Perspectives on the use and development of a broad range of e-books in higher education and their use in supporting virtual learning environments

Purpose - The paper aims to examine the problems, tensions, contrasts and complementarities surrounding the use of e-books in developing learning environments for students in UK higher education. Design/methodology/approach - The authors use four case studies and a questionnaire to highlight developments. Findings - It was found that users want some features of paper books to be preserved in the electronic medium, while also preferring electronic text to be written in a scannable style. Originality/value - The authors suggest some recommendations for successful design based on an analysis of all experimental data and suggests that hand-held devices and web site use in universities is probably secure for at least the next five years