Analyzing the Impact of Course Structure on Electronic Textbook Use in Blended Introductory Physics Courses

How do elements of course structure (i.e., the frequency of assessments, as well as the sequencing and weight of course resources) influence the usage patterns of electronic textbooks (etexts) in introductory physics courses? We are analyzing the access logs of courses at Michigan State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which deployed etexts as primary or secondary texts in combination with different formative assessments (e.g., embedded reading questions) and different summative assessment (exam) schedules. As such studies are frequently marred by arguments over what constitutes a “meaningful” interaction with a particular page (usually judged by how long the page remains on the screen), we are considering a set of different definitions of “meaningful” interactions. We find that course structure has a strong influence on how much of the etexts students actually read, and when they do so: particularly courses that deviate strongly from traditional structures, most notably by more frequent exams, show consistently high usage of the materials with far less “cramming” before exams.