Electronic versus traditional print textbooks: A comparison study on the influence of university students' learning

University students are increasingly choosing to purchase e-textbooks for their mobile devices as an alternative to traditional textbooks. This study examines the relationship between textbook format and 538 university students' grades and perceived learning scores. Results demonstrate that there was no difference in cognitive learning and grades between the two groups, suggesting that the electronic textbook is as effective for learning as the traditional textbook. The mean scores indicated that students who chose e-textbooks for their education courses had significantly higher perceived affective learning and psychomotor learning than students who chose to use traditional print textbooks.

► Students who used e-textbooks compared to traditional texts had higher affective learning.
► Students who used e-textbooks compared to traditional texts had higher psychomotor learning.
► Grades and cognitive learning did not reach statistical significance.
► This study is among the first to address efficacy of el-textbooks during a semester long course.