How do e-book readers enhance learning opportunities for distance work-based learners?

Figures & data

Table 1. Making course materials available on the e-book readers.

Step	Description
1: Preparation	The course teams updated and proofread all materials.
2: Conversion	A DUCKLING project learning technologist converted the source materials into ePub format. The formatting was supported by Calibre software (http://calibre-ebook.com/), a free, cross-platform e-book reader management system. See how to turn a Word document into ePub format in Figure 1.
3: Pre-loading	The re-formatted course materials (in ePub format) – and in the case of the Education students, the socio-linguistics textbook – were copied onto the e-book readers.
4: Delivery	The e-book readers were delivered to students.
5: Updates in ePub format via VLE	Updated versions of the materials and new resources were uploaded to Blackboard in ePub format for students to add to their e-book readers. These files were also available in Word or PDF formats for standard access.
6: Guidance	The DUCKLING project team produced guidance documentation for students to follow and instructions on how to add new materials onto the devices, including journal articles from the digital library.

Figure 1 Turning a Word document into ePub format.

Table 2. Summary of the survey questions.

Category	Survey questions
Usage	Where, how often and for how long (each time) did you use the course materials on the e-book reader?
	What other documents (in addition to the pre-loaded course materials) did you use on the e-book reader?
Usability	To what extent did you find the course materials on the e-book reader easy to read?
	How has the e-book reader changed the way you study?
	Rank and justify your preferences for reading the course materials, given the choices of having them in print, on the e-book reader or on Blackboard.
	How easy it is to transfer documents onto the e-book reader?
Usefulness	How helpful did you find the e-book reader in your studies?
	To what extent were you satisfied with the e-book reader?
	What functions were you satisfied and not satisfied with?

Table 3. Respondents’ profile.

	Education students		OP students		Total
Instrument	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Total
Survey	9	8	2	9	11	17	28
Interview	6	3	1	2	7	5	12

Figure 2 A fragment of a causal map.

Table 4. Where do students use their e-book readers?

Location/place	Education students	OP students	Total
At home	9	8	17
In the office	6	3	9
At public places (e.g. library, café)	10	6	16
On the move (e.g. train, bus, plane)	11	7	18

Figure 3 Effective use of time.

Table 5. Has the e-book reader changed students’ study?

Has the e-book reader changed the way you study?	Education students	OP students	Total
Yes	8	3	11
No	9	8	17

Figure 4 Situational reading.

Figure 5 Cost saving for students.

Table 6. Cost of introducing e-book readers in 2009.

Cost category	Item	Costs per student
Device	SONY-PRS-505™ (discontinued), replaced by SONY PRS-300™	£150
Delivery	Secure DHL delivery	£30 per parcel overseas
Materials	Formatting and converting module materials into ePub	Averaged at £60 per device
Total cost per student		£240

Table 7. Summary of key advantages of e-book readers in curriculum delivery.

Finding	Key points
Enhanced flexibility in curriculum delivery to meet mobility demands	Students used their e-book readers in different places (at home, in the office, in public places and on the move) to access all essential course readings.
Better use of time	Students found it easy to take the e-book reader anywhere and read whenever an opportunity arises. They filled in the gaps during the day for study purposes.
New study strategies	Some students changed their strategies for reading, keeping notes and approaching assignments. Some students opted for the e-book reader for reading while on the move, the iPhone™ for a quick check, and printed material for note-taking and highlighting.
Cost savings for students	As a direct result of the availability of the e-book reader, some students were less dependent on printed material and more selective when printing materials out.

Table 8. Content added by learners to their e-book readers.

Type of content	Education students	OP students	Total
Course-related material (i.e. journal articles)	11	7	18
Novels	9	4	13
Support material from other sources (i.e. the Internet)	6	2	8
Documents created by the student him/herself	4	0	4
Images	1	1	2

Table 9. To what extent do students find the e-book reader easy to use for reading materials?

To what extent do you find the e–book reader easy to use for reading?	Education students	OP students	Total
Very easy	5	4	9
Easy	7	5	12
Neither easy nor difficult	4	2	6
Difficult	1	0	1
Very difficult	0	0	0

Table 10. How easy it is to transfer documents onto the e-book reader?

How easy it is to transfer documents onto the e-book reader?	Education students	OP students	Total
Very easy	3	1	4
Relatively easy	11	7	18
Relatively difficult	0	1	1
Very difficult	1	0	1
I’ve never transferred any documents onto my e-book reader	2	2	4