728 Journal of Dental Education ■ Volume 76, Number 6 Educational Methodologies Electronic vs. Traditional Textbook Use: Dental Students’ Perceptions and Study Habits Marcia M. Ditmyer, Ph.D., M.C.H.E.S.; Jared Dye, D.M.D.; Nadim Guirguis, D.M.D.; Kyle Jamison, D.M.D.; Michael Moody, D.M.D.; Connie C. Mobley, Ph.D., R.D.; William D. Davenport, Ph.D. Abstract: This descriptive study assessed dental students’ attitudes about computer use as it relates to study habits and use of e-textbook technology. Academic deans and student leaders at all accredited dental education programs in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada were asked to forward an e-mail to students explaining the purpose of the study and asking them to participate. The e-mail included an embedded URL link to the survey. A total of 703 complete responses from twenty-four dental schools were received and used in the fnal analysis. Because the number of students contacted could not be determined, the overall response rate cannot be calculated. Over 65 percent of the respondents reported spending >11 hours per week studying although over 75 percent said they spent little time studying from their textbooks. Over 55 percent were from schools that use e-textbooks exclusively, with 25 percent from schools that exclusively use print textbooks. One-fourth indicated they purchased a traditional printed textbook even when an e-textbook was provided; more than one-third printed information from the e-textbooks rather than reading on the computer. A majority (59 percent) preferred traditional textbook resources over e-textbooks, with over 50 percent reporting not using the required e-textbooks at all. E-textbooks were used by students in this study less frequently than materials/notes provided by dental school faculty. The majority preferred to use traditional resources as references and for augmenting lecture material. Dr. Ditmyer is Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine; Dr. Dye is an Oral and Maxillofacial Resident, University of Iowa College of Dentistry; Dr. Guirguis is an Orthodontic Resident, University of the Pacifc Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry; Dr. Jamison is a May 2012 graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine; Dr. Moody is a May 2012 graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medi- cine; Dr. Mobley is Associate Dean of Research, University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine; and Dr. Davenport is Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine. Direct correspondence and requests for reprints to Dr. Marcia M. Ditmyer, School of Dental Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 1001 Shadow Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89106-4124; 702-774-2646 phone; 800-549-8707 fax; marcia.ditmyer@unlv.edu. Keywords: technology, dental education, dental students, computers in dentistry, textbooks, e-textbooks Submitted for publication 4/28/11; accepted 10/25/11 T his is a turbulent time for publishing com- panies and traditional bookstores, with the transition from traditional books to electronic books (e-books) causing large, upscale bookstores to lose millions of dollars and even being forced to shut their doors and fle for bankruptcy. 1,2 Even though e-books have been around since the 1970s, they have only recently become fashionable with the development of handheld reading devices such as the Kindle, iPad, Tablets, etc. 1-4 This revolution has led to major changes in the publishing industry. The crossroads between traditional print books and e-book technology coincides with an immersion in media in the United States, with K-12 students report- edly spending almost seven hours per day on average looking at media screens (televisions, computers, PDAs, etc.). 5 U.S. school children, K-12, devote more time to media than to any other waking activity. If publishers are to continue to reach this population, they need to accommodate new technology, but while there are those who embraced this technology early on, others are now scrambling to meet the digital challenge. 6 Among the early adopters of e-textbooks are for-proft universities such as the University of Phoenix, in which most class content is delivered electronically in a distance education environment, allowing for a more on-demand delivery system. Some feel that the use of computers and e- textbooks in the classroom opens up new potential for both teachers and secondary school students. 6,7 Others