Physical Textbooks vs. Online Textbooks - Which is Better?
My very first article in the Tribune, analyzing a survey of student's textbook preference.
This month we sent out a survey to every student in the high school with the question: “Which do you prefer, a physical textbook or an online textbook?” Here are the results we gathered.
In this survey, we found that 49% of students preferred to use a physical textbook as opposed to an online textbook! One responder said, “The book is easier to read and you physically have the book in your hands. On the computer, it is harder to read because it can suddenly glitch out on you and other problems can occur. With a textbook in hand, you don’t have to worry about any of these tech problems.” Our student body would overall, rather have a physical textbook because they are easier to use and are always there for them.
On the other hand, 28.6% of our student body prefer to have online textbooks. Online textbooks have their advantages which made this the choice for others. One student said, “Physical textbooks weigh more and are harder to carry around, but for online textbooks, you only need your laptop. It’s easier to find information in an online textbook versus a physical textbook because you can use Ctrl+F (Find) to search for certain keywords.” These are some reasons our students would choose an online textbook over a physical textbook.
We also had 22.4% of students prefer neither an online textbook nor a physical textbook. One of the students who answered this way said, “I don’t prefer one (version) over the other. I like that I can search for keywords in the online textbook, but I also like the feel of a normal textbook in my hand.” So, for some, it was a toss-up between which version they liked better.
From the data, we conclude that our students would rather have physical textbooks as opposed to having an online textbook. As a student said in response to the survey, “Although using online textbooks is more convenient in many circumstances, I still prefer physical textbooks. In this day and age, students are looking at screens all the time, whether it’s for an online class or if they’re just using their phone. It is nice to be able to look at a physical page instead of staring at a screen just to complete my work.” Many students still claim to use physical textbooks, while others will find with the growth of technology in our culture, that online textbooks are better for them.
This article was originally featured in a 2019 issue of the Waukon High School Tribune which appeared in The Standard (a local newspaper serving the communities of Northeast Iowa, including my hometown, Waukon, Iowa).