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Student e-Textbook Engagement and Performance Outcomes

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Inclusive Access and Open Educational Resources E-text Programs in Higher Education

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Abstract

E-textbooks improve the accessibility and delivery of educational content and offer additional benefits. The university featured in this study implemented an e-textbook program. One important goal is to identify a relationship between e-textbook engagement and learning performance outcomes. The comprehensive literature review includes an analysis of earlier studies comparing print textbooks and e-textbooks and studies on the impact of e-textbook usage on performance. This study examines the relationship of several variables, including e-textbook engagement, pages read, number of reading sessions, highlight/bookmark count, reading session length, and student performance. This study suggests that e-textbook tool usage has a moderate effect on learning performance. An e-textbook platform provides a more accurate assessment of reading engagement than self-reported measures. The quality of interactions during reading time is as important as the quantity of time spent. Quality is determined by reading strategies, study techniques, and tool usage. The success of an e-textbook platform is not limited to technical factors but also requires student motivation. Instructors must use motivation techniques to increase student engagement. Future studies should consider students’ intrinsic characteristics, study habits, and learning ability. This study makes a significant contribution to the understanding of e-textbooks and student engagement and examines the benefits of learning analytics.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Note: VitalSource (Ingram Content Group) purchased CourseSmart in 2014; all content was migrated to VitalSource by 2015.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Texas A&M University – San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Adrian Guardia, Robert Vinaja & F. I. Waggoner

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  1. Adrian Guardia
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  2. Robert Vinaja
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  3. F. I. Waggoner
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Correspondence to Adrian Guardia .

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  1. Texas A&M University-San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Tracy A. Hurley

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Guardia, A., Vinaja, R., Waggoner, F.I. (2020). Student e-Textbook Engagement and Performance Outcomes. In: Hurley, T. (eds) Inclusive Access and Open Educational Resources E-text Programs in Higher Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45730-3_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45730-3_11

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-45730-3

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