Are E-books Improving The Study Habits and Grades of FIU Students?
Imagine the possibility of having thousands of physical books on the palm of your hand, without having the need to carry them. Would this make your life easier when it comes to gaining knowledge through reading? The answer to this question lies in e-books, which are known as electronic copies of printed books that are readable through computers and hardware designed to display digital books, magazines, encyclopedias, newspapers, and dictionaries. Nowadays, compared to the use of computers to read electronic books, there are huge amount of devices that are compatible with the e-books, for instance, devices such as the I Pad, IPhone Kindle, Nook, and other tablets. The e-book industry has evolved ever since Michael S. Hart created the first electronic copy of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1971(Falconer). After years of silence passed, from 2002 to 2011 the whole sale of e-books dramatically increased by selling four hundred and forty-one million in the year 2011(Falconer), making the electronic book industry a boom among students and scholars. When it comes to the ordinary life of a college student, textbooks serve a very crucial role as a resource and tool that lets the student to independently gain knowledge and insight about the subject. As everyone knows, over the years technology has advanced making today’s college generation dependable on the use electronic devices in their daily lives and academic transition. One example is the use of e-books rather than regular textbooks. According to Nielsen, “seventy-one percent of students with access to tablets are interested in accessing textbooks on their devices”(Newswire). However, are e-books fac...
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...all, the durability in the devices that display e-books is very fragile compared to the hard cover textbooks. On the other hand, hard cover books tend to sustain and resist abuse for decades from moisture, temperatura, drops, tearing, and most importantly time, making the e-book vulnerable and unreliable for many students.
In summation, the FIU students attitude towards e-books and its effect on their study habits and grades is negative. Although, many FIU students consider e-books as tools to facilitate their lives when it comes to portability, however it is not a huge factor in improving student’s study habits and grades. As it could be seen there is no positive effect on improving student’s effort in their academic progress; yet will the next generation of college students rely more on e-books since they were introduced to them at an early stage in their lives?
Rainie, Lee, Kathryn Zickuhr, Kristen Purcell, and Mary Madden. "The Rise of E-reading." Pew Internet Libraries RSS. Pew Research Center, 5 Apr. 2012. Web. 20 May 2014.
... I’d rather have paper to write down and make my own citations and marks depending on the subject, but if I’m reading a novel, then using a tablet is great, and I’m able to carry as many books as I need. It’s amazing how technology has shaped our educational system over the years and especially in the last 10 years. Honestly, it was only a matter of time before we arrived at this crossroad. It still remains to be seen how this path will be navigated and implemented fully, but I’m excited to be on the journey.
”Books will soon be obsolete in the schools...Scholars will soon be instructed through the eye. It is possible to touch every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture” (Thomas Edison). An idea that was destined for failure has now been made into the key source to get students and teachers more interacted while in a classroom setting. Tablets such as the iPad and the Microsoft surface have made this idea possible, showing students that there is another alternative to the traditional method which would be a printed version of the textbook. Tablets are portable computers that use a touchscreen as its primary input device, meaning that both keyboard and mouse are both physically located on the screen. Early Tablets were built to be used with a pen, today however tablets can be used with just one finger or multiple fingers with the support of multi touch input. Tablet have had a positive input on society especially students in school that are looking to get their work done in an engaging way and, not by moving a pen or pencil like it’s been done for decades. Tablets have proven to be the better tool for learning among students.
Where a student once had to travel to the local library or bookstore to find information, they can now find information almost instantly in their “smart” phone. In this technological age “we are raising our children in a multimedia environment. Before writing and books, information was carried in songs, dance, and storytelling. Today, the average person has a cornucopia of information readily available at home.” (Withrow 44). Anyone in possession of a computer, digital e-reader, laptop, or “smart” phone has an almost immediate access to any kind of information they are seeking. In today’s society, a two-year-old child knows how to operate a tablet or “smart” phone before they know how to read. It is this interest in technology that leads to a decline in reading as children age. Where once it would take hours to find information, there is now an almost immediate response to queries. Through the instant gratification technology provides, children begin to lose interest in reading. According to Michael, the disinterest in reading is “because reading takes time, and we have an instant gratification generation who can’t wait to read the book when they can just watch the movie” (Michael). Instead of spending days discovering a new world in a book, a child can instead spend a couple hours in front of a television and watch
Years ago, the foremost technology was simple and only somewhat effective, namely verbal communication (talking or writing). However, nowadays, we have modern methods of teaching; for example, typing and keeping files online. One educational resource that has changed is the textbook. For instance, in the article, “Top 12 Ways Technology Changed Learning” by Dr. Katherine McKnight, it states, “Today’s textbooks often have web-based sites that include assessments, animations, additional materials, videos, and other materials to support the learning of new content.” This proves technology that enables enriching learning resources has permanently altered how this generation is taught.
Today, we are introduced to the “e-books” known as the electronic reading device which includes all books and digit texts to read. The discussion of banning books and replacing them with the new e-books is still
In the past many students would utilize public libraries to aid them in their studies. Now, people can instantly browse the internet for answers in a fraction of the time they would spend at the library. Nevertheless there is still a fraction of the population who do not have regular access to the internet. A recent study showed that Hispanics, the unemployed, and rural Americans are among those people who are less likely to use digital forms of reading (source c). Most likely this is due to a lack of opportunities to access modern technology.
Many of the urban school targets high poverty areas, therefore there is a tremendous need for implementing technology into an urban setting. Many urban schools have outdated technology computers, and inadequate or nonexistent science equipment, materials and labs. Therefore students do not have the required software or material for a student to become successful. In some of the urban schools the textbooks are outdated therefore using an eBooks would be a good way to updated all learning material. When schools are able to provide intellectual support and resources, students can develop academically and discover their intellectual abilities. “Providing laptops for urban adolescents, for example, has increased achievement and engagement when computer use moves beyond rote skill practice” (Penuel, pg.21 2006)”. During Hiller research he indicated that a reform initiative should be providing laptops and wireless access in an urban high school. By doing this he believe this will improve urban student’s standardized test scores. Student can be easily influenced through a game to retaining different concepts. Utilizing ...
Thompson asserts that despite the increasing technological advancement in the academic cycle, printed books will never become obsolete, but will always remain in use[1]. This is because of several advantages that most readers get from printed books over digital books. It is important for readers to note that e-books will never replace printed books due to better quality format, as well as, experience. Printed books allow readers to read in the old fashion manner, give a book as a present to a person, and display books as artwork in the house. All these kinds of experiences are unavailable in digital books.
Most of the time the Internet makes learning fun, unlike the plain fashion of the "almighty" textbook. Computers and other technology can also heighten the learning process by actively engaging students in the task of exploring data. Some students may be tempted to simply download information from the Internet that does not have anything to do with a particular subject that they were asked to research. This shows that the Internet may have a greater impact to education than to learn that information from a typical textbook. Since computers and the Internet have expanded the way with which
Some years ago, with the arrival of digital technology, the process of reading has been changed to make it easier for everybody; therefore digital books are replacing the actual physical books. In spite of the fact that paper books and digital books are very similar in some ways, such as tittle pages, copyright page, covers, chapters or tables of contents; they present a visual and a sensory difference. In fact, they have a similar action that gives benefits but drawbacks at the same time. Paper books are tangible, accomplishment, easy to share; they have a unique aroma, and a sensitive side. But people should take in consideration that digital books are the better choice, because they are portable, convenient, cheap in price, and easy to manipulate, not to mention that anybody is able to have an bunch of them in only one file, either their phones or
Technology has had a negative impact on education by causing distractions during class lectures and assignments. The over use of technology is leading to a loss in communication skills and troubles in reading. The use of technology causes many people to have the temptation for cheating in and out of classrooms, resulting in students not wanting to study. Not every student has the capability of connecting to the internet or have contact to technology. This creates difficulties for those students without connection to the internet to complete online assignments or have accesses to their school’s resources. Also, for online courses, students have to wait for an email response in order to get help or to understand a lecture that the professor is
As more people began to access the Internet through smart phones and tablets rather than laptops and computers, it is not a surprise that they would also want to transform the American education system by bringing tablets into classrooms. In fact, a few schools around the country have already replaced textbooks with tablets and have seen improvements in students’ standardized test scores. Using tablets instead of textbooks is not only convenient and helpful, but it can also reduce the amount of paper wastes in school. However, it is not a good idea to completely transform textbooks with tablets with the current technology, for it can not only be damaging to the environment and costly to set up, but also might not be effective in improving K-12 education in the long run.
Ebooks are being constantly purchased by consumers; hardcover print books are usually pricey. However, taking notes on paper can become soiled with ink or pencil marks. Unlike ebooks, they can have a notepad built in which helps by just tapping on the keyboard. Print books is more of a hassle, considering flipping through pages and writing notes down on paper. On the other hand, using an ebook is multitasking, by reading and typing out notes it helps the user to feel as if they are using some sort of app. Ebooks keeps things organized and more oriented by reading and note taking. It does not take time in going through pages and pages in
With the advent of modern technology, a forceful impact of this technology has been observed in nearly all walks of modern day life. With the increasing access to these facilities, the lives of modern-day human beings have changed so dramatically that in many cases a reversal towards the old ways of life seems apparently impossible. Similar is the case with the process of education. In general the concept of e-learning has modified learning modes and behaviors to a much greater extent. It has...