Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Most students in this recent survey by the Pearson Foundation, as reported by Inside Higher Ed, say they don't own tablets but would like to. These students believe tablets will transform higher education. Ninety percent of students who already tablets say they are a valuable learning tool (IHE reports, however, that most students use tablets to check email, manage schedules and keep track of assignments rather than classwork).
Interestingly, most students report that they still prefer hardcopy texts for school and pleasure reading rather than e-texts. The responses change, though, for students who already own tablets - those students prefer digital texts to print texts by 73%
Here's a portion of the survey findings:
College students who own tablets believe the devices are valuable for educational purposes.
• Nine in ten college students who own tablets believe that tablets are valuable for educational purposes.
• Almost nine in ten college student tablet owners (86%) believe that tablets help students study more efficiently.
• The majority of college students who own tablets (86%) also believe that professors at their institutions should integrate tablet-based activities into their courses. Only two in ten college students say that some of their professors use tablets.
• Three-quarters of college student tablet owners (76%) believe that tablets help students perform better in their classes.
On average, students prefer print over digital format for both textbooks and leisure reading. Students who own tablets, however, are far more likely to favor digital books over print.
• More than half of all students prefer print over digital format for both textbook (college and high school: 55%) and leisure reading (college: 55%; high school: 59%).
• When reading or studying for class, 73% of tablet owners (32% of non-owners) prefer digital format over print for reading textbooks.
• Students are more likely to prefer digital formats when reading or studying course materials besides books, such as journal articles (college: 62%; high school: 49%).