Understanding enjoyment, usability, and
autonomy toward e-books as learning tools
that based on users attitudes
Shu-Sheng Liaw*, Hsiu-Mei Huang**
*General Education Center, China Medical University, 91 Shiuesh Rd., Taichung, 404, Taiwan, E-mail: ssliaw@mail.cm u .edu.tw, Phone: 886-4-22053366
**Corresponding author, Department of Information Management, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, 129, Sec. 3, Saming Rd., Taichung, 404, Taiwan, E-mail: hmhuang@nutc.edu.tw, Phone: 886-4-22196609
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to understand users’ enjoyment, usability, and autonomy toward e-books as learning tools. Based on the research model, a questionnaire survey was answered by 338 selected randomly universities’ students and they had been using 10” e-book (iPAD) experiences. The results showed that sharing functions and perceived confidence both are significant factors to predict perceived enjoyment and usability. Moreover, perceived enjoyment and perceived usability are contributors to positive affect users’ perceived autonomy toward e-books. Our study also finds perceived anxiety is no more predictor to affect perceived enjoyment and usability. And we discuss this situation at the last section.
Keywords: e-book, perceived autonomy, perceived enjoyment, perceived usability
1. Introduction
The computer and Internet technologies have well-developed now and these advanced technologies allow users to exploit the potential learning usability of e-books (electronic books) [1]. Essentially, e-books are defined typically as digital formatted books that prepared to be read via computers or handheld devices that have some additional features including such as visuals, sounds and communication functions. [2]. Generally, e-books assist personal works with handheld hardware devices that let learners use these devices to read digital formatted books [3], thus the e-book is a kind of information technology that facilitates reading and learning, allowing books and other text-based documents to be read on PCs, PDAs (personal digital assistants), or smart phones.
For learning purposes, e-books have several innovative advantages [1.4]. Essentially, e-books are easy to operate; their networking ability
makes it easy for users to update and share instructional resources; their search function makes it easy to managing instructional resources; they provide a user-friendly interface, the publishing and distribution process takes less time; there are no printing costs; they can incorporate multimedia and hypermedia content (e.g., audio, images, video and links); learners have access to on-demand dictionaries, the type size is adjustable; and a single e-reader can contain hundreds of books.
Although e-books have great potential for educational and learning purposes, how to investigate users’ autonomy toward e-books as learning tools is crucial issue for researchers and educators. Pintrich [5] defines autonomous learners as active, constructive learners. These learners could set their learning purposes for their learning. Ruohotie [6] states that autonomous learners are good to control their efforts in their learning activities. Basically, autonomous learners have more cognition, motivation, and active behavior to handle their own learning activities. When e-books as learning environments have popular, educators and researchers have been eagerly interested in students’ autonomy in e-books. Autonomous learning is an actively constructive learning activity whereby users control their own learning aims based on their previous experiences [5]. Autonomous users can be viewed as active participants who can control their own learning activities efficiently, such as monitoring their learning processes, rehearsing and organizing learning content to be used and learned [8]. Based on this point of view, the advantages of autonomous learning are a basically aspect to improve e-books for learning effectiveness. And this research is to understand users’ attitudes toward e-books as learning tools.
2. Research model
Based on understanding users’ autonomy toward e-books as learning tools, it is necessary to investigate users’ attitude factors. In other words, in e-books learning, which factors could affect learning autonomy? Previous research [9] showed when users could possess these three autonomous attributes to improve personal ability: (1), learner confidence, (2), motivation, and (3), assisting communication for finding.
From the point of view of e-books, motivation can be viewed as learning attitudes positively that including intrinsic motivation (enjoyment) and extrinsic motivation (usability). Confidence is a positive personal factor and anxiety is a negative personal factor. Sharing function is an effective function for assisting learning and help learners for managing learning environments. Thus, this research approach is based on Liaw & Huang [10]. From Liaw and Huang research, they proposed five predictors include enjoyment, usability, confidence, anxiety, and sharing function to predict autonomy.
From previous research [10,11,12,13,14, 15], confidence, anxiety, and sharing function could influence enjoyment positively. Therefore, these three hypotheses are proposed as follow:
H1: Based on previous research, confidence could affect enjoyment positively.
H2: Based on previous research, anxiety could affect enjoyment negatively.
H3: Based on previous research, sharing function could affect enjoyment positively.
From previous research [10,16], confidence, anxiety, and sharing function could influence usability positively. Therefore, these three hypotheses are proposed as follow:
H4: Based on previous research, confidence could affect usability positively.
H5: Based on previous research, anxiety could affect usability negatively. H6: Based on previous research, sharing function could affect usability positively.
Based on previous studies, autonomous learners could assist e-books as learning tools successfully. Indeed, from previous research [7, 14,17], enjoyment and usability could predict learning autonomy positively. Therefore, these two hypotheses are proposed as follow:
H7: Based on previous research, enjoyment could affect learning autonomy positively.
H8: Based on previous research, usability could affect learning autonomy positively.
The Figure 1 presents all the hypotheses:
Figure 1: Research model
H7 H8 H6 H5 H3 H4 H2 H1 Perceived confidence Perceived anxiety Sharing functions Perceived enjoyment Perceived usability Perceived autonomy
3. Methodology
3.1 participants
To better investigate user attitudes toward e-books as learning tools, we distribute a questionnaire to 338 selected universities students and they had been using 10” e-book (iPAD) experiences. The survey data include students’ demographic data and the experience of computer related knowledge, and attitudes toward e-books. Regarding to the 338 answered questionnaires, 33 incomplete responses were deleted and valid responses were 305.
3.2 Measurement
In this research, six different factors are included in this questionnaire survey. Five factors in these six factors of confidence, anxiety, sharing functions, enjoyment, and usability, were revised from Liaw’s [12] research (α = 0.97). Regarding to the factor of autonomy, the items was revised from the research of Liaw, and Huang’s [10] (α = 0.95). Thus, the questionnaire survey were totally 31 items and all items were 7-point Likert scales (from “strongly disagree” of 1 to “strongly agree” of 7).
4. Results
In this research, we have highly accepted the Cronbach's α(α=0.93). In order to investigate eight hypotheses, three stepwise multiple regressions were run for the research results.
A regression analysis was processed to investigate hypotheses of H1, H2, and H3. The result of this regression showed that two factors were significant predictors (confidence and sharing functions) (F(2, 302)=169.86, p<0.001, R2=0.66) and confidence had more contributions
(R2=0.56). Another regression analysis was also processed to examine
hypotheses of H4, H5, and H6. The result of this regression showed that two factors were predictors (confidence and sharing functions) (F(2, 302)=144.39, p<0.001, R2=0.51) and sharing functions had more
contributions (R2=0.48). Furthermore, one more regression analysis was
processed to examine hypotheses of H7 and H8. The result of this regression showed that two factors both were significant predictors (F(2, 302)=169.86, p<0.001, R2=0.64) and usability had more contributions
(R2=0.62). Table 1 showed the results of hypotheses. And Figure 2
presented the statistical results. Table 1: The results of hypotheses
H1 Confidence Enjoyment Ye
s
H3 Sharing functions Enjoyment Ye s H4 Confidence Usability Ye
s
H5 Anxiety Usability No
H6 Sharing function Usability Ye s
H7 Enjoyment Autonomy Ye
s
H8 Usability Autonomy Ye
s
Figure 2: the research results
5. Discussions and conclusions
Based on the results of this research, sharing functions and confidence can positively influence enjoyment toward e-books as learning tools, and confidence is a better contributor. Furthermore, sharing functions and confidence can positively influence usability toward e-books as learning tools. Based on the results, anxiety is no more predictor on both enjoyment and usability. This result is not support previous research [10,13,14]. Indeed, students have more computers and Internet experience; then their anxieties toward e-books are less than prior students have when using e-books.
Additionally, enjoyment and usability both are positive factors for improving learners’ autonomy using e-books. The results of this research of autonomy could be influenced by enjoyment and usability. These statistical results support previous research [7].
0.49 0.62 0.23 0.56 0.40 0.21 Perceived confidence Perceived anxiety Sharing functions Perceived enjoyment R2=0.56 Perceived usability R2=0.48 Perceived antonomy R2=0.64
Indeed, from pedagogical practice perspective, improve users’ effective autonomy toward e-books should encourage users’ confidence, create friendly sharing functions and enhance learners’ motivation. The results of this research also support that users’ usability and enjoyment toward e-books for learning purposes could be positively influenced by sharing functions.
Acknowledgement:
The study was supported by NSC101-2511-S-039-004-MY2
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