Today, electronic devices and equipment have affected all levels of life and have led to major changes in human life. With the expansion of virtual universities and e-learning as well as the access of students to computers and the Internet, the industry has gradually entered the field of books to the extent that e-books can be considered as a complement or substitute for educational institutions. The e-book is a new phenomenon that has affected educational systems, and its main purpose is to overcome the limitations that print books face. The main feature of e-books is its dynamic, interactive and flexible nature that can be transformed into various shapes and formats and is accessible at any time and place (1).
One of the potential advantages of e-books is their flexibility and accessibility compared to paper texts. Other features include increased visual appeal due to features such as static and animated graphics, as well as the potential to add supplementary materials such as audio sets and more (1). According to the National Intelligence Agency’s definition, e-books mean digital documents with or without a license that can be searched and can be compared to a printed book (2). The e-book can be classified into four groups according to its features, facilities and functions, which are detailed below.
Text-based e-books: These e-books are text-only and contain no images, charts, or tables.
Picture e-books: In these books, some images, charts, and tables can also be found along with text. There are also some animated images and animations for more impact.
E-books with audio features: These books use audio features to interact more and better with their audiences, which is also usable for the blind.
Multimedia e-books: These books combine all the features of the previous three groups and utilize audio, video, animation, and charts to further engage their readers and users (3).
Although the e-book was introduced four decades ago, many scholars have claimed that its spread in many countries was slow (4). They believe that e-book acceptance was not as high as expected. For example, the results of a study by Roesnita and Zainab performed in Malaysia among 250 undergraduate computer science and information technology students indicated that only 39% of respondents preferred e-books (5). The results of the study by Chong et al. showed that e-book acceptance rate was 52.5% (6). Abdullah and Gibb by conducting a research on Scottish higher-education students found that 60% of respondents did not use e-books. They cited the lack of awareness and publicity about access to e-books as the reasons for this finding (4).
In recent decades, various models of technology adoption have been designed and presented. The literature on technology acceptance shows that the theory of reasoned action, the theory of planned behavior, the decomposed theory of planned behavior, the technology adoption model, the secondary model of technology adoption, and the integrated theory of technology adoption and application are among the widely used models (7), the most valid of which is the technology adoption model (8). The model is based on two factors: “mental perception of usefulness and mental perception of ease of use”. These two factors influence people’s attitude towards using a technology and make the decision to use that technology and ultimately the use of technology.
Research results show that models have different functions with regards to different technologies and their acceptance. The effectiveness of technology is positively related to its adoption. If potential users of a technology do not resist using it, its intended goals cannot be achieved (9). Therefore, it is important to understand why users accept or reject to use a technology. If the factors affecting IT adoption are identified and understood, it will be possible to identify and understand IT systems and design better ones and thereby, increase user acceptance (10).
The results of studies have shown that in addition to the type of e-books, their features are also effective in their use (11, 12). The results of Roskos and Burstein’s research, “Fundamentals of an E-Book Learning Model”, show that e-books require factors such as better quality, more accurate book design specifications in the classroom, trained qualified teachers on how to use the educational approaches for sharing the content of books (11). Also, the results of Wang and Bai’s research showed that aesthetics, ease of use, user satisfaction and suitability for the type of use are important in the acceptance of e-books (12).
Studies in advanced countries show that libraries are expanding their e-books. For example, about 95% of academic libraries in the United States are equipped with e-books and 9.6% of the librarirs’ overall budget is dedicated to the purchase of e-books. The cost will increase to 19.5% by 2017 (13).
Considering factors such as the position of books in centralized education systems, university-level curriculum designers should consider e-books as a major or supplemental source of instruction in designing and revising curricula. In less-privileged areas such as Shahrekord, where access to newly published printed books is less compared than privileged areas such as Tehran, access to digital books is crucial. Due to cultural, linguistic, and other problems discussed in the present study, most students are still looking for print versions of books, and electronic versions are not widely accepted by the community, especially students. For the optimal use of these information resources, research is needed on the factors influencing technology adoption among these students and what university officials need to do to adopt e-books.
LEAVE A COMMENT HERE: