A small pilot project last spring tested electronic textbooks, or eTexts, in four courses. A new trial this semester has expanded to 16 courses involving about 1,600 students and incorporates research on learning outcomes.

Most students in the first trial enjoyed the portability -- an iPad or even a laptop weighs less than a sack of books -- and liked the promise of lower costs. Some, however, said they had problems with readability and incompatibility with certain devices.

In return for being test subjects, students receive the eTexts, all provided by McGraw-Hill, for free. Those who still prefer paper can purchase print-on-demand versions through the Cornell Store at a lower cost than the commercial text. In the spring trial about 12 percent chose that option. This fall, some courses also use digital course packs assembled by faculty members.

The spring experience was evaluated through faculty interviews, student focus groups and online surveys of participants.

"The new pilot will look beyond the convenience factor," said Clare Van Den Blink, director of academic technology services in Cornell Information Technologies. "This is a new opportunity to look at how eTexts can affect teaching and learning. What we saw in the spring was that how electronic textbooks were used was variable across the faculty. Does that make a difference to students? And from the student perspective, does it change how they study?"

Digital texts are downloaded through the Blackboard online course management system and read with software called Courseload, which allows users to add annotations and links and share their additions with study groups. Instructors also can add annotations and links, and students can use the software to submit questions to instructors. The Web-based system works with any browser that supports the HTML5 standard, including tablets and smartphones.

Faculty in the spring pilot program made little use of the enhanced electronic features, and as a result, students also neglected them. These responses closely mirrored those seen nationally by the textbook industry, said Gary Swisher, assistant director for merchandising at the Cornell Store. "What surprises me is that the stuff was free, and we still saw the same results," he noted. Apparently students are more concerned about usability than cost.

"I found mixed results," said Alan Giambattista, senior lecturer in physics, who was part of the spring pilot project. He taught an "autotutorial" introductory physics course where students rely more heavily on the text than in a lecture course. "What was really great about the eText was that they always had it with them or available," he reported. On the other hand, he said, print offers some psychological advantages. "You get a sense of where something is on the page," he explained. "My assumption is that as the technology gets better the advantages of print will carry over into the digital format." This year he's offering students a choice of print or digital, and they're about evenly split, he said.

Cornell is part of a team of schools testing eTexts. Last spring five schools participated. The new test includes 27 schools. The multi-institutional project is managed by the Internet2 organization, which operates a nationwide high-speed research computing network and uses the buying power of the large group of connected institutions to negotiate opportunities for higher education.