Great expectations of ICT: findings from second phase of research briefing paper : JISC

Great expectations of ICT: findings from second phase of research briefing paper

New research conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of JISC demonstrates that the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) expectations of incoming students are often met, and sometimes exceeded. Overall, higher education institutions (HEIs) are perceived as providing a basic level of ICT to a good standard.

However, the research identifies that although students (and academics) understand the benefits technology can bring to learning and teaching, not all opportunities are being fully exploited. For example, students do not perceive HEIs to be leading the way in developing new methods of learning. Current technology training for students tends to focus on how to use different systems. There is little sense that the HEI has a remit to encourage these students to think differently about information, research and presentation.

There is also emerging evidence that student-driven ICT is very beneficial in their learning despite relatively few feeling they are encouraged to use Web 2.0 features in this way. HEIs also need to be aware that certain technologies appear more familiar and hence comfortable for new students to use, often a result of recent school or college experience.

The research re-visits a cohort of the school and college students who participated in last year’s research to explore how their current experiences of ICT in their first year of higher education match up with their expectations. A representative sample of first year students from across the UK was also surveyed for comparison.

Have They Got What They Expected?

Similar trends in experiences and attitudes emerged across both samples although in most instances the cohort was likely to hold stronger views. Given the methodology used (online surveys) and their increased willingness to participate in further research on technology, the cohort is more likely to represent the more technology literate of students. Consequently, the cohort students are familiar with technology and are usually able to judge its potential. Any issues or problems raised by these students are likely to be more acute for those who are less adept.

Although the findings of the cohort group alone aren’t necessarily representative of first year students as a whole (as the cohort sample tends towards being more technology literate), they could be considered as the ‘leading edge’ – predicting take-up and problems for the future mainstream – while the wider group is a benchmark of the mainstream now.

The first study revealed that many students come with inherent expectations; the follow-up study showed how these are being met:

University life in general will be uncertain, especially in terms of how ICT fits in (becoming clearer)
Around half feel their overall experience so far is better than expected, suggesting, at least for some, the experience has not been as daunting as anticipated.
ICT will play a bigger role and help them learn, but they’re not clear what this role will be (met in most part)
Expectations of the amount of ICT used on courses, provided to support studies and used to support social life are largely met. It is not so much the amount of ICT use that has changed as the way in which students use it. The role of certain technologies has become clearer (eg WebCT, online administration, course-specific information online, emailing tutors) but others less so (eg using social networking sites for formal teaching purposes, wikis).
Ability to use their own equipment (met)
Students are using the same amount of technology overall, and still using their own hardware, though those from higher socio-economic groups will have more opportunities here. 75% (83% cohort) are able to use their personal laptop or PC on all of their institution’s systems and 86% find these systems easy to use.
Ubiquitous internet access (met)
80% are satisfied with the level of internet access provided by their institution, rising to 86% of the more technology fluent cohort. Qualitatively, most accept the need for restrictions on downloads. Around three-quarters claim regularly to access the internet from the library specifically for work, and over a quarter in lectures or seminars.
Plenty of ICT support would be provided (largely met)
82% (89% cohort) are satisfied with ICT support in terms of using the institution’s systems; 67% (71% cohort) in terms of how best to use ICT to help with their studies; and 60% (66% cohort) in terms of hardware/software queries. However, a quarter rate guidance on using ICT to support studies as either average or poor, suggesting some may be having difficulty realising the benefits ICT can bring to their studies.
Online materials would be provided, or would back up conventional teaching (met)
79% access course-specific materials at least once a week and 97% of those find them useful in supporting their studies.
Students value face-to-face interaction and really need to see the value and relevance of technology before they are persuaded (partly met)
This is still very much the case – but there is a perception that the responsibility of finding new technologies to help with learning lies with the student rather than the teacher. There is scope, therefore, for institutions to do more in terms of laying out the options.

About the Research

The key aims of the follow-up research were to:

Understand first year students’ experiences of ICT provision in HEIs

Examine whether there is a mismatch between expectations and reality

Methodology used:

Quantitative – 1,111 surveys completed by an online panel of 17–19 year olds, all of whom were in their first year of higher education. 112 were from the first wave, and 999 from the wider student population

Qualitative – four online discussion groups with cohort students to provide depth and insight into their experiences of using ICT

Getting to Grips with Technology

The first study showed students are flexible and ready to accommodate new forms of technology in their learning.

Students are receptive to new types of ICT in principle, although their level of familiarity and comfort with each application of technology varies. Although generally open to the idea of new technologies, just 57% say they look for new technologies to help their learning. Thinking about learning styles does not come very naturally to these students, despite being exposed to a wider range of learning and teaching approaches.

Scatter graph of student comfort zones in relation to ICT

This map identifies the challenges for HEIs when introducing ICT; showing areas where students are currently pushed beyond their comfort zones. This can help institutions to develop the inclusion of ICT in teaching and course design, to appreciate which elements of technology are likely to be new for students, and hence to provide the support structures which need to be in place to encourage students to adopt new technologies.

Institutions should avoid the assumption that ‘feeling stretched’ means that students are using advanced technology. Around half feel stretched, both those who are very tech savvy and others less advanced in their ICT use.

Using Web 2.0 Technologies

The previous study showed students make wide use of social networking but struggle to see how it could be used in learning. Social networking sites are still being widely used and more frequently, mainly for personal or social reasons. However, the findings suggest Web 2.0 is used in learning by some as a way to discuss coursework (73% use social sites), source material and communicate with both peers and lecturers, and that when such technologies are used in learning, students value them (around three-quarters find social networking sites useful to discuss coursework).

38% thought it a good idea for tutors/lecturers to use social networking sites for teaching (rising to 62% among the cohort). However, where social networking emerges organically among the students, it is shown to be more successful than networks put in place by the teacher – which can feel overtly formal and out of place.

Stack bar graph showing agreement with use of social networking sites in teaching

Over half regularly or sometimes use wikis, blogs or online networks, with only 28% maintaining their own, there is an opportunity to help students and lecturers understand the value of these channels. A significant proportion of students may not know how to use a wiki or in some cases even know what one is, despite evidence elsewhere suggesting Wikipedia is often a first port of call in their studies. This presents implications for institutions that wish to push course content into wiki or blog formats; half their students may not be familiar with them, while the other half may be much more au fait.

However, only a quarter feel their lecturers or tutors are encouraging them to use Web 2.0 features in their learning. This presents a potential opportunity for institutions to engage further with such technologies to enhance student learning, but in a way that is driven by students themselves rather than forced on them.

Training and Guidance

Some technologies will be harder to introduce into teaching than others, eg wikis, which are perceived to be under-used (although the reality may be otherwise) or encouraging students to use the technologies they use in social situations – such as social networking sites – for work. These different challenges require different approaches from teachers and course designers, and institutions will need to support their staff to deliver this. Institutions need to be aware of the way students already use social networking sites and help them use networks they already have in place, but being aware that around 10% of students currently do not use them at all.

While there is a need to train students to think about the potential of technology, the actual training would need to be thought through very carefully because students are often reluctant to use technologies that are forced on them. Institutions could benefit from delivering training that highlights the way students think about information, rather than the way they use technology itself.

There is also an opportunity to help students understand best practice for checking the validity of internet sources used for research, something which 69% of students believe they are doing despite evidence elsewhere suggesting they may lack the critical and analytical skills to do so rigorously.