Understanding acceptance of dedicated e‐textbook applications for learning. Involving Taiwanese university students
| Published date | 01 June 2012 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02640471211241618 |
| Pages | 321-338 |
| Date | 01 June 2012 |
| Author | Jung‐Yu Lai,Khire Rushikesh Ulhas |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Understanding acceptance of
dedicated e-textbook applications
for learning
Involving Taiwanese university students
Jung-Yu Lai and Khire Rushikesh Ulhas
Institute of Technology Management, National Chung Hsing University,
Taichung, Taiwan
Abstract
Purpose – The prevalence of information technology (IT) has been introducing new trends into
learning modalities spurring dedicated e-textbook applications for learning. However, there is only a
limited understanding of what factors drive university students’ attitudes/willingness to use the new
devices for learning. Hence, this study attempts to investigate what factors drive university students
to use dedicated e-textbook applications for learning.
Design/methodology/approach – By integrating previous theories such as the technology
acceptance model (TAM), innovation diffusion theory (IDT), and convenience in the form of an
integrated model, this study presents a causal model that explores the influence of technological,
intrinsic, and extrinsic factors, i.e. convenience, compatibility, enjoyment, usefulness, on university
students’ attitudes towards using dedicated e-textbook applications for learning.
Findings – The results of this study suggest that perceived usefulness, convenience, compatibility,
and perceived enjoyment all significantly contribute to dedicated e-textbook application acceptance.
Research limitations/implications – The present research clearly portrays drivers for acceptance
of dedicated e-textbook applications for learning among university students which would be an
important topic for current and future research.
Practical implications – The study’s findings outline and describe how the dominant factors affect
university students’ attitudes towards adoption of dedicated e-textbook applications for learning. By
considering extrinsic, tech nological, and intrinsic factor s, such as usefulness, conveni ence,
compatibility, enjoyment, in the stage of product development, practitioners can provide
well-accepted dedicated e-textbook applications for potential users.
Originality/value – These findings would facilitate development of a more robust understanding of
university students’ attitudes toward using dedicated e-textbook applications for learning. It also
might assist practitioners developing innovative e-textbook applications as well as provide directions
for researchers interested in developing and testing theories pertinent to e-textbook applications.
Keywords Compatibility,Convenience,E-textbook applications,E-books, User studies,Intention to use,
Perceived enjoyment, Perception
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
The prevalence of the internet is increasing at a cracking pace. Without a doubt the
development of IT has madea great impact on educational reform and therequirements
for a new form of education are altering strategies for designing educational systems at
thesametime(Fanget al., 2009). It has been changing learning methods, classrooms as
well as learning technology (Cope and Ward, 2002; Zhang, 2003). Furthermore, the
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
Acceptance of
e-textbook
applications
321
Received July 2010
Revised December 2010
Accepted December 2010
The Electronic Library
Vol. 30 No. 3, 2012
pp. 321-338
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/02640471211241618
internet alsohas caused an evolution in the book publishingindustry with the emergence
of the electronic books (e-books) (Connaway, 2003). E-books are gaining wider interest
since the introduction of portable electronic reading devicesthat can provide users with
better reading experiences (Shiratuddin et al.,2003).
With the facilitation of the e-book industry by new hardware, software, and display
technologies,large quantities of digitizedcontent are now available. One ofthe these new
developmentsin the area of electronic texts has beenthe release of several new dedicated
e-book readers (e-readers) for an improved e-book reading experience (Godwin-Jones,
2007). In this study, dedicated e-book readers refer to dedicated reading devices with
display and specific functions, such as downloading, uploading,reading e-books, taking
notes, and other reading tasks, for people to complete the tasks involved in reading
processes and e-textbooks are the digitizetextbook equivalent of printed textbooks, read
on dedicated e-readers. E-book applications are potential and value added assets for
distance learning students (Shiratuddin et al., 2003). However, abundance of data from
internet could be an obstacle for learning. Hence,discernment, acuteness, and reliability
of information/content are imperative for students, causing them being likely to incline
toward using dedicated e-textbooks applications for learning.
E-books had been studied in different context such as e-book awareness among
students (Abdullah and Gibb, 2006), adoption of e-book among university students
(Dillon, 2001), and e-book design (Wilson, 2002). Moreover, acceptance of e-books in
academic libraries has also been studied (Bennett and Landoni, 2005; Lonsdale and
Armstrong, 2001). Given the growing importance of e-books for students, at present
there is only a limited understanding of what factors drive university students’
willingnessto use mobile e-textbook applicationsfor learning, particularlytechnological,
intrinsic,and extrinsic factors. Hence, this studyadopts the technology acceptance model
(TAM) (Davis, 1989) as the base model and selects perceived usefulness as one extrinsic
factor, then expands it by including technological and intrinsic factors:
.similar to the concept of convenience proposed by Berry et al. (2002), this study
proposes a construct of convenience regarding time and effort saved on learning;
.for the differences in reading manner between e-textbooks and paper-based
books, we invoke the concept of compatibility as found in innovation diffusion
theory (IDT) (Rogers, 1983); and
.for realizing effects of intrinsic factors on learning technology, this research uses
a concept of perceived enjoyment from prior studies (van der Heijiden, 2003; van
der Heijiden, 2004; Li et al., 2005; Sun and Zhang, 2006).
These findings will enable development of a more robust understanding of attitudes
toward dedicated e-textbook applications and will be helpful to developers researching
e-textbook hardware and software as well as to researchers interested in testing related
theories.
2. Literature review
2.1 E-books, e-readers, and e-textbook applications
The theory of portable electronic books seems to have evolved as far back as the late
1960s, when Alan Kay introduced concept of e-book in 1968. Meanwhile, Van Dam
developed the first working hypertext system. Further, Micheal Hart initiated project
Gutenberg during 1971 that had been responsible for loading nearly 2,100 public
EL
30,3
322
To continue reading
Request your trial