Study of User Experiences on Electronic- and Paper-Based Reading

This paper reports the result of an experiment which tested the users’ experience regarding electronicor paper-based reading. The use of electronic means for reading is widely spread and utilized for a wider variety of tasks, including on-line or electronic reading. In addition, the development of “E-Book” has become fashion in IT industry and even been predicted to replace the conventional paper-based reading. Nevertheless, little research has been done to understand the association of user preferences between these means, in particular, with regard to Chinese environment. A qualitative performance measurement applied to 20 university students was carried out, in which recorded the user behavior and critical incidents in different reading modes based on an analysis of a videotape of reading process, in order to understand the usage of different means, as well as to monitor how people responded to various reading environments. The results showed that most people did not cope with e-based reading well. The disadvantages of paper-based reading, however, did not yet converted to advantages for e-based reading. The main barriers identified are the lower level of man-machine interactions and self-control during e-reading process. Other technical issues such as the glaze of screen, and layout and reading position were also reported. A list of recommendations was made in order to design an e-based reading device which can provide a more comfortable reading experience. Additional implications and future research directions were also discussed.