E-books in the classroom: A survey of students and faculty at a school of pharmacy

Objectives: To identify the availability and interest in the adoption of e-textbooks by a school of pharmacy's students and faculty. Methods: An initial identification of all required and suggested textbooks used within a school of pharmacy's required courses was completed. Two anonymous questionnaires (Appendix A) were then administered through an online survey instrument to both students and faculty via a link in an e-mail asking for voluntary participation. Results: Responses were received from 41% of faculty and 42% of students. Seventy percent of required textbooks and 33% of suggested textbooks were available for purchase in an e-book format. Responses to the survey questions revealed that printed textbooks were preferred over electronic textbooks by students (78.7%) and faculty (84%). Factors that affected their decision to use printed or electronic textbooks were also identified. Conclusions: Electronic books have the potential to offer many benefits to readers. However, it appears that students and faculty at this school of pharmacy are not interested in adopting electronic textbooks at this time. As the availability of electronic textbooks increases and people become more aware of their capabilities, future surveys may reveal a change in students' and faculty's attitudes toward this medium. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.