Last fall, PrinceÂton launched a small experÂiÂment, replacÂing traÂdiÂtionÂal textÂbooks with the KinÂdle DX, AmaÂzon’s large e‑book readÂer. Almost from the beginÂning, the 50 stuÂdents parÂticÂiÂpatÂing in the pilot proÂgram expressed disÂsatÂisÂfacÂtion with the devices. YesÂterÂday, a uniÂverÂsiÂty report offered some more definÂiÂtive findÂings. On the upside, stuÂdents using the KinÂdle DX endÂed up using far less paper. (Paper conÂsumpÂtion was genÂerÂalÂly reduced by 54%.) On the downÂside, stuÂdents comÂplained that the KinÂdle was funÂdaÂmenÂtalÂly “ill-suitÂed for class readÂings.” As one stuÂdent put it:
I expectÂed it to be a realÂly useÂful tool that would enhance my expeÂriÂence, but it has hinÂdered my studÂies in a lot of difÂferÂent ways… I wasn’t able to absorb the mateÂrÂiÂal as well as if I had hard copies of the readÂings, and I had to deal with a lot of techÂniÂcal inconÂveÂniences just from the design of the KinÂdle.
For more, give the DaiÂly PrinceÂtonÂian a read.
via @jryoung