A Comparison Study of Electronic Versus Traditional Print Textbooks on the Influence of University Students’ Learning

Santhi Muttipoll Dharmarajlu, Department of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0281-1731

https://doi.org/10.9743/JEO.2025.22.3.7

Abstract

This study aims to assess students’ preferences for using print books versus ebooks. For this study, 160 students were selected by using a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show that the duration of time students spent per day reading print books and ebooks varied. For ebooks, the majority (73.1%) of students spent less than 1 hour while 5.6% spent up to 3 hours reading electronic books. For print books 8.1% spent less than 1 hour 38.1% spent up to 3 hours reading print books. For electronic books, students found them easy to carry (97.5%), easy to make notes (70%), easy to study for exams (61.9%), and easy to search (78.8%). Most of the students (79.4%) used the iPad for studying ematerial. Overall 57.5% of students preferred etextbooks over print textbooks as the best way to study their courses. 

Keywords: etextbooks, print textbooks, learning, university students, education