Preferences and Use of Digital and/or Printed Copies of Learning Resources by Students of a Coastal University in Ghana

Abstract

In recent times, there has been an upsurge in the use of softcopy (digital) materials for learning especially among students on university campuses because digital devices abound. This has raised concerns of whether students now prefer the softcopies of learning resources to using hardcopies. This exploratory study therefore investigated the preferences of students (between softcopy and hardcopy materials) for reading. A descriptive survey was employed as the research design and questionnaires were used to gather data from respondents. Students from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana specifically, in their second to final years of some selected programmes were used in the survey. Data was analysed with the use of descriptive statistics. Despite the fact that students were observed to have more taste for their academic materials in electronic formats, the findings revealed that students preferred hardcopies to softcopies though they agreed that they make use of both depending on the situation. It was thus recommended that instructors should make course materials available in both digital and print formats for students to access for the studies.