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If the technology is used solely as a content provider - for example, if iPads are used as alternatives to books - then there won't be any positive impact, he said.

"Where technology does have a positive impact is when it actively engages students, when it's used as a communication tool, when it's used for things like simulations or games that enable students to actively manipulate the environment."

A fifth of American adults have read an e-book in the past year and the number of e-book readers grew after a major increase in ownership of e-book reading devices and tablet computers during the holiday gift-giving season

The average reader of e-books says she has read 24 books (the mean number) in the past 12 months, compared with an average of 15 books by a non-e-book consumer.

Some 41% of tablet owners and 35% of e-reading device owners said they are reading more since the advent of e-content.

"Our research shows that the argument that there is a generational break between today's generation of young people who are immersed in new technologies and older generations who are less familiar with technology is flawed," says Dr Jones. "The diverse ways that young people use technology today shows the argument is too simplistic and that a new single generation, often called the 'net generation', with high skill levels in technology does not exist."

while students had a wide exposure to technology, they often lacked an in-depth knowledge of specialised pieces of software

a small minority of students who either didn't use email or have access to mobile phones