Use of E-Books among University Statistics Students in Libya - Thesis Proposal Example

Use of E-Books among University Statistics Students in Libya 1. Literature review There exist several opinions and definitions of the term ‘electronic-book’ as used within the modern day context. The first meaning revolves around the use of word, which means content that is in digital format, and it cannot be read by without using electronic devices such as computers, I-pads and tablets. Furthermore, the word e-book is used, while referring to a range of portable devices that are designed to support reading of content in digital forms, and moreover, these devices can copy shapes and sizes of the traditional books (Rao 2005). Many past research studies have found out that there is a rather slow adoption of the e-book as compared with the emerging trends in the use of technology within various disciplines of use. It was projected that there would be a higher rate of approval by now though that is not what actually is being witnessed. For instance, a study conducted by Roesnita and Zainab (2005) in Malaysia among university going student revealed that only about 39% of them had utilized e-books before the commencing of the study. This was against the general notion that is existing and presumes that university students are higher in literacy levels and in technology use and thus would be better placed in utilizing the e-library or any material would-be within the internet environment. In yet another study by Oliveira about 12.1% of the Andrews university (respondents) were found to have used or to use e-text books compared to the larger percentage that were found not to utilize the e-library (Oliveira, 2012). In fact, among those found to have ever used the service had been compelled by the requirement of the physics teacher that they had to use the service. This further constricted the number of those who voluntary used the service to merely 4%of the total sample that was used for the study. The shocking findings of the research study by Woody, Daniel and Baker (2010) were that there has not been any notable change in preference of the textbooks to the e-books even within the evolution in IT within the century. Nicholas and Lewis who carried out a survey in 2008 regarding the attitudes of the people within the millennium towards the use of e-reading material as compared to the print materials postulated another supportive argument to this finding (2008). The study found out that many people in the current generation would prefer to use ‘old’ print materials as compared to the new and more simplistic method of learning through the online materials. This is against the perception that the modern day people would highly appreciate the use of internet for studying especially due to the fact that majority of today’s activities are interlinked with the internet as well as other online applications (Khan, 2007). In an earlier study conducted by Knutson and Fowler (2009), e-texts received mixed reviews from students as relatively a low percentage acknowledged the use and effectiveness in using the services. Shepperd, Grace and Koch, (2008), obtained Supportive results in the same year when examining the perceptions and academic performance of students who adopts electronic learning material compared to the others who used the normal print text books within an introductory class to psychology. A higher percentage chose the print paper materials for learning as compared to the lower percentage who perceived the use of electronic materials positively. Moreover, the student who had previously chosen to use the electronic materials declined to purchase them in the introductory class. According to a survey conducted by Chong, Lim and Ling (2008), the results confirmed that there has been insignificant use of e-Books in Multimedia University; hence, the number of people was very low. On the other hand, Roesnita and Zainab (2005) conformed that there was an increase of thirteen percent in use of e-books among students in Malaysian universalities; in fact, these findings were obtained through a survey they had conducted. However, these results were influenced by the fact that this increase was caused by increased in exposure to computers and information technology among participants of the survey (Gluck, nd). There was another research conducted by Noorhidawati and Gibb (2008) in Scottish Higher Education Institute, which indicated that approximately sixty percent of participant in their research were not users of e-books. Besides, reasons for these, students have not developed interest leading to ignorance regarding existence of internet connectivity and materials. Communication among students in the university libraries was ineffective; thus, they were unable communicate about availability of materials in various online stores and this caused underutilization of these resources. A research conducted by McCarty (2001) in University of Colorado Boulder Libraries indicated that students considered use of e-books a convenient way of gathering secondary sources during researches. In this case, these students used e-books for conducting online searches using search engines such as Google. Nonetheless, these results subdued those identified in a research conducted by Noorhidawati and Gibb (2008), whereby they indicated that students utilized e-books in order to retrieve relevant materials for their projects. Healy (2002) interviewed about 3200 members of a distinct faculty, undergraduates as well as graduate students through which he found out that majority of his respondents used e-books mainly for research, learning as well as for teaching. Other opinions by authors have stated that e-books are mostly used for reference purpose or for finding relevant content (Gunter, 2005; Long, 2003; Krapohl et al., 2010). Another research involving 22,437 participants was conducted in United Kingdom by Nicholas and Lewis (2008), and the results indicated that e-book utilization among students was approximately 61.8%. Therefore, Uprising of e-books is expected to take a long period before attaining worldwide acceptance (Levine-Clark, 2006). University of Illinois students were equally engaged in a survey that was meant to confirm their appreciation of using the e-books and only about 57% of the respondents reported to have used e-books in their system of studies. Nevertheless, 41% of those who claimed to have never used the books cited ignorance to be the reason; that they were not aware of the availability of the online materials in from of e-books (Shelburne, 2009). Others reported that they never knew how to retrieve the material from the online stores while others expressed their bad perceptions and attitude towards the use of these materials. The study found out that higher appreciation for the use of the online materials was due to the ease of retrieval in 24 hours and the diversity that accompanied the online storage. Moreover, retrieval of these materials was -not hindered by physical location as was through other media such as the print materials and textbooks. 2. Background 2.1 What is E-book? E-book refers to forms of books, which is presented in digital format in order to provide scholars and educators with tools that are applied in teaching and reading content in a given area (Duncan, 2010). On the other hand, these e-books are purchased from online stores through downloading, while others are accessible freely from online libraries, and furthermore, other e-books are designed by students in order to meet their expectations and needs in terms of features. 2.2 Benefits of and problems with e-books Most teacher as well as modern librarians advocate for the use of electronic books for study citing the many benefits that are derived from the method of learning (Pastore, 2008; Educause, 2006). They reason that among other benefits derived, the method is relatively cheap in matters of costs, availability of variety as well as the environmetal implications through saving trees as source of papers for the print materials. Besides these benefits, the ease of earning and the experience in using e-materials is excellent due to the multimedia features that are basic accompaniments of e-materials. This therefore provides a new dimension in learning for the people who fancy reading through diversity and may provide new learning experiences to aid learning for persons who find learning challenging. Furthermore, it is easy to present feedback to authors and recommend possible changes to the learning materials. However, according to Siracusa (2009) complaints over the use of e-gadgets include the size and quality of the screen, resistance to reading on a screen rather than holding a real book and the e-reading device itself (too small, large, or the fear of fragility) (Weinstein, 2010). Moreover, the lack of e-book standards both the lack of e-book standards both in platform and publishing rules and issues of e-book piracy are other issues that concern the use of e-books (Rivero, 2010; Spring, 2010;Williams, 2011). 3. Objectives One of the objectives in this research is to indentify characteristics, facilitators and constraints of using e-books in educational settings as identified in higher education in Libya. The research will seek to determine probable readers of textbooks and e-books in general educational settings. In addition, this research will focus on determine feelings associated with use of e-books based on learning experience in various ways compared to use of conventional form of textbooks. Besides, the research will determine whether e-books are more useful compared to printed books in the process of conducting a research. This research has a prime objective of identifying acknowledgement, attitudes and behaviours towards e-book; hence, identifying whether teachers are recommending them to be used by students. Therefore, this will enable researchers to establish whether students express their experience and insights. Findings gathered in this research will be used by other researchers in the future since there are not previous researches that have been conducted in this field. There will be recommendations, which will be offered in this study that will facilitate decision making among lectures in Libya, whereby they can establish strategies to incorporate use of e-books in their educational institutions. 3. Methodology 1. Objective of this research will be achieved through a review of literature concerning attributes of technology-based education in Libya. Results: Comprehension of present state of technology-based education in Arabic countries, which will provide a basis of framing research study. Moreover, there will be a detailed literature review aimed at establishing different aspects of technology based learning in Libya. This literature review will offer a way of understanding present condition of technology-based education in Libya. Some of the areas of study in this research include; teaching and learning paradigms in higher education, utilization of e -book, technologies and support necessary for discharge of these paradigms, difficulties, impediments and facilitators of e-learning situation in developing countries, and attributes of flourishing e-learning proposal. There will be an investigation involving literature review through a study concerning experience and viewpoints of integration of technology with education; in fact, this will be based on perceptions of instructors, administrators, learners, technical staff, who are in higher education in Libya. 2. Conducting an evaluation through examination to the selected institutions Results: there will be a summary of regarding past and present situation in relation to incorporation of technology into teaching and learning in selected institution. Selection of research design in this study will focus on involvement of multi-site case study regarding three distinctive Libyan higher education institutions, and these represent different forms of institutions. Institution A: (Tripoli University) Institution B: (Al-Jabal Al-Gharbi University) It is a regional university situated exterior to the capital city Tripoli, almost 100 km on the southwest, with populations of 20000 students. Institution C: (Al- Zawia University) This is a local university situated in Tripoli, around sixty kilometres westwards; in fact, information will be gathered, via assessment of institutional publication and documents, and associations regarding progression of organisational formation, educational advances, program, provision, and students’ report, technology for teaching/learning and other functions in specific institutions for the case studies. The reason for choosing this case study methodology is to facilitate sustainability in the process of expanding research (Burns, 1994). Nonetheless, there are disadvantages identified in this case methodology base on generalization of the research. Furthermore, this is based on purpose of research study, which involves provisions of sets of recommendations for given institutions (A, B & C). In addition, these recommendations will be considered vital for suggestions in advancing integration of e-book regarding Libyan higher education institution with the same profile. 3. Searching for and analysing information concerning understanding and opinion of technology-based learning from principal stakeholders from chosen institutions. Results: Analysis of desire and attentiveness of utilization of technology involving e-books will be documented, and besides, there will be an assessment of background of case study involving institution, through which information concerning experience with technology will be gathered. In fact, this information will be obtained from students, educators and technical support in these institutions. Data will be collected using survey and interviews, which will facilitate exploration of research problem form different perspectives (Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2003), while on the other hand, other issues regarding this study will be explored in relation to incorporation of technology into education. There will be three section of the questionnaire, which will comprise of personal details of the respondents, framework of participants assessments and perception towards, and utilization of e-books. There will be questions in the third proposal, whereby participants will answer them in order to describe their reasons for not utilizing e-books. Furthermore, researchers will seek permission from ARM University Human Research Ethics Committee and the Libyan institutions, in order to allow participation in this study. Researchers will test questionnaire and interview questions using twenty or more participants, through a distribution based on contacts of researchers in Libya. Respondents will be accorded relevant assistance, which will be required for answering these questions. On the other hand, distribution and collection of these surveys will be agreed upon by necessary representatives involving participating institutions. In addition, there are some researchers who will be required to travel to Libya, where they will spend four to five weeks, while conducting these interviews with study respondents, thereby decreasing biases in these surveys. There will be development of survey instruments in English language, which will also be translated in Arabic in order to target respondents before analysing the difficulties experienced by participants due to use of English in communicating. Data from these surveys will be collected using Arabic, while the findings will be presented using English as a language by researchers; more translations will be made in order to support relevant decisions and documents (Birbili, 2000). In this case, it will require Arabic translators for them to confirm that questioners and questions used in the interview are translated from Arabic to English, and that these translations are gathered from gathered data. 4. Establish sets of recommendations concerning adoption of e-book in specific institutions and higher education regarding similar profile in Libya. Outcome: There are increased chances for e-book being incorporated in Libyan higher education sector, and this can be document while focusing on perceptions of institutional context and analysis of stakeholders experience and preferences for technology based learning; in fact, this can be a set of proposition applied in advancing assimilation of e-books. 4. Significance of Research This research will focus on portraying relevant information which can bridge the gap that exist between other studies and the theme of book that acts a way of offering the following ideas: 1-Contribute significantly to present, and narrow body of information regarding condition, difficulties and chances of incorporating utilization of e-books in education in Libya. 2- This research offers a basis of comprehending totality of education in condition involving participation and desire to incorporate e-books in their learning process. 3-This research will be used by other researchers in the future to contribute to a body of knowledge concerning this topic in Libya. REFERENCES Birbili, M. (2000). Translating from one language to another. Social Research Update 31, University of Surrey. Retrieved on 26 June, 2013 from< http://sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU31.html > Burns, R. (1994). Introduction to research methods (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Longman Cheshire. 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