Great expectations of ICT?

A few weeks ago I mentioned the JISC student expectations survey that I had only just digested. Hot on its heels is the next phase - what did the students experience versus what they expected.

Great expectations of ICT: how HE institutions are measuring up
12 June 2008. New research commissioned by JISC and carried out by Ipsos MORI suggests that students are starting to mix their social networking sites with their academic studies and inviting tutors and lecturers into their virtual space.
The research builds upon on an initial study - Student Expectations - carried out last year when 500 students were asked to indicate their expectations of technology provision when entering into higher education.
This new data is based on students now that they are studying as first years at higher education institutions, compared to the previous study when they were still at school.

Key findings show that:

* General use of social networking sites is still high (91% use them regularly or sometimes). Frequency of use has increased now that they are at university with a higher proportion claiming to be regular users (80%) - up from 65% when they were at school/college
* 73% use social networking sites to discuss coursework with others; with 27% on at least a weekly basis
* Of these, 75% think such sites as useful in enhancing their learning
* Attitudes towards whether lecturers or tutors should use social networking sites for teaching purposes are mixed, with 38% thinking it a good idea and 28% not. Evidence shows that using these sites in education are more effective when the students set them up themselves; lecturer-led ones can feel overly formal
* Despite students being able to recognise the value of using these sites in learning, only 25% feel they are encouraged to use Web 2.0 features by tutors or lecturers
* 87% feel university life in general is as, or better than, expected especially in terms of their use of technology, with 34% coming from the Russell Group of universities saying their expectations were exceeded
* 75% are able to use their own computer on all of their university's systems with 64% of students from lower income households assuming that they are able to take their own equipment, perhaps due to lack of affordability and ownership.

The research also found that while students on the whole are satisfied with the level of ICT support provided by their institution around a quarter rate guidance on using ICT to support studies as neither good nor poor. This suggests that there may still be a group having difficulty in fully realising the benefits that ICT can bring to their studies.

There is also an opportunity to help students understand best practice for validating their work taken from the internet. 69% of students believe that they are validating information taken the internet whereas the Google Generation report, commissioned by JISC and the British Library and published in January 2008, explains that students 'do not possess the critical and analytical skills to assess the information that they find on the web'.

Welcoming the publication of the report, Professor Sir Ron Cooke, Chairman of JISC said: 'The findings of the research show a great opportunity for universities to enhance their existing technology provision and for students to increase their knowledge and understanding of how these channels can help them learn and network.

'The use of social networking sites which are driven by students could have real value over study periods when students are away from the campus as well as being able to discuss issues with other students at different universities on similar courses.'

For further information and to access the full report, please go here.