Kindle Test: Students Still Stuck on Paper

October 21st, 2009

I was surprised the other day to see a college student I know pull out a stack of index cards and flip through them while studying for a big test. She and her friends constantly text and communicate via Facebook, but when it comes to taking notes and marking important passages in a textbook, they seem to turn to traditional paper instead of technology.

That observation fits with what The Associated Press reported when Amazon.com gave university students Kindle devices this fall. The Kindles, which had been uploaded with digital textbooks –pricier than books –were tested by more than 200 college students.

Some students reported problems typing notes using the small keys. Although there’s the ability to highlight passages or bookmark pages, some students told the AP that they had trouble sorting through the many bookmarks.

One positive: Students said the portable Kindle allowed them to study more often.

If you are pursuing a career in technology, your future could involve creating tech-savvy tools that assist students in learning and studying.

Some of my friends in college or who work at colleges say the drawbacks are the lack of color and difficulty with graphics or reading PDF documents that professors may provide students. They and the students interviewed by the AP also said they didn’t want to lose the ability to scribble notes in margins.

In an electronic world, index cards and notebooks still have a place – for now.

–Lori Johnston

Entry Filed under: College Trends, General, News, School Tools