1. Judy Borreson Caruso Shannon D. Smith 11/6/2009
The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology 2009
Judy Borreson Caruso
Shannon D. Smith
11/6/2009

2. What Undergraduates Say About Technology
Study design and respondent Characteristics
Ownership and use of IT in General and in the Academic Environment
Internet-capable handheld devices

3. The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2009
6th annual study
Special focus topic: Handheld Devices
Literature Review
Web-based survey
Focus groups
Longitudinal analysis
Student comments

4. Institutions & Respondents
115 U.S. and Canadian higher education institutions
103 four-year institutions
12 two-year institutions
30,616 respondents
61.5% Female / 38.5% Male
87.4% Full-time / 12.6% Part-time
40.4% On campus / 59.6% Off Campus
3 International institutions

6. Computer Ownership – 2006-2009 39 Institutions

7. Technology Adoption

8. Activity College/university library website 94.6%
Students Engaged
Median Frequency *
Associated Demographic Factors
College/university library website
94.6%
Weekly
Full-time /4-year institutions
Presentation software
93.8%
Monthly
Business/seniors
Social networking
90.3%
Daily
Age (younger) / Reside on campus
Text Message
89.8% —
Spreadsheets
86.8%
Seniors/business/ engineering
Course/Learning management system
86.0%
Several Times/ Week
Download music or videos
84.2%
Male
Instant Message
74.0%
Reside on campus
Graphics software
73.3%

9. Communication Technology Use 2006-2009 (39 Institutions)

10. Campus Emergency Notification Preference
Text message
55.3%
17.6%
Voice telephone call
12.2%
Public-address systems (sirens, loudspeakers, intercoms, etc.)
11.1%
Other: Institution website, Facebook, IM, Emergency website, Other, SocNet

11. Information Literacy Skill
Students
Mean*
Using the Internet to effectively and efficiently search for information
30,454
4.12
Evaluating the reliability and credibility of online sources of information
30,428
3.66
Understanding the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of digital information
30,462
3.43
*1 = not at all skilled, 2 = not very skilled, 3 = fairly skilled, 4 = very skilled, 5 = expert

12. Preference for IT in Courses

13. Community College Students
Technologies in Courses this Sem/Qtr
Senior
Freshman
Community College Students
College/university library website
75.6%
72.9%
59.6%
Course or learning management system
73.0%
68.3%
59.7%
Presentation software
73.5%
60.1%
55.0%
Spreadsheets
53.2%
39.9%
32.0%
Social networking websites
27.1%
31.6%
19.5%
Wikis
25.2%
25.6%
23.3%
Instant messaging
18.0%
20.3%
13.9%
Graphics software
18.8%
11.5%
14.9%

14. Community College Students
Technologies in Courses this Sem/Qtr
Senior
Freshman
Community College Students
Blogs
12.1%
11.2%
11.1%
Programming languages
11.4%
9.0%
Discipline-specific technologies
12.0%
9.1%
6.3%
Simulations or educational games
10.1%
11.5%
E-portfolios
7.9%
6.2%
5.2%
Video-creation software
6.8%
5.7%
4.4%
Podcasts
5.8%
5.0%
Audio-creation software
5.3%
4.8%
3.4%
Online virtual worlds
1.2%
1.1%
2.3%

15. Student Use of Course or Learning Management Systems

16. Instructors and IT in Courses

17. I Skip Classes When Materials from Course Lectures Are Available Online

18. Student Perceptions About IT in Courses

19. Undergraduates and Handheld Technology

20. While I’m in class, I regularly use my cell phone or handheld Internet device for:

21. Regular use of cell phone / handhelds in class for non-course activities, by age
Instructors should have the authority to forbid use of cell phones / handhelds during class, by age
Younger students also disagreed more when asked if Instructors should have the authority to forbid the use of cell phones and handheld Internet devices during class time as well.

22. Instructors Should Have the Authority to Forbid Use of Cell Phones / Handheld Internet Devices during Class
*Scale: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly agree

23. Internet-Capable Handheld Devices Survey Question
“Do you own a handheld device that is capable of accessing the Internet (whether or not you use that capability)? Examples include iPhone, Treo, BlackBerry, other Internet-capable cell phone, iPod touch, PDA, Pocket PC, etc.”

24. Do you own an Internet-capable
handheld device?

25. How often do you use the Internet from your handheld device?
49.5%
Weekly or more often
* Only includes respondents who own an Internet-capable handheld device

26. Portraits of Student Mobility
Don’t own &
don’t plan to
35.5%
Non-users
Don’t own &
don’t plan to
35.5%
Own &
use Internet
33.1%
Power Users
25.4%
Weekly
31.8%
Daily
44.9%
Don’t
Know
1.5%
Don’t own
but plan to
11.8%
Own, but
don’t use
Internet
18.1%
Potential Users
29.9%
Don’t own
but plan to
11.8%
Monthly
23.3%
Own, but
don’t use
Internet
18.1%
Occasional Users
7.7%

27. What is Keeping Students From Using Internet or Using It More Often from a Handheld Device?
All respondents were asked to select 3 from list of 13

28. Power Users - Usability issues
What is Keeping Students From Using Internet or Using It More Often from a Handheld Device?
Power Users - Usability issues
Occasional Users - Data services costs over device costs
Potential Users - Data service costs
Non-Users - Device costs
ALL Users
Half cite “plenty of other ways to access the Internet”

29. In the next three years, I expect to do many things on a cell phone or handheld Internet device that I currently do on a laptop/desktop
* Asked of all respondents regardless of current device ownership

30. Power Users – Three-quarters agree/strongly Occasional Users – Half
In the next three years, I expect to do many things on a cell phone or handheld Internet device that I currently do on a laptop/desktop
Power Users – Three-quarters agree/strongly
Occasional Users – Half
Potential Users
Current Owners who don’t use – 4 in 10
Planning to own within 12 months – Two-thirds
Non-Users – One-third
ALL Users – 44.5%

31. In the next three years, I expect my use of the Internet from a handheld device will:
* Only includes respondents who own an Internet-capable handheld device

32. Internet activities from handheld devices
Check info (news, weather, sports, facts, ...)
76.7%
75.1%
Use social networking websites
62.5%
Maps (find places, get directions, plan routes)
58.7%
Instant message
43.3%
Personal business (banking, shopping, etc.)
26.9%
Download/stream music
22.8%
Download or watch videos online
20.1%
* Only includes respondents who own an Internet-capable handheld device

33. Mobile Institution IT services most likely to use if available
* Only respondents who currently own and use the Internet from a handheld device

34. Participate in 2010!! Survey will be up from late Feb - mid-April
Institution
Gets IRB approval
Invites students
Receives data and report
Sign up here today to receive an invitation
Judy at
2009 Study currently available online

35. Thank You