perceived ease of use and usage
for the Download PDF Read demonstrated a correlation coefficient .272, which is
coefficient analysis indicates there is a positive correlation between usefulness and usage
for the Download PDF Read e-book format based on the responses from the survey
population. The .272 correlation coefficient indicates as the level of ease of use for the
Download PDF Read format is increased, the level of usage would also increase;
however, the increases in the level of usage for the Download PDF Read format would be
less than the related increases in ease of use.
Download PDF Print. The relationship between perceived ease of use and usage
for the Download PDF Print format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .070, which
is significant at a .01 level (Table B4). The results of the Spearman’s rho correlation
77
coefficient analysis indicates there is a positive correlation between ease of use and usage
for the Download PDF Print e-book format based on the responses from the survey
population. The .070 correlation coefficient means that as the level of ease of use for the
Download PDF Print e-book format is increased, the level of usage for the Download
PDF Print e-book format would also increase but at a lesser rate.
Purchase the Book. The relationship between the perceived ease of use and usage
for the Purchase the Book function demonstrated a correlation coefficient –.171, which is
coefficient analysis indicates there is a negative correlation between ease of use and
usage for the Purchase the Book format based on the responses from the survey
population. The –.171 correlation coefficient means that as the level of ease of use for the
Purchase the Book function is increased, it is likely there will be no effect or a negative
effect on the level of usage for the Purchase the Book function.
The analysis of the correlation coefficients among each the relationships for ease
of use and usage indicates the strongest relationship is with the Online Read format
followed by the Download PDF Read format. The Purchased the Book function
demonstrated the only negative relationship between the variable of ease of use and
usage. All five relationships based on e-book format related to the ease of use–usage
relationship were found to be significant.
Question 5. What is the Relationship Between the Usage Rate of an E-Book Format and
the Level of Satisfaction for Each E-Book Format?
The purpose of this question is to examine how the stated usage for each e-book
format by students in this study will impact the students’ satisfaction for each e-book
78
format. In the following sections, the results of examining the relationship between usage
and satisfaction are presented by each e-book format.
Online Read. The relationship between usage and satisfaction for the Online Read
format demonstrated a correlation coefficient .304 significance at a .01 level (Table B5).
The results of the Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient analysis indicates there is a
positive correlation between usage and satisfaction for the Online Read e-book format
based on the responses from the survey population. The .304 correlation coefficient
would indicate as the level of usage is increased, there would be an expected increase in
the level of satisfaction for the Online Read format, although the rate of satisfaction
would increase less that than of the rate of usage.
Online Print. The relationship between usage and satisfaction for the Online Print
format demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .071 significance at a .01 level (Table
B5). The results of the Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient analysis indicates there is a
positive correlation between usage and satisfaction for the Online Print e-book format
would indicate as the level of usage is increased, there would be an expected increase in
the level of satisfaction for the Online Print format; however, the rate of a satisfaction
increase would be less than of the related increase rate for usage.
Download PDF Read. The relationship between usage and satisfaction for the
Download PDF Read format demonstrated a correlation coefficient .227 significance at a
.01 level (Table B5). The results of the Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient analysis
indicates there is a positive correlation between usage and satisfaction for the Download
PDF Read e-book format based on the responses from the survey population. The .227
79
correlation coefficient indicates as the level of usage for the Download PDF Read
function is increased, the level of satisfaction would also increase; however, the increases
in the level of satisfaction for the Download PDF Read format would be expected to be
less than the related increases in usage.
Download PDF Print. The relationship between usage and satisfaction for the
Download PDF Print format demonstrated a correlation coefficient .025 (Table B5). The
results of the Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient analysis indicates there is a positive
correlation between usage and satisfaction for the Download PDF Print e-book format
means that as the level of usage for the Download PDF Print e-book format is increased,
the level of satisfaction for the Download PDF Print e-book format would also increase
but at a lesser rate.
Purchase the Book. The relationship between usage and satisfaction for the
Purchase the Book function demonstrated a correlation coefficient of –.288 significance
at a .01 level (Table B5). The results of the Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient
analysis indicates there is a negative correlation between usage and satisfaction for the
Purchase the Book format based on the responses from the survey population. This
negative correlation coefficient at –.288 means that as the level of usage for the Purchase
the Book function is increased, it is likely there will be no effect or a negative effect on
the level of satisfaction for the Purchase the Book function.
The analysis of the correlation coefficients among each the relationships for
satisfaction and usage indicates the strongest relationship is with the Online Read format
followed by the Download PDF Read format. The Purchased the Book function
80
demonstrated the only negative relationship between the variable of ease of use and
usage.
Overall e-book collection. The relationship between the Online Read e-book
format usage and overall e-book satisfaction demonstrated a correlation coefficient of
.280 significance at a .01 level. The relationship between the Online Print e-book format
usage and overall e-book satisfaction demonstrated a correlation coefficient of .176
significance at a .01 level. The relationship between the Download PDF Read e-book
.300 significance at a .01 level. The relationship between the Download PDF Print e-book
.155 significance at a .01 level. The relationship between the Purchase the Book e-book
–.102 significance at a .01 level. With the exception of the Purchase the Book function,
there was a positive correlation coefficient between usage and overall satisfaction with e-
book collection.
The results of the foregoing Spearman’s rho analysis of the usage, perceived
usefulness, ease of use, and satisfaction variables indicate the use of the modified TAM
for this study has demonstrated a close relationship between the variables. These results
validate the use of the TAM and the survey instrument for this e-book study.
81
Usage Differences—Age Groups and Delivery Methods
This section provides the results of the survey responses for e-book format usage
based on the age groups (Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Millennials) and campus delivery
methods (online, on-campus) of students participating in this study.
Question 1. What are the Stated Usage Rates for Each E-Book Format by Each
Generational Age Group of Students?
Online Read. The usage rate for the Online Read by e-book format as specified by
students responding to the survey instrument was examined by both generational age and
campus delivery method. Considering the usage (Table C1), 45.5% of Baby Boomers
indicated they never or infrequently use the Online Read function versus 38.7%, which
indicate they frequently or always use the Online Read function. Generation X students
provided a similar response as the Baby Boomers with 48% indicating they never or
infrequently use the Online Read function versus 37.1%, which indicated they frequently
or always use the Online Read function. Millennial students provided nearly identical
responses between never or infrequently using the Online Read function compared with
frequently or always using the Online Read function at a rate of 40.7% and 40.6%
respectively. Figure 2 illustrates the comparison of Generational Age Group responses
related to usage of the Online Read e-book format.
When examining the usage of the Online Read format by campus delivery method
(Table C6), 46.1% of students attending in the online delivery method never or
infrequently used the Online Read function, whereas 39.4% of online students frequently
or always used the Online Read function. Students attending in the on-campus delivery
method responded with 48.5% never or infrequently using the Online Read function
82
while 35.6% of students responded they frequently or always used the Online Read
function. Figure 3 illustrates the usage responses for the Online Read function by campus
delivery method.
Figure 2. Online Read usage by generational age group.
Figure 3. Online Read usage by campus delivery method.
83
Online Print e-book. The usage rate for the Online Print e-book format as
specified by students responding to the survey instrument was examined by both
generational age and campus delivery method. Upon examination of the data (Table C2),
the responses are similar to those of the Online Read, where 50.4% of Baby Boomers
indicated they never or infrequently use the Online Print function versus 35.7%, which
indicate they frequently or always use the Online Print function. Generation X students
provided a similar response as the Baby Boomers with 56.8% indicating they never or
infrequently use the Online Print function with only 29.6%, which indicated they
frequently or always use the Online Print function. Millennial students responded higher
responses of 59.3% that they never or infrequently use the Online Print function, whereas
25.4% indicate they frequently or always use the Online Print function. Figure 3
illustrates the comparison of Generational Age Group responses related to usage of the
Online Print e-book format.
Figure 4. Online Print usage by generational age group.
84
Examining the frequency of the Online Print usage (Table C7), it is shown that
56.2% of students attending in the online delivery method either never or infrequently
used the Online Print function, whereas 31.1% of online students frequently or always
used the Online Print function. Students attending in the on-campus delivery method
responded with 48.5% never or infrequently using the Online Read function while 34% of
students responded they frequently or always used the Online Read function. Figure 5
illustrates the usage responses for the Online Read function by delivery method.
Figure 5. Online Print usage by campus delivery method.
Download PDF Read. The usage rate for the Download PDF Read e-book format
as specified by students responding to the survey instrument was examined by both
generational age and campus delivery method. Examining the usage data for the
Download PDF Read format (Table C3), 32.8% of Baby Boomers indicated they never or
infrequently use the Download PDF Read function versus 49.2%, which indicate they
85
frequently or always use the Online Read function. Generation X students provided a
31.7% response indicating they never or infrequently used the Download PDF Read
function versus 55.3%, which indicated they frequently used or always used the
Download PDF Read function. Millennial students provided a 39% respond rate in which
they never or infrequently used the Download PDF Read function compared with a
57.6% response rate for frequently or always using the Download PDF Read function.
Figure 6 illustrates the comparison of Generational Age Group responses related to usage
of the Download PDF Read e-book format.
Figure 6. Download PDF Read usage by generational age group.
Upon examination of the usage data (Table C8), it is shown that 29.5% of
students attending in the online delivery method never or infrequently used the Download
PDF Read function, whereas 60.5% of online students frequently or always used the
Download PDF Read function. Students attending in the on-campus delivery method
86
responded with 35.6% never or infrequently using the Download PDF Read function
while 49.3% of students responded they frequently or always used the Online Read
function. Figure 7 illustrates the usage responses for the Online Read function by campus
delivery method.
Figure 7. Download PDF Read usage by campus delivery method.
Download PDF Print. The usage rate for the Download PDF Print e-book format
as specified by students responding to the survey instrument was examined by both
generational age and campus delivery method. Examining the results for Download PDF
Print usage (Table C4), there is an indication that 44.3% of Baby Boomers demonstrated
they never or infrequently use the Download PDF Print function versus 40.5%, which
indicate they frequently or always use the Download PDF Print function. Generation X
students provided a 49.1% indicating they never or infrequently use the Download PDF
Read function versus 37.3%, which indicated they frequently or always use the Download
87
PDF Read function. Millennial students provided a 66.1% response rate in which they
never or infrequently used the Download PDF Print function compared with a 23.7%
response rate for frequently or always using the Download PDF Print function. Figure 8
illustrates the comparison of Generational Age Group responses related to usage of the
Download PDF Print e-book format.
Figure 8. Download PDF Print usage by generational age group.
An analysis of the usage for the usage of the Download PDF Print format (Table
C9) shows that 50.7% of students attending in the online delivery method either never or
infrequently used the Download PDF Print function, whereas 38.6% of online students
frequently or always used the Download PDF Print function. Students attending in the on-
campus delivery method responded with 46.7% never or infrequently using the Download
PDF Print function while 40.2% of students responded they frequently or always used the
88
Download PDF Print function. Figure 9 illustrates the usage responses for the Download
PDF Print function by campus delivery method.
Figure 9. Download PDF Print usage by campus delivery method.
Purchase the Book. The usage rate for the Purchase the Book format as specified
by students responding to the survey instrument was examined by both generational age
and campus delivery method. The usage of the Purchase the Book function (Table C5)
indicates that 79.9% of Baby Boomers never or infrequently use the Purchase the Book
function versus 13.9% indicate they frequently or always use the Purchase the Book
function. Generation X students responded that 84.8% never or infrequently use the
Purchase the Book function versus 9.7% frequently or always use the Purchase the Book
function. Millennial students provided a 93.2% response rate in which they never or
infrequently used the Download PDF Read function compared with a 5.1% response rate
89
for frequently or always using the Purchase function. Figure 10 illustrates the comparison
of Generational Age Group responses related to usage of the Purchase the Book function.
Figure 10. Purchase the Book usage by generational age group.
The results related to the usage of the Purchase the Book function (Table C10)
indicate 86.4% of students attending in the online campus delivery never or infrequently
used the Purchase the Book function, whereas 10.1% of online students frequently or
always used the Purchase the Book function. Students attending in the on-campus
delivery method responded with 84.7% never or infrequently using the Purchase the
Book function while 11.6% of students responded they frequently or always used the
Purchase the Book function. Figure 11 illustrates the usage responses for the Online Read
function by campus delivery method.
90
Figure 11. Purchase the Book usage by campus delivery method.
Survey Frequency Statistics
The response to the survey instrument have been analyzed to determine the
frequency statistics for the usage, usefulness, ease of use and satisfaction for each e-book
function used by the students at the subject university. The frequency statistics for all 21
questions on the survey instrument are provided in Appendix D.
In a review of the frequency statistics for all e-book formats, the Purchase the
Book function in the e-book collection is the least used function, whereas the Download
Read and Download Print functions are the most used (Tables D1 through D5). Figure 12
illustrates the top two response percentages for the usage of each e-book functions.
An analysis of the usefulness responses from student participating in the survey
for all e-book formats is presented in Tables D6 through D10. Figure 8 illustrates the
response percentages for the Online Read, Online Print, Download Read, and Download
91
Print functions. As can be seen in Figure 8, both the Download Read and the Download
Print functions are those getting the highest usefulness responses.
Figure 12. E-book collection function usage.
The Purchase the Book function was not included in Figure 13 as there was some
deviation when compared with the other e-book functions with regard to the grouping of
usefulness responses. The highest response for the usefulness of Purchase the Book was
Of No Use at 39.6%. The second highest response rate indicated the Purchase the Book
function was extremely useful.
The responses from students responding to the survey related to the ease of use
for each e-book format are presented in Tables D11 through D15. Figure 14 illustrates the
response percentages for the Online Read, Online Print, Download Read, and Download
Print functions.
92
Figure 13. E-book collection usefulness.
As can be seen in Figure 9, the Download Read and the Download Print functions
had only slightly higher ease of use responses than those received for the Online Read
and Online Print functions. The Purchase the Book function was not included in Figure 9
as the highest response rate of 30.3% was recorded for Neither Agree or Disagree that the
Purchase the Book function was easy to use.
The level of satisfaction for each e-book format by students responding to the
survey is presented in Tables D16 through D20. Upon review of the tables related to the
satisfaction for each e-book function and as illustrated in Figure 15, it is observed that the
Download Read and the Download Print functions received the highest number of
responses for satisfaction. The Purchase the Book function received the lowest number of
responses for satisfaction.
93
Figure 14. E-book collection ease of use.
Figure 15. E-book collection function satisfaction.
94
In aggregate, the students responding to the survey indicated that 72.5% found the
e-book collection to be satisfactory or very satisfactory (Table D21). The Overall Level
of Satisfaction with the e-book collection is represented in the Figure 16.
Figure 16. Overall e-book collection satisfaction.
Differences Among Groups
A series of Kruskal–Wallis tests were performed on the student survey responses
to determine differences between generational age groups and campus delivery method.
The detailed results of the Kruskal–Wallis tests are presented in Appendix E. There are
two tables presented for each set of research questions found on the survey instrument
relative to the usage, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and satisfaction with e-
books. The first table in each set presents the mean rank analysis while the second table
presents the results of the chi-square test. Tables E1 through E8 present the analysis by
95
campus delivery method. Tables E9 through E16 present the analysis by generational age
group.
Campus Delivery Method
The mean rank and test statistics for the six research questions related to e-book
format usage by campus delivery method are exhibited in Tables E1 and E2. The
difference calculation for the Online Read format by online students approaches but does
not quite reach significance at the .05 level. The other e-book format reaching
significance is the Download PDF Read format, again by online students. Although the
statistics reported in this study are based on reported e-book usage by the participants as
opposed to actual usage captured via system statistics, the differences in usage by campus
delivery method would indicate a possible usage preference to the Online Read and
Download PDF Read formats by online students.
There are significant differences noted by online students for Perceived
Usefulness of the Online Read and Download PDF Read formats. The differences for
Perceived Usefulness of e-books are provided in Tables E3 and E4. Upon further
examination of the responses, it is evident there are no significant differences between
campus modalities (online, on-campus) for the Online Print, Download PDF Print, or the
Purchase the Book functions of the e-book collection (Tables E3 and E4).
The review of data related to Perceived Ease of Use indicate there are several
major significant differences between the survey responses provided by online students
versus the survey responses provided by on-campus students (Tables E5 and E6).
Significant differences for Perceived Ease of Use are indicated for the Online Read,
Online Print, Download PDF Read, and Download PDF Print by online students. Only
96
the Perceived Ease of Use question related to the Purchase the Book function did not
exhibit a significance difference between the survey responses given by online students
and those response given by on-campus students.
There were also significant differences noted in the analysis of the responses
related to Satisfaction between all formats in the for the e-book collection. The results for
e-book satisfaction by campus delivery method based on Kruskal–Wallis tests are
provided in Tables E7 and E8. All formats of e-book and the Purchase the Book function,
indicate a significant difference by online students over the responses to Satisfaction
responses provided by on-campus students. The last research question related to the
overall satisfaction of the e-book collection also demonstrated a significant difference
between online students over those responses given by on-campus students.
To summarize, there are significant differences existing between the responses
recorded by online students and those responses submitted by on-campus students
participating in this study. The significant differences were found for the Online Read
and Download PDF Read format preferred by students attending in the online delivery
method.
Generational Age Groups
Kruskal–Wallis tests were performed on the survey responses related to the
research questions addressing the usage, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and
Purchase the Book functions for each e-books format by the generational age groups,
Tables E9 and E10. The tests determined the only formats indicating significant
differences were the Online Print, Download PDF Print, and Purchase the Book function.
The significant differences for these three formats were only found for the responses
97
given by the Baby Boomer generational age group. Considering the only significant
differences exist for the Online Print, Download PDF Print and Purchase the Book were
submitted by the Baby Boomer age group, these significant differences indicate the Baby
Boomer age group expressed a preference for the printed formats from the e-book
collection at the study institution.
98
CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary and Discussion of Results
Summary of the Problem and Background of the Study
This study was undertaken to explore student acceptance of different electronic
textbook (e-book) formats in terms of usage, usefulness, ease of use, and satisfaction. A
consideration for this study was the challenge facing educational institutions considering
the adoption of e-books and to determine which particular e-book format is accepted and
used by students. This study was focused in three areas, application of the technology
acceptance model methodology (Davis, 1989), identifying the preferred e-book format of
students attending a higher education institution, and identifying any preference
differences between students in generational age groups commonly identified as Baby
Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials. A number of studies have shown an indication of
growing favorable acceptance of e-books by students. The problem addressed by this
study is the lack of empirical knowledge related to e-book formats found acceptable and
used by students to enable educational institutions and publishers to make informed
decisions regarding the preferred e-book formats.
The results of this study provide educational institutions with information to
support management decisions and develop strategies related to the acceptable e-book
formats for usage at their institution. Educational textbook publishers can use the results
of this study by enabling them to focus their efforts on the preferences expressed by
students.
99
TAM and Research Questions
The research questions addressed in this study were based on the application of
the TAM methodology. This examination of e-book format is relative to specific e-book
formats not previously addressed in published research. The six primary research
questions were

and the level of satisfaction for each e-book format?
2. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use and level of student
satisfaction relative to a particular e-book format?

4. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use of an e-book format

5. What is the relationship between the usage rate of an e-book format and the
level of satisfaction for each e-book format?
6. What are the stated the usage rates for each e-book format by campus
delivery method and generational age group of students?
These research questions were addressed with the survey instrument distributed
for this study. The conceptual framework illustrated in Figure 17 is based on the variables
from the modifications to the TAM necessary to support this study. The notation on the
conceptual framework for each research question, Q1–Q5, indicates the number of
significant relationships out of five relationships relative to each of the five e-book
formats and the level of significance. Within each of these research questions, further
exploration was conducted on the five different formats available to the students in this
study.
100
Satisfaction Usage
(S) Q5 (U)
4/5 @ .01
significance
Usefulness Q3
Q1 (T1) 5/5 @ .01
5/5 @ .01 significance
significance
Q2
5/5 @ .01 Ease of Use Q4
significance (T2) 5/5 @ .01
significance
Q6
Generational Age Groups and Campus Delivery Method
Figure 17. Conceptual framework with relationship significance.
The conceptual framework in Figure 17 illustrates the key variables of Usage,
Usefulness, Ease of Use and Satisfaction used in the survey instrument to collect
responses from the student participants on their acceptance of the e-book formats in this
study. The e-book formats examined in this study Online Read, Online Print, Download
PDF Read, and Download PDF Print. Additionally, the Purchase the Book function was
examined. The identification of a preferred e-book format by students has the potential to
impact the decision made by both higher education institutions and textbook publishers.
101
Methodology
The methodology used in this study measured student responses related to their
usage and satisfaction with e-books at a large higher educational institution. The survey
invitation was distributed to 9,900 students meeting the selection criteria. A total of 1,463
completed surveys were received for a response rate of 15%. Following the receipt of the
survey responses, the data was coded and prepared for analysis using the Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The tests performed in this study are relative to the
research questions and relationships illustrated in Figure 17.
Within the conceptual framework, a Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient
analysis was performed on the 25 relationships used to examine the first five research
questions. In addition to the first five research questions and relationships analyzed using
Spearman’s rho; the usage of e-books was further analyzed from the perspectives of
generational age groups and campus delivery method. The e-book format preferences by
generational age group and campus delivery method were analyzed by frequency
statistics and differences tests using Kruskal–Wallis mean rankings and test statistics.
Study Findings
Usefulness—Satisfaction
The usefulness of the five formats available for e-books was examined in relation
to the level of satisfaction expressed by the students participating in the study. The first
research question examined the relationship between Usefulness and Satisfaction, Q1 in
the conceptual framework (Figure 17). All five formats of the e-book collection
demonstrated a significant relationship at the .01 level between Usefulness and
102
Satisfaction. The lowest correlation between Usefulness and Satisfaction was found for
the Purchase the Book function, whereas the Online Read and the Download PDF Read
format demonstrated the strongest relationship between Usefulness and Satisfaction. The
findings of the relationship between Usefulness and Satisfaction are consistent with the
findings of prior studies using the TAM, which examined the usefulness of wireless
technology (Fang et al., 2005–2006). The application of this finding would indicate that
any increase in the perceived Usefulness of any of the examined e-book formats would
yield a positive increase in student satisfaction. For educational institutions and
educational publishers, this finding provides a clear indication of one aspect of e-books
that could increase the level of satisfaction for the students using e-books.
Ease of Use—Satisfaction
In the conceptual framework (Figure 1), the relationship between Ease of Use and
Satisfaction and the second research question is identified as Q2. The findings of this
study demonstrated significant relationships at the .01 level for all five e-book formats for
Ease of Use and Satisfaction. The two strongest relationships, for Ease of use and
Satisfaction were found for the Online Read and Download PDF Print functions. The
Purchase the Book function exhibited the weakest relationship between Ease of Use and
Satisfaction in the survey responses. The significant nature of the relationships for ease of
use and satisfaction are consistent with the findings of a study by Drennan et al. (2005)
that used the TAM to examine factors in an online learning environment. These findings
will be useful in understanding that any improvement in perceived ease of use will also
provide an improvement in the level of satisfaction for each e-book format.
103
Usefulness—Usage
The relationship between Usefulness and Usage as well as research question three
are represented on the conceptual framework as Q3. The findings of the Spearman’s rho
analysis demonstrated significant relationships at a .01 level for all e-book formats for
Usefulness and Usage. The strongest relationship for Usefulness and Usage was found
for the Online Read function. As has been identified in the Usefulness—Satisfaction and
Ease of Use—Satisfaction relationships, the Usefulness—Usage relationship findings
indicate any improvements in the student’s perceived usefulness of any of the e-book
formats will result in an improvement in the level of e-book usage. Again, this finding
will be helpful for both educational institutions and educational publishers desiring to
increase the usage of e-books.
Ease of Use—Usage
Research question four and the relationship between Ease of Use and Usage are
represented on the conceptual framework as Q4. The findings of the Spearman’s rho
analysis on Ease of Use and Usage indicate a significant relationship at a .01 level for all
formats of the e-books. The strongest relationships were found for both the Online Read
and the Download PDF Read formats for Ease of Use and Usage. A small positive
relationship was found for the Download PDF Print function for Ease of Use and Usage,
whereas the Purchase the Book function demonstrated a negative relationship between
Ease of Use and Usage. The application of the TAM for analyzing Ease of Use and
Usage for e-books is similar to the findings of a study by Pan et al. (2004–2005) using the
TAM to examine the adoption of WebCT by students. Considering the significant
relationship between Ease of Use and Usage for e-books, it is evident that any
104
improvement in the perceived Ease of Use for any e-book format will result in increased
usage for that respective e-book format.
Satisfaction—Usage
The final relationship examined in this study is between Satisfaction and Usage.
This relationship and research question five are shown on the conceptual framework
(Figure 2) as Q5. Also indicated on the conceptual framework is an indication that four
out of the five relationships by e-book format demonstrate a significant relationship at a
.01 level based on the Spearman’s rho analysis. The strongest relationships for
Satisfaction and Usage are demonstrated for the Online Read and the Download PDF
Read e-book formats. The only relationship not found to be significant is for the
Download PDF Print format. The effect of this nonsignificant relationship for this e-book
format would mean any improvement or increase in satisfaction would not yield
predictable results for the usage of this format. The application of the TAM for
examining e-book the Satisfaction and Usage relationship is the area in which this study
extended the application of the TAM. The result of extending the TAM based upon the
findings relative to the Satisfaction—Usage relationship indicates that any increase in the
satisfaction for the Online Read, Online Print, and Download Read formats will result in
an increase in the level of usage for those formats. The application of these findings
demonstrates another area in which education institutions and educational publishers can
increase the usage of certain e-book format when the level of student satisfaction is
increased for those formats.
105
Usage
The final research question in this study represented as Q6 in the conceptual
framework, Figure 1 examined e-book usage from the perspective of usage rates,
frequency statistics and differences tests. The results of the research question related to
usage were presented by the generational age groups and campus delivery method.
Usage rates. The student responses for usage rates were examined by each
generational age groups and each e-book format. All three generational age groups
responded with the highest level of usage for the Download PDF Read format. The
Purchase the Book format was the least used format among all generational age groups.
Upon examination of the responses for the Online Read and the Download PDF Read, it
was observed there is an increase in usage for these formats as the ages of the students
responding to the survey decrease from Baby Boomers to Millennials. Conversely, the
level of usage for the Online Print and the Download PDF Print formats decreased as the
ages of the students moved from Baby Boomers to Millennials. These findings indicate
there is a trend toward higher levels of reading e-books in either Online Read or
Download PDF Read formats as the student population moves from Baby Boomer to
Millennials. For educational institutions and educational publishers, this finding
demonstrates the increasing preference for students to read textbooks in a digital format,
either by means of Online or Download PDF.
The student usage rates for all e-book formats were analyzed by campus delivery
method. The e-book format receiving the highest level of usage for students attending via
the online campus was the Download PDF Read followed by the Online Read format. For
students attending via the on-campus delivery method, the Download PDF Read received
106
the highest level of usage followed by the Download PDF Print format. These findings
for student e-book format preferences reflect the campus delivery method by which the
students are attending class. This finding does present an area in which further analysis is
necessary to examine the differences in the relationship between the generational age
groups of students attending the different campus delivery methods since the generational
age group might be an influence on the preference for a particular e-book format. The
preference for PDF downloads (Read and Print) by students indicates acceptance of this
format for those students attending in an on-campus delivery method. This finding does
indicate that educational institutions and educational publishers operating in an on-
campus delivery environment should consider the use of the PDF format as a way to
implement e-books for student usage and satisfaction.
Frequency statistics. The frequency statistics in this study examined the responses
for each e-book format in terms of the e-book variables of usage, usefulness, ease of use
and satisfaction without differentiating between generational age groups or campus
delivery method. For each variable, the Download PDF Read and the Download PDF
Print recorded the highest number of positive responses (frequently and always used)
relative to the usage, usefulness, ease of use and satisfaction. The Purchase the Book
function received the fewest number of positive responses for usage as well as receiving
the largest number of negative responses (never and infrequently used) for usage.
The results of the frequency statistics demonstrate that the Download PDF Read
and Download PDF Print are viable formats for the implementation by educational
institutions and educational publishers regardless of generational age group or campus
delivery method.
107
Difference tests. The results of this study were further analyzed using a series of
Kruskal–Wallis tests to examine the differences between the responses given by students
using the different campus delivery methods. Kruskal–Wallis tests were also performed
to evaluate the differences between the responses given by students in the three
generational age groups. The difference tests were performed on the five different e-book
formats relative to usage, usefulness, ease of use and satisfaction.
The most significant differences by campus delivery method were discovered for
the Online Read and the Download PDF Read formats by students attending in the online
campus delivery method. These two formats exhibited the greatest differences in all
variables for usage, usefulness, ease of use and satisfaction. The application of these
findings for educational institutions and educational publishers means that students
attending in the online campus delivery method have demonstrated a preference for the
Online Read and Download PDF Read formats.
The Kruskal–Wallis tests performed to analyze the survey responses by
generational age group found the only significant differences were for the Online Print,
Download PDF Print and Purchase the Book formats. The significant differences were
the result of the responses by the Baby Boomer age group. The usage variable was the
only area in which significant differences were identified by the Kruskal–Wallis tests.
These findings indicate that at the present time, the Baby Boomers are the only
generational age group demonstrating a preference for a particular e-book format based
on these difference tests. The impact of this finding would advise both the educational
institutions and the educational publishers that there is likely to be a shift in the e-book
format preferences as the age groups of the student population will change over time. A
108
subsequent study in the future will likely provide different results as the Baby Boomers
leave the student population and more students from the Millennials age group enter the
student population. It is likely the shift in the generational age group to younger students
will produce different preferences for a particular e-book format with the less preference
being specified for the print formats.
Findings Summary
This study provided findings in three major areas: (a) the application of the TAM,
(b) the usage statistics for preferred e-book formats, and (c) differences in the preferred e-
book formats by campus delivery method and generational age groups.
TAM. The TAM was used in this study to examine the relationships between the
variables of usage, usefulness, ease of use and satisfaction associated with each e-book
format. Evaluating the findings of the research questions and relationships in the
conceptual framework based, it is evident that the TAM is a viable tool for meeting the
objectives of this study. The examination of the 25 relationships illustrated in the
conceptual, it was determined that 24 of those relationships were found to be at the .01
level of significance. In the correlation coefficient analysis the Online Read format
demonstrated the strongest relationships in all instances related to usage, usefulness, ease
of use and satisfaction. At the lowest end of the significant relationship strength is the
Purchase the Book function. Based on the relationships demonstrated by the Spearman’s
rho analysis the Online Read format followed by the Download PDF Read format have
the strongest relationships giving an indication by students for a preference for these e-
book formats. There is also an indication that the Purchase the Book function exhibits the
109
weakest relationship leading to an understanding this function is the least preferred by
students using the e-book collection examined in this study.
Usage. The examination of e-book usage in this study was based on student
responses for each e-book format in terms of generational age groups and campus
delivery method. The e-book format receiving the highest usage rate for being used
frequently or always across all generational age groups was the Download PDF Read.
The Purchase the Book function received the least number of frequently used or always
used responses across all generational age groups.
The responses for e-book format usage by campus delivery method also indicated
the Download PDF Read format was the most frequently used or always used. For
students attending in both online and on-campus delivery methods there was an
indication that the Download PDF Read format had the greatest usage.
Generational age groups and campus delivery methods differences. The findings
related to differences for e-book usage were presented from two perspectives:
generational age groups and campus delivery method. The Kruskal–Wallis analysis
indicates the two formats receiving preference in the survey responses were the Online
Read and Download PDF Read formats with the greatest preference being expressed by
students attending under the online campus delivery method. The findings of the
Kruskal–Wallis analysis by generational age group demonstrated the largest differences
for the Online Print, Download PDF Print and Purchase the Book by Baby Boomers. This
finding indicates that students in the Baby Boomer age group expressed a preference for
printed book materials.
110
The final significant finding from this study that may be of interest to educational
institutions and educational publishers is that 72% of students participating in this study
who recorded their satisfaction with the e-book collection as satisfactory or very
satisfactory. Although this level of satisfaction is positive, there is room for
improvement, which the educational institutions and educational publishers could use to
increase student satisfaction and usage of e-books.
Conclusions
This study addressed the lack of empirical knowledge related to specific e-book
formats that would demonstrate student acceptance, usage, and satisfaction. The
application of the TAM to this study was effective based on the correlation coefficient
analysis. The findings of this study are applicable to higher educational institutions
considering the addition e-books to their institutional academic materials. These findings
will support strategic and management decisions related to e-book adoption based on
student preferences. It is clear from this study; students have indicated a preference for e-
books that can be read online as well as being downloaded in PDF format to support
offline reading. The recognition of these preferred formats of e-books by students will
enable educational publishers to support the efforts of the educational institutions by
providing e-books in the formats preferred by students.
From the findings in this study, it is evident that the highest levels of preference
were associated with the Online Read and the Download PDF Read formats. These
preferences would indicate the majority of students participating in this study have some
level of satisfaction with reading and working with electronic materials as opposed to the
111
usage of paper textbooks. The exception to this conclusion is related to the responses
recorded by Baby Boomer age group students who indicated the highest preferences for
the Online Print, Download PDF Print, and Purchase the Book functions. As the Baby
Boomer age group move out of the student population, it is possible there would be less
of a preference for e-book materials in a printed format that would support the possible
decision for educational institutions to eliminate the inventory of hard copy textbooks
with replacement by textbooks in e-book format.
Recommendations
Limitations of the Study
Survey instrument. The most evident limitation aspect of this study is related to
the reliability of the TAM research questions related to e-book usage. A review of the
survey questions for e-book usage indicates a Cronbach’s alpha for usage at .267, which
is below the .70 recommended for this type of instrument. Any future research using the
instrument associated with this study will need to consider an investigation of the survey
instrument questions related to usage. To a lesser extent, the TAM research questions
related to perceived usefulness fell slightly below the recommended .70 at .658, which
might also be a consideration for review before application of the current survey
instrument.
Research institution. This study was conducted using a population of students
from a single large university that provides the e-books to the students as a part of their
course access fees. This institution has been providing access to e-books to students since
112
2002. To broaden the scope of future research, a study might be conducted using several
institutions and students with having access to alternative formats of e-books.
Additional Analysis
In this study, additional data was collected representing the demographics of
student responding to the study. Additional difference testing and reporting could be
performed using the following categories of data:
1. Level of study (graduate, undergraduate)
2. Ethnic affiliation (American Indian, Asian, African American, Hispanic,

etc.)
3. Gender identification (male, female)
4. Reported household income (ranges in annual monetary increments)
5. Ethnic affiliation by gender
6. Level of study by gender
7. Degree program identification (BS in Business, Masters in Education,

Masters in Nursing, etc.)
Qualitative Analysis
Included in the survey instrument for the study was the ability for the participants
to provide comments. These comments could be analyzed and reported as a part of a
qualitative analysis to understand the additional details related to the study variables of
usage, usefulness, ease of use and satisfaction. The analysis of the qualitative comments
submitted by students could provide additional insight to areas where additional research
could be conducted.
113
Future Research
There is a possibility to build upon the research findings in this study by repeating
this study as a longitudinal study to examine the responses towards e-books based on the
changing population of the students. As the Baby Boomer age group moves out of the
student population, it is expected there would be fewer students interested in printed
textbook materials and a possible shift to more robust electronic materials to support the
studies of Gen X and Millennial students. The examination of changing student
preferences toward e-books formats can guide strategic management decisions by both
educational institutions and educational publishers relative to the delivery of different e-
book content and delivery systems in the future.
With the positive responses given to the Online Read and Download PDF Read
formats of this study, consideration might be given to researching the usage and
satisfaction of e-books on a variety of portable hardware devices. With the potential
increase in the number of Gen X and Millennial age group students at all higher
educational institutions, there may be greater interest in the availability of e-books on
portable hardware devices that will follow technology trends where there have been
increases in device functionality.
114
REFERENCES
Abram, S. (2004, February). eBooks: Rumors of our death greatly exaggerated.

Information Outlook, 8(2), 14–16.
Adamson, I., & Shine, J. (2003, December). Extending the new technology acceptance
model to measure the end user information systems satisfaction in a mandatory
environment: A bank’s treasury. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management,
15(4), 441–455.
Agee, J. (2003, July/August). Exciting e-books: A new path to literature. TechTrends,

47(4), 5–8.
Albanese, A. (2006, November 15). The heart of Texas. Library Journal, 131(19), 36–39.
Allison, K. J. (2003). Rhetoric and hypermedia in electronic textbooks. Retrieved from

Dissertations & Theses: Full Text database. (AAT 3103319)
Anthony, R. (2004, March/April). The e-book revolution still to come. Black Issues Book
Review, 6(2), 61.
Associated Press. (2000, August 17). Professors study e-book possibilities. Retrieved
December 15, 2006, from http://news.com.com/2100-1023-244608.html
Balas, J. (2006, November–December). Are e-books finally poised to succeed?

Computers in Libraries, 26(10), 34–36.
Barlow, C. L., & Wetherill, K. S. (2005, October). Technology + imagination = results.

T.H.E. Journal, 33(3), 21–26.
Bell, L. McCoy, V., & Peters, T. (2002, May 1). E-books go to college. Library Journal,
127(8), 44–46.
Blumenstyk, G. (2001, May 18). Publishers promote e-textbooks, but many students and
professors are skeptical. Chronicle of Higher Education, 47(36), A35–A38.
Boswell, K. (2004). The impact of perceived invasiveness and perceived objective on

technology acceptance: An extension to the technology acceptance model.
Retrieved from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text database. (AAT 3167439)
Branigan, C. (2003, April 18). eTextbooks are more engaging, users say. eSchool News
Online. Retrieved April 28, 2007, from http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/pf
showStory.cfm?ArticleID=4366
115
Brewer, S., & Milam, P. (2006, June). SLJ's Technology Survey 2006: New
technologies—like blogs and wikis—are taking their place in the school media
center. School Library Journal, 52(6), 45–49.
Brisco, S. (2006, December). Ebooks are getting ready to go to school. School Library
Journal, 52(12), 82–83.
Brown, G. J. (2001). Beyond print: Reading digitally. Library Hi Tech, 19(4), 390–399.
Burk, R. (2001). E-book devices and the marketplace: In search of customers. Library Hi
Tech, 19(4), 325–331.
Bush, V. (1945, July). Where we may think. The Atlantic, 176(1), 101–108.
Carey, P. (2004). New perspectives on XML–Comprehensive. Boston: Course

Technology.
Carlson, S. (2005, February 11). Online textbooks fail to make the grade. Chronicle of
Higher Education, 51(23), A35–A36.
Cavanaugh, T. (2002, November/December). eBooks and accommodations. Teaching

Exceptional Children, 35(2), 56–61.
Chen, L. (1998). Design and development of a prototype electronic textbook for teacher
education. Retrieved from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text database. (AAT
9903974)
Chen, Y. (2003). Application and development of electronic books in an e-Gutenberg

age. Online Information Review, 27(1), 8–16.
Chu, H. (2003). Electronic books: Viewpoints from users and potential users. Library Hi
Tech, 21(3), 340–346.
Church, J. W. (2002). Relationship between display method and college student short-
term knowledge retention during self-study. Retrieved from Dissertations &
Theses: Full Text database. (AAT 3083419)
Clyde, L. A. (2005, June). Electronic books. Teacher Librarian, 32(5), 45–47.
Connaway, L. S. (2001). A Web-based electronic (e-book) library: The NetLibrary

model. Library Hi Tech, 19(4), 340–349.
Coomes, M. D., & DeBard, R. (2004, Summer). A generational approach to

understanding students. New Directions for Student Services, 106, 5–16.
116
Cooper, D., & Schindler, P. (2003). Business research methods (8th ed.). Boston:
McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Davis, F. D. (1989, September). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user
acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 318–340.
Deneen, L., & Allert, J. (2003). Hand-held computer in the classroom and the library:
Teaching and learning resource issues resulting from widespread deployment at
the University of Minnesota Duluth. Library Hi Tech, 21(4), 419–425.
Dominick, J. L. (2005). The in-situ study of an electronic textbook in an educational

setting. Retrieved from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text database. (AAT
3170422)
Drennan, J., Kennedy, J., & Pisarski, A. (2005, July/August). Factors affecting student
attitudes toward flexible online learning in management education. The Journal of
Educational Research, 98(6), 331–338.
Fang, X., Chan, S., Brzezinski, J., & Xu, S. (2005–2006, Winter). Moderating effects of
task type on wireless technology acceptance. Journal of Management Information
Systems, 22(3), 123–157.
Farris-Berg, K. (2005). Tech-savvy students stuck in text-dominated schools. St. Paul,

MN: Education/Evolving.
Fasimpaur, K. (2004, March/April). Why ebooks? Should they be part of a school’s

collection? Media & Methods, 40(5), 12.
Gabbard, R. B. (2004). Applying the technology acceptance model to online education.

Guasco, M. J. (2003, March). Building the better textbook: The promises and perils of e-
publication. The Journal of American History, 89(4), 1458–1462.
Guerard, E. B. (2000, October 1). eBooks begin to surface in K–12 schools. eSchool
News. Retrieved December 18, 2006, from http://www.eschoolnews.com
Guess, A. (2008, January 3). E-textbooks—for real this time? Inside Higher Ed.
Retrieved January 9, 2008, from http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/01/03/
ebooks
Hart, M. (1992, August). Gutenberg: The history and philosophy of Project Gutenberg.
Retrieved February 12, 2007, from http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:
The_History_and_Philosophy_of_Project_Gutenberg_by_Michael_Hart
117
Higgins, N., & Hess, L. (1999, Summer). Using electronic books to promote vocabulary
development. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 31(4), 425–430.
Hong, W., Thong, J. Y., Wong, W., & Tam, K. Y. (2001–2002, Winter). Determinants of
user acceptance of digital libraries: An empirical examination of individual
differences and system characteristics. Journal of Management Information
Systems, 18(3), 97–124.
International Digital Publishing Forum. (2006). eBook user survey 2006. New York:
Author.
Kay, A. (1968, August ). A personal computer for children of all ages. Retrieved
February 10, 2007, from http://www.mprove.de/diplom/gui/kay72a.pdf
Lancaster, L. C., & Stillman, D. (2002, November/December). When generations collide:

Who they are, why they clash, how to solve the generational puzzle at work.
Women in Business, 55(6), 33–35.
Landry, B. J. (2003). Student reactions to Web-enhanced instructional elements.

Lane, D. L. (2006, May 18). Evaluating e-textbooks in a business curriculum. Retrieved

from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text database. (AAT 3212017)
Lefever-Davis, S., & Pearman, C. (2005, February). Early readers and electronic texts:
CD-ROM storybook features that influence reading behaviors. The Reading
Teacher, 58(5), 446–454.
Leurs, L. (n.d.). The history of PDF. Retrieved January 13, 2007, from http://www.pre
pressure.com/pdf/basics/history
Market, J. (2004, Fall). Demographics of age: Generational and cohort confusion.

Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, 26(2), 11–25.
Matthew, K. (1997, Spring). A comparison of the influence of interactive CD-ROM

storybooks and traditional print storybooks on reading comprehension. Journal of
Research on Computing in Education, 29(3), 263–275.
Maynard, S., & Cheyne, E. (2005). Can electronic textbooks help children to learn? The
Electronic Library, 23(1), 103–115.
McFall, R. (2005). Electronic textbooks that transform how textbooks are used. The
Electronic Library, 23(1), 72–78.
118
McGraw, T. M., Burdette, K., & Seale, V. B. (2002). A forecast of e-book use in
America’s schools. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press.
Mercieca, P. (2003, April 22). E-book acceptance: What will make users read on screen?
Retrieved December 3, 2006, from http://www.iof.org
Nelson, M. R. (2008). E-books in higher education: Nearing the end of the era of hype?
(Research Bulletin, Issue 1). Boulder, CO: Educause Center for Applied
Research.
New chapter opens for ebook revolution. (2006, March 30). Computing, 77, 46.
Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
O’Leary, M. (2003, September/October). E-book scenarios updated. Retrieved August 8,

2006, from http://www.infotoday.com/online/sep03/oleary.shtml
Ozsoyoglu, G., Balkir, N. H., Cormode, G., & Ozsoyoglu, Z. M. (2000). Electronic books
in digital libraries. Seventh IEEE Advances in Digital Libraries 2000, 5–14.
Pan, C., Gunter, G., Sivo, S., & Cornell, R. (2004–2005). End-user acceptance of a
learning management system in two hybrid large-sized introductory
undergraduate courses: A case study. Journal of Educational Technology Systems,
33(4), 355–365.
Phillips, L. A., Calantone, R., & Lee, M. (1994). International technology adoption:
Behavior structure, demand certainty and culture. Journal of Business &
Industrial Marketing, 9(2), 16–28.
Rao, S. S. (2004, May 17). Electronic book technologies. Library Review, 53(7), 363–
371.
Raosoft Incorporated. (2004). Sample size calculator. Retrieved June 1, 2008, from http://
www.raosoft.com/samplesize.html
Roach, R. (2001, October 11). Colleges provide testing ground for e-book innovations.
Black Issues in Higher Education, 19(17), 38.
Rogers, M. (2001, February 1). Survey reveals college students’ growing preference for
e-texts. Library Journal, 126(2), 31.
Rogers, M. (2004, April 15). Librarians, publishers, and vendors revisit e-books. Library
Journal, 129(7), 23–24.
119
Rogers, M. (2006, June 15). Ebooks struggling to find a niche. Library Journal, 131(11),
25–26.
Rose, M. J. (2000, August 15). The future of e-textbooks. Wired News. Retrieved
December 22, 2006, from http://www.wired.com/news/culture/1,38061-0.html
Ross, K. C., Clark, L. D., Padgett, T. C., & Renckly, T. R. (1996). Air University
sampling and surveying handbook; Guidelines for planning, organizing, and
conducting surveys. Maxwell Air Force Base, AL: Department of Defense.
Rossman, P. (2005, January/February). Beyond the book: Electronic textbooks bring

worldwide learning. The Futurist, 39(1), 18–23.
Rothman, D. H. (2006, August 28). Razing the tower of e-Babel: The reason e-books
haven’t caught on is simple: They’re too complicated. Publishers Weekly,
253(34), 62.
Scott, J., & Marshall, G (2005). A Dictionary of Sociology. New York: Oxford
University Press.
7 things you should know about e-books. (2006, November). Educause, 1–2. Retrieved
January 31, 2007, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7020.pdf
Sharp, J. M. (2005, November). High-tech textbooks. ASEE [American Society for

Engineering Education] Prism, 15(3), 42–45.
Shiratuddin, N. (2005, April–June). E-books in higher education: Technology, e-

marketing prospects, and pricing strategy. Journal of Electronic Commerce in
Organizations, 3(2), 1–16.
Simon, E. J. (2001, September 1). Are e-books ready for the classroom? Retrieved
January 15, 2007, from http://campustechnology.com/print.asp?id=4771
Smarkola, C. (2004). Comparison between student teachers’ and classroom teachers’

computer usage intentions and self-reported computer usage. Retrieved from
Snowhill, L. (2001, July/August). E-books and their future in academic libraries. D-Lib
Magazine, 7(7/8), 1–12.
Szajna, B. (1996, January). Empirical evaluation of the revised technology acceptance

model. Management Science, 42(1), 85–92.
Technology of e-books needs work before students will accept them. (2002, September
13). Chronicle of Higher Education, 49(03), 25–27.
120
Terry, A. A. (2001). Electronic ink technologies: Showing the way to a brighter future.
Library Hi Tech, 19(4), 376–389.
Thomas, K. (2006, November 27). E-book popularity at UK universities gathers pace.

Information World Review, 229, 1–2.
Tomita, M. T. (2000). Using the technology acceptance model to explain World Wide
Web site use by health educators. Retrieved from Dissertations & Theses: Full
Text database. (AAT 9981440)
Unfred, D. W. (2002). A comparative study of two electronic textbook interface design

metaphors relative to learner self-efficacy, attitudes, and learning orientation.
Van Epps, A. S. (2004, November 14). The evolution of electronic reference sources.
Library Hi Tech, 23(2), 287–298.
Van Hoorebeek, M. (2003). Napster clones turn their attention to academic e-books. New
Library World, 104(1187/1188), 142–148.
Vernon, R. F. (2006, Spring–Summer). Paper or pixels? An inquiry into how students

adapt to online textbooks. Journal of Social Work Education, 42(2), 417–427.
Villano, M. (2006, May 1). Next-generation textbooks: Book smarts. Retrieved December
2, 2006, from http://campustechnology.com/print.asp?ID=18438
Walker, G. (2005). Faculty intentions to use Web enhanced instructional components.

Warnick, B. (2005). Looking to the future: Electronic texts and the deepening interface.
Technical Communication Quarterly, 14(3), 327–333.
Waterman, D., Jr. (2004). Technology utilization by doctoral-level counseling

supervisors: Application of the technology acceptance model. Retrieved from
Weber, C. L., & Cavanaugh, T. W. (2006, Fall). Promoting reading: Using eBooks with
gifted and advanced readers. Gifted Child Today, 29(4), 56–63.
Whalley, W. B. (2006, October). e-Books for the future: Here but hiding? Ariadne, 49, 1–
8.
Young, J. R. (2006, December 15). Even with improved screens, e-book devices not
ready for college. Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(17), p. A33.
121
APPENDIX A. SURVEY INSTRUMENT
Usage
Please indicate how often the following functions of the eBook collection:
Never Infrequently Often Frequently Always

Online-web
Read     
Online-web
Print     
Download
PDF Offline
    
Read
Download
PDF Print     
Purchase the
    
Book
Perceived Usefulness
Please indicate how useful the following functions of the eBook collection are:
Of
Not very considerable Extremely Not
Of no use useful Of use use useful Applicable
Online-web
Read      
Online-web
Print      
Download
PDF Offline
     
Read
Download
PDF Print      
Purchase the
     
Book
122
Perceived Ease of Use
Please indicate you level of agreement with the following statements regarding functions
of the eBook collection.
Neither
Strongly agree nor Strongly Not
disagree Disagree disagree Agree agree Applicable
The Online-
web Read
function is      
easy to use
The Online-
web Print
function is      
easy to use
The
Download
PDF Offline
Read      
function is
easy to use
The
Download
PDF Offline
Print      
function is
easy to use
The
Purchase the
     
Book is easy
to use
123
Satisfaction
Please indicate your level of satisfaction with following functions of the eBook
collection:
Very Very Not

unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory Borderline Satisfactory Satisfactory applicable
Online-web
Read      
Online-web
Print      
Download
PDF Offline
     
Read
Download
PDF Print      
Purchase the
     
Book
I would rate my overall level of satisfaction with eBooks as:
Very
unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory Borderline Satisfactory Very Satisfactory
    
Please provide any additional thoughts you have related to your experiences with the
eBook collection:
124

All About Ebooks

Diunggah oleh

Informasi Dokumen

Deskripsi Asli:

Judul Asli

Hak Cipta

Format Tersedia

Bagikan dokumen Ini

Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

All About Ebooks

Diunggah oleh

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF E-BOOK FORMAT ON

STUDENT ACCEPTANCE, USAGE AND SATISFACTION

JOHN LATHAM, Ph.D., Faculty Mentor and Chair

JOHN DENIGRIS, Ph.D., Committee Member

RICHARD SCHUTTLER, Ph.D., Committee Member

Kurt Linberg, Ph.D., Dean, School of Business & Technology

A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

acceptance model (TAM) methodology, developed by Davis, identifying the preferred e-

book format by higher education students, identifying preferred e-book format

differences between students in generational age groups and identifying differences in

educational publishers to make strategic and management decisions regarding the

adoption of e-books. Future research is recommended on possible changes to e-book

This dissertation is dedicated to my wife, Claudia, who is my best friend, loving

and assistance provided to me in the completion of my doctoral program. I am grateful to

List of Tables viii

List of Figures xii

Introduction to the Problem 1

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 2

Purpose of the Study 4

Significance of the Study 11

Assumptions and Limitations 13

Organization of the Remainder of the Study 14

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 15

E-Book Retail Market and E-Book Publishers 35

E-Book Development and Future Trends 37

Technology Acceptance Model 39

Validity and Reliability 64

Purpose of the Study and Research Questions 67

TAM and Research Questions Relationship Results 67

Usage Differences—Age Groups and Delivery Methods 81

Survey Frequency Statistics 90

Differences Among Groups 94

CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 98

Summary and Discussion of Results 98

APPENDIX A. SURVEY INSTRUMENT 121

APPENDIX B. VARIABLE RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS TABLES 124

APPENDIX C. USAGE ANALYSIS 129

APPENDIX D. SURVEY FREQUENCY STATISTICS 139

APPENDIX E. DIFFERENCE TEST ANALYSIS 150

Table 1. Survey Questions for E-Book Function 52

Table 2. Coding for Survey Responses 56

Table 3. Analysis of Survey Responses 57

Table 4. TAM Reliability Statistics 65

Table B1. Spearman’s Rho Measurement for Usefulness and Satisfaction

Table D6. Question 6: Perceived Usefulness of the Online-Web Read Function

Table D7. Question 7: Perceived Usefulness of the Online-Web Print Function

Table D8. Question 8: Perceived Usefulness of the Download PDF Offline

Table E2. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Usage by Campus

Table E3. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Ranks for E-Book Perceived Usefulness by

Table E4. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Perceived Usefulness by

Table E7. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Ranks for E-Book Satisfaction by Campus

Table E10. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Usage by Generational

Table E11. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Ranks for E-Book Perceived Usefulness by

Table E12. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Perceived Usefulness by

Table E15. Kruskal–Wallis Mean Statistics for E-Book Satisfaction by

Table E16. Kruskal–Wallis Test Statistics for E-Book Satisfaction by

Figure 2. Online Read usage by generational age group 82

Figure 3. Online Read usage by campus delivery method 82

Figure 4. Online Print usage by generational age group 83

Figure 5. Online Print usage by campus delivery method 84