- Title
- E-books preference compared to print books based on student perceptions: a case of University of Fort Hare students
- Creator
- Makwanya, Comfort
- Subject
- Electronic books College students
- Date Issued
- 2019
- Date
- 2019
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MCom (Business Management)
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13653
- Identifier
- vital:39688
- Description
- Technology has been shifting students’ perceptions and preferences on how they learn. The way in which students perceive print books and e-books greatly affects which format they prefer to use for academic purposes. In recent years, e-book accessibility on a variety of mobile gadgets has become a substitute to print based resources which are costly in terms of production, sharing and heavy in terms of their physical nature. Institutions of higher learning have decided that e-books and related resources are the most preferred options among students. This, however, is in contrary to the research findings which propound that students do not actually favour e-books. The intention of this study was to determine students’ perceptions with regards to using e-books and print books in meeting information needs. In addition, the study aimed to determine students’ awareness, usage, preference and students’ plan to adopt e-books as their only source of information in the future. Contrasting views exist on which format (print or e-book) students prefer for academic purposes to enhance their learning experience with most studies being done in developed countries. Hence, the investigation that uncovers students’ perceptions and preferences towards the two formats in South Africa can provide a better comprehension and conclusion on an African student. This will consequently lead to improved student engagement and improved learning outcomes. A cross-sectional research design was used and a questionnaire administered to a sample of 307 students at the University of Fort Hare’s East London Campus through convenience sampling. Findings from this study showed that students at the University of Fort Hare’s Faculty of Management and Commerce preferred using both (e-books and print books) for their information needs. They also perceived e-books as good as print books, easier and friendly to use and capable of providing adequate information to meet study needs. The findings will assist practitioners to understand readers’ needs, improve awareness, and develop e-book collections and designs that improve the learning process.
- Format
- 155 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Management and Commerce
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
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Collections
UFH Department of Business Management
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | MAKWANYA C (201611280) MCOM Business Management.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |