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How are HE students using technology?
This document discusses findings from a survey of over 37,000 students in the UK regarding their use of technology. Some key findings include: 8 in 10 HE students access lecture notes or recordings weekly, while 7 in 10 use additional online resources; 94% of HE students own a laptop compared to 64% of FE students; and most students find their institution's digital provision to be good or excellent, though some issues with basic IT services were noted. The document provides recommendations in areas like digital skills, virtual learning environments, and partnership between students and staff.
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How are HE students using technology?
- 1. How are HEstudents using technology? September 2018 Ruth Drysdale Digital experience insights service, Jisc
- 2. How are HEstudents using technology?2 1. Significant investment in technology 2. Expectations from students that universities will offer an authentic and relevant learning environment 3. In the next 20 years, 90% of jobs need digital skills 4. To maintain a competitive advantage 5. ….. Why do we need to know how learners are using technology?
- 3. Your students’ digitalexperience How do you gather your students’ expectations and experiences of technology within your university or on your courses? 3 How are HE students using technology?
- 4. ‘Not just anothersurvey…’ https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk 4 How are HE students using technology?
- 5. What is digitalexperience insights? 1. A tried and tested (over three years) student survey, made up of: - Closed questions that can be benchmarked - Open questions for local analysis - Add or customise further questions 2. A student engagement process, governed by our guidance 3. A community of practice around the insights process and findings (including student representatives) 4. Compare student feedback with teaching staff views and organisational factors How are HE students using technology?5
- 6. What is the‘student digital experience’? How are HE students using technology?6 Survey questions explore issues such as: • Students’ personal practices with digital technology • Course practices, and how students feel about them • The digital environment for learning • Device use, and access to digital services • Accessibility and inclusion • Digital wellbeing and belonging • Students’ engagement with their digital experience
- 7. Digital experience insightssurvey 2018: findings from UK FE and HE students 7 How are HE students using technology?
- 8. Insights report 2018 •Our 2017-18 student survey collected data from a total of 37,720 students - 14,292 FE learners - 23,428 HE students • Studying at 83 different colleges, sixth form colleges or universities across the four nations of the United Kingdom (UK) • 36 FE colleges,4 sixth form colleges and 43 universities – approximately 16% of UK colleges and 30% of UK universities 8 37,720 students surveyed across 83 institutions How are HE students using technology?
- 9. Theme 1: digitallives of learners 8 in 10 HE students accessing lecture notes or recorded lectures at least weekly. 7 in 10 HE students used digital tools on a weekly basis to look for additional resources not recommended by their lecturer. 9 How are HE students using technology? 94% of HE students owning a laptop in comparison to 64% of FE students. About 8 in 10 students used a smartphone to support their learning. Around 10% of FE learners rated Google search as their number one app or tool compared with 1% of HE students. HE students were twice as likely to cite ‘Google Scholar’ as they were to cite ‘Google’ as a search tool.
- 10. Theme 1: digitallives of learners How are HE students using technology?10 What digital apps and tools do HE students find useful in their own learning time? ‘The three most popular types of apps/tools for all students, were learning resources, their institutions’ VLE and tools for online research.’ ‘Very few students chose to nominate social media apps or activities as ‘really useful’’
- 11. Theme 1: digitallives of learners - recommendations Prepare students for digital learning Arriving students need to know what to expect from digital learning. Make BOYD work Students learn more efficiently if they have access to the full range of learning tools on a device of their choice. Help students stay happy and well HE students would benefit from more guidance on staying safe online. All students want to feel that they belong, so their log-in should give access to personalised services, student societies and social networks. 11 How are HE students using technology?
- 12. Theme 2: digitalin the institution 12 74% of FE learners and 88% of HE students rated their institution’s digital provision as above the mid point of the scale (from the options of good, excellent or best imaginable). A third of all students turned to their fellow students when looking for support with digital devices or skills. Only 8% of HE students turned to their lecturers with a third turning to online information. Reliable wifi was accessible to 82% of HE students and 70% of FE learners. 47% FE and 54% of HE students agreed they could access health and well being services online. 53% of FE learners agreed that their institution helped them stay safe online compared with only 41% of HE students. Only 52% of HE students agreed their university protected their data privacyHow are HE students using technology?
- 13. Which of theseinstitutional-owned devices do students use to support their learning? How are HE students using technology?13 Device FE students HE students Desktop 81.5% 70.6% Laptop 35.4% 17.9% Tablet or iPad 14.8% 6.0% Smartphone 16.6% 7.9% Printer 65.6% 68.1% NB Students can choose more than 1 option
- 14. Theme 2: digitalin the institution - recommendations A positive approach to personal devices Scaffolding support for students to develop their autonomy and digital skills Make spaces and places digital by default Students still rely on fixed computing in libraries and study areas, but they want the option of working flexibly. Charging points, secure storage, reliable wifi and mobile networks are essential to this. Win hearts and minds Students feel let down by some basic issues: dirty keyboards, a lack of personal file space, ‘desk-hogging’ in computer rooms, inaccessible printing. Listen to students day to day concerns. Provide different avenues of support Students depend on each other for help with digital issues and also rely on their tutors. IT support staff are highly valued too, but the students who need them most can find it hardest to access them. Provide easy access to support and encourage student –staff partnerships 14 How are HE students using technology?
- 15. Theme 3: digitalat course level 15 As part of their course how often do HE students carry out the following digital activities? How are HE students using technology?
- 16. Theme 3: digitalat course level - VLEs How are HE students using technology?16 Half of all FE and HE students agreed that their virtual learning environment (VLE) was well designed. 75% of HE students relied on the VLE to do their coursework in comparison with only 48% of FE learners. Nearly twice as many HE students as FE students accessed their VLE regularly on their mobile (62% compared with 38%). Collaborative features of the VLE received the lowest approval from students studying in both FE and HE. But: Although students find VLEs useful and increasingly necessary for accessing coursework only a third of FE and 42% of HE students would like to see it used more.
- 17. Theme 3: digitalat course level 17 How does digital provision impact on course experience? About half of all FE and HE students agreed that teaching rooms are well designed for the technologies they use. How are HE students using technology?
- 18. What the studentsare telling us How are HE students using technology?18 Only 50% of FE and 69% of HE students thought digital skills were important for their chosen career. Only 41% of FE and HE students felt their course prepared them for the digital workplace. Only about a third of students agreed that they were told what digital skills they would need before starting their course. About 40% of FE and HE students agreed that they had regular opportunities to review and update their digital skills. Only a third of FE and HE students agreed that they were given the chance to be involved in decisions about digital services.
- 19. Theme 3: digitalat course level - recommendations Consistent use of the VLE Timely upload of materials, and navigable course structures, are top of their list. Take teaching staff beyond the baseline Students are frustrated when teaching staff don’t use digital systems competently, especially when this wastes time or reduces access to course materials. Working in partnership to engage students in digital Students working in partnership with staff, develop not only their digital skills, but transferable skills for the workplace including team working and collaboration, organisational and presentation skills. Digital skills for life Courses must include digital skills in an integral way, relevant to the subject of study. Teaching staff also need an up-to-date understanding of workplace demands and opportunities to develop their own digital capabilities. 19 How are HE students using technology?
- 20. What one thingshould institutions do to improve students’ experience of digital teaching and learning How are HE students using technology?20 ‘HE students want improvements in basic IT services but they are more concerned with the quality of those services – especially how joined up and personalised they are - and with the quality of online academic resources such as e-books and e- journals.’
- 21. Theme 4: studentattitudes to digital 64% of FE students and 73% of HE students agreed that they are more independent in their learning when digital is used. 57% (FE) 67% (HE) agreed that digital approaches help them to fit learning into their life. Over a third of all students wanted digital technologies to be used more on their course than they were currently used (FE: 32%, HE: 37%). 21 Of all the ways that digital technology might enhance their learning experience, students were least convinced that it makes them feel more connected. 54% of FE and 56% of HE students like a mix of group and individual work. More FE students than HE students prefer to learn in a group (HE 3%; FE 11%). How are HE students using technology?
- 22. Theme 4: studentattitudes to digital Independence and organisation Independence and flexibility are the benefits that most students appreciate when their access to digital learning is good. Help students stay independent and organised by giving them access to personalised timetables and progress data. Cost, value and fairness Students expect value for money from their course. HE students expect industry standard software on their courses. Personal data Personal data is not something that many students worry about. Explain clearly to students how the institution uses their personal data. Ideally use this as an opportunity to discuss wider issues of data privacy, and the responsibilities and rights of digital citizens. 22 How are HE students using technology?
- 23. Digital experience insights2019 https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk 23 How are HE students using technology?
- 24. • Six newinstitutional case studies • Three video case studies – including University of Stirling and Canterbury Christ Church University • Service animation • 2019 insight surveys for staff and students launches in October • See https://digtialinsights.jisc.ac.uk New guidance and support How are HE students using technology?24 Sign up for further information ji.sc/register-digital-insights
- 25. Follow developments • Reportof 2018 insights findings: ji.sc/dig-exp-insights-survey-18 • At a glance: summary of 2018 insights findings: ji.sc/dig-exp-insights-summary-18 • Digital experience insights service site: https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk • Join the insights community of practice: jiscmail.ac.uk/jisc-digitalinsights-cop • If you would like to enquire about how to purchase this optional service, or to be kept up to date on progress, please register your interest by filling out our form: https://ji.sc/register-digital-insights • For Building digital capability sign up at: ji.sc/register-digital-capabilities • Building digital capability service site: digitalcapability.jisc.ac.uk How are HE students using technology?25
- 26. TNE Pilot: Insights Buildingstudents’ engagement in their digital experience26 Sign up for further information about the email Ruth.Drysdale@Jisc.ac.uk How are students and staff experiencing the digital provision across countries and campuses? Is there a parity of experience with their UK peers? The pilot will run from October 2018 to April 2019
- 27. Get in touch… How areHE students using technology?27 Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC-BY Digital experience insights Ruth Drysdale Ruth.Drysdale@jisc.ac.uk Sarah Knight Sarah.knight@jisc.ac.uk https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk #digitalstudent
Editor's Notes
- #3 Nearly a million pounds a year is spent by colleges on supporting infrasture/ 4 – AoC survey % of annual college budget
- #9 As an outcome of the digital student work and the need to gather quantitative data on students digital experience at an organisational level and at a sector level, we developed the student digital experience tracker as a survey tool with a robust set of student tested questions delivered in BOS. See http://bit.ly/jiscdigidataservice This evidence supports discussions with senior managers The report containing the summary findings from 2017 surveys will be available from 20th June from web link on this slide.
- #11 Learning resources – videos, ebooks, journals
- #13 The wifi stat correlates to the responses from AoC technology survey of staff
- #15 As well as investing in and signposting support, help teaching staff and students to help each other, for example as mentors and champions and through student engagement initiatives.
- #16 Note the transactional nature of these activities – ie ones which are replaced by technology rather than transformational which are about using tech to enhance and enrich the nature of the learning activities
- #19 These findings from our 2018 zJisc digital experience insights report provide the evidence of what students are telling us - although 69% of HE learners & 50% FE learners recognise that digital skills are important in their future career, only 41% feel that their course is preparing them for the digital workplace. And only a third felt that they were aware of the digital skills their course required. Only 41% of FE and 36% of HE students felt they had regular opportunities to review and update their skills.
- #20 AOC IT and digital technology survey 2018 – 93 % of respondents cited practitioner skills and confidence with technology as the main barrier in colleges making more use of education technology
- #21 HE respondents want improvements in basic IT services too, but they are more concerned with the quality of those services – especially how joined up and personalised they are - and with the quality of online academic resources such as e-books and e-journals. HE students have more to say about the quality of their learning experience with technology. Both sets of students are concerned about cost and equity. Both FE and HE students are struggling to integrate their personal devices and practices with the institutional digital environment and its restrictions.
- #22 Of all the ways that digital technology might enhance their learning experience, students were least convinced that it makes them feel more connected (either with other learners or with their lecturers/tutors).