Poll Results: “If you were to take an online course, what type of textbook would you prefer?”

We had fantastic participation in our recent poll “If you were to take an online course, what type of textbook would you prefer?” with almost 100 people taking the time to cast their vote.  The results showed that 60% of respondents would prefer a physical textbook, while 40% would prefer an eTextbook (i.e. eBook or Kindle).

Those who preferred physical textbooks appreciated the “hands on” ability and freedom to skip around the information being studied, to easily review information, mark chapters, make notes and underline important passages. 

On the other hand, some felt that an eBook allows the user to take the material anywhere.  One proponent of the eBook noted that he uses Evernote to markup eBooks and make important notes.  eBooks have an advantage of being searchable, and are easy to cut and paste from into course assignments.  A couple of respondents mentioned that it is important that an eBook come in printable format so that they could print their own copy to mark page number references, make notes and flag quotes on. 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote!