USING E-READERS AND TABLETS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

E-Readers have been firmly established in the consumer sector for some time now and are becoming increasingly available in universities. In today’s fast paced world, students need educational material instantly and e-Readers have the ability to meet that need. Many universities are running pilot programs while some are already using e-Readers. The latest tablet computers offer a multitude of features, including collaboration and social networking services. This empirical study was aimed at understanding the student perspective on the educational use of e-Readers and tablets within the University of Cape Town. A survey questionnaire was used to gather quantitative data that was analysed, to produce a range of information from awareness to preferences and facilitating conditions around e-Readers within the academic environment. From the findings of this research, it is clear the students want to embrace new technologies and the advantages they offer. E-Books can be updated automatically and downloaded to e-Readers instantly from almost anywhere in the world. Students feel they would benefit greatly through the use of e-Readers and many believe they are set to replace books completely. Having access to a portable library of information in their backpacks would benefit both students and their environment.