Understanding student e-Textbook satisfaction and learning outcomes: Does the instructor still matter?

Background: With the increasing cost of textbooks and new generations of technology savvy students, universities and textbook publishers are promoting e-Textbooks as a more accessible and affordable alternative. Studies comparing adoption, preference, and learning effectiveness of print books and e-Textbooks provide conflicting results. There are a few research studies focused on student e-Textbook learning outcomes but no empirical studies have included the instructor as a factor. Methods: This study proposes a holistic model to investigate the antecedents of college student e-Textbook satisfaction and learning outcomes. A survey of 261 college students investigating factors related to students, e-Textbook, and instructors was conducted to understand their impact on student satisfaction and learning outcomes. Findings: The results show that faculty encouragement, computer self-efficacy, individual innovativeness, perceived preference for print books have significant impact on student e-Textbook satisfaction and learning outcomes. Perceived positive design of e-Textbook is only marginally significant for student e-Textbook satisfaction but shows no significant influence on student learning outcomes. Contribution: Recommendations and implications related to the findings about the important metrics such as e-Textbook features, student satisfaction and/or learning outcomes, and faculty encouragement will benefit institutions that are currently requiring e-Textbooks and those that are considering e-Textbook implementations.