2014 ecar technology report for the virginia community college system
DESCRIPTION
2014 ECAR TECHNOLOGY REPORT FOR THE VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM (VCCS)TRANSCRIPT
Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness
DRAFT-‐ March 16th, 2015
2014 ECAR TECHNOLOGY REPORT FOR THE VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
Since 2004, the Educause Center for Analysis and Research (ECAR) has conducted technology surveys of both college students and faculty to better understand how technology is being utilized in the college setting and its impact on the overall college experience. The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) has participated in the student surveys for 2012 and 2014 and the faculty survey for 2014. The following report summarizes the responses and findings of these three surveys in order to help prioritize the strategic contributions of information technology and examine technology-‐enabled productivity throughout the VCCS.
THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND METHODOLOGY
The ECAR student studies rely on student responses in the spring semester of a given year from institutions that volunteer to participate in the project at no cost. The faculty survey of 2014 was conducted in a similar manner, with voluntary responses collected from faculty of participating institutions. In exchange for their participation, institutions receive anonymous, raw data of their students’ or faculty’s responses, along with comparisons of their group’s aggregated responses to those responses at similar institutions. In both the student and faculty surveys, individual participants are incentivized to participate by entering in a random drawing for Amazon.com gift cards.
In 2012 the survey included responses from 106,575 students across 195 institutions all over the country. Of those respondents, 13,969 were VCCS students from all 23 participating schools, making up over 13% of the overall sample pool. The 2014 student survey included more overall participating schools (213) but less overall student responses (75,306). VCCS participation in the 2014 student survey was significantly lowered as well-‐ down to 1,759 responses, just over 2% of the overall sample. The 2014 faculty survey included 17,451 overall responses from 151 participating institutions. 858 VCCS faculty from 23 schools participated in this survey, a 5% portion of the sample pool. Table 1 displays the number of overall responses and participating institutions including VCCS’ participation for each survey discussed in this report.
Table 1. Survey Responses and Participating Institutions, Including VCCS
2012 Student 2014 Student 2014 Faculty Overall VCCS Overall VCCS Overall VCCS
Number of Responses 106,575 13,969 75,306 1,759 17,451 858 Number of Participating
Institutions 195 23 213 23 151 23
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The student survey instrument is a combination of multiple-‐choice and open-‐ended questions designed to take approximately 15-‐20 minutes to complete. In addition to some basic demographic information such as age, gender, ethnicity, class standing, and part-‐time or full-‐time status, respondents are asked to provide answers in the following areas related to technology: device use and ownership, technology and the college experience, and learning environments.
The faculty survey instrument is constructed similarly, taking approximately 10-‐20 minutes to complete, and asks questions regarding the following topics: technology adoption and use, technology for teaching and learning, learning environments, and technology for research and scholarship, as well as supplemental questions about gender, ethnicity, teaching experience, and tenure.
RESULTS OF STUDENT SURVEYS
The ECAR student technology survey is periodically revised and amended, therefore not all questions are repeated in subsequent years or worded to measure the same dimensions. To fully examine and compare the 2012 and 2014 student survey results in which the VCCS participated, this report will present direct comparisons where appropriate in addition to stand-‐alone highlights from each year.
Device Use and Ownership
One consistent group of questions between the 2012 and 2014 student surveys asks responders about their use, ownership, and attitudes towards academic importance of laptops, tablets, smartphones, and e-‐readers. Specifically, students were asked whether they use the particular device; if so, whether or not they own the device; and lastly, how important users felt the device was to their overall academic success. Those that signified the device is “very important” or “extremely important” to their academic success are included in the table below. Table 2 summarizes this information from the two surveys and compares the habits of VCCS students to all other respondents.
2012 2014 Overall VCCS Overall VCCS Laptops Use device? 94% 89% 96% 93% Own device? 89% 83% 89% 87% Important to Academic Success? 80% 76% 88% 86% Smartphones Use device? 63% 57% 91% 88% Own device? 62% 56% 79% 75% Important to Academic Success? 21% 23% 38% 43% Tablets Use device? 17% 19% 63% 68% Own device? 15% 17% 28% 39% Important to Academic Success? 7% 9% 24% 31% E-‐Readers Use device? 13% 14% 33% 37% Own device? 12% 13% 8% 13%
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Table 2. VCCS Student Device Use and Ownership Percentages, 2012 and 2014
Survey responses show that laptop use and ownership has fairly leveled off over the 2 year period, while smartphone, tablet, and e-‐reader penetration amongst the student body is still increasing. By 2014, VCCS students’ device use and ownership behaviors closely reflect those of the overall sample pool. The 2012 student survey also inquired about desktops in a similar fashion: 69% of VCCS students said they used a desktop computer, while 46% indicated they were owners, and 48% felt the device was “very” or “extremely” important to academic success. The nation-‐wide responses were lower with 54% reporting use, 29% indicating ownership, and 32% stating desktops aided in academics.
Students that indicated they used handheld mobile devices were asked additional questions regarding their use of such devices for academic activities. The survey examined the importance of completing various actions on said devices. Responses of “very” and “extremely” important are summed together and given in Table 3 below.
Table 3. VCCS Student Value of Handheld Mobile Devices for Academics, 2012 and 2014
The most important mobile academic activities include accessing the course management system and checking grades. In every instance, VCCS students place slightly higher importance in performing these activities from their handhelds than the national average.
Technology and the College Experience
Another consistent measure between the 2012 and 2014 student surveys is that of students’ perceptions of their instructors’ knowledge and effectiveness in respect to technology use. When asked how many of their instructors effectively use technology to impact academic success, 72% of VCCS students answered “most” or “all” in 2012, and 74% in 2014. Nationally, only 66% of respondents answered similarly in 2012, and 68% in 2014. Furthermore, when asked how many of these same instructors have the adequate technical skills for carrying out course instruction, 72% of VCCS students answered “most” or “all” on 2012, and 78% in 2014. For comparison, similar national responses were 65% in 2012 and 71% in 2014.
Important to Academic Success? 3% 5% 7% 11%
2012 2014 Overall VCCS Overall VCCS “A handheld mobile device is important for…” Using the course or learning management system 60% 70% 56% 65% Checking grades 52% 65% 60% 67% Registering for courses 30% 38% 41% 46% Accessing library resources 22% 28% 36% 41%
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The 2012 student survey also touched on preferences regarding communication. 44% of VCCS students indicated they wish for more communication with their instructors through email (41% nationally); 45% of VCCS students would like to see an increase in face-‐to-‐face interactions (48% nationally); and finally half (50%) of our student respondents want to see more communication conducted through the course or learning management systems (45% nationally). And these systems are wanted for more than just their communication capabilities -‐ 47% of VCCS respondents would like to see their instructors utilize these systems more as all-‐around course tools (43% nationally).
Learning Environments
Another consistent group of questions between the 2012 and 2014 student surveys deals with the reported feelings of connection between technology and others. Table 4 summarizes the responses given for “agreeing” or “strongly agreeing” that technology helps students feel connected to their college, professors, and other students.
Table 4. VCCS Student Connectedness, 2012 and 2014
Survey responses show that technology helps students feel more connected to their respective learning institution than it does either their professors or fellow students. Furthermore, all of these measures of connectedness are decreasing over the 2 year period. The VCCS responses are generally slightly higher in reported connectedness than those of the overall sample but are similarly declining over the 2 year period.
Respondents were also asked in what type of learning environment they tend to learn the most. Choices were courses with no online components, courses with some online components (blended), or courses that were completely online. In 2012, VCCS students claimed that they exceled the most in blended courses (68%) versus courses completely online (12%) or completely offline (19%). VCCS responses were in step with the overall sample that favored blended courses by 71% over all-‐online or all-‐offline courses (6% and 22%, respectively). The 2014 survey provided students with an additional choice of “no preference”, which changed the outcomes significantly. In this survey, VCCS students favored blended courses by 55% (64% overall), online courses by 13% (9% overall), and offline courses by 13% (15% overall), while 18% indicated they had no preference (13% overall).
In 2014, 69% of VCCS students reported having taken a course or participated in a competency-‐based program that was completely online. This meant absolutely no formal face-‐to-‐face communication with
2012 2014 Overall VCCS Overall VCCS “Technology makes me feel more connected to…”
My learning institution 66% 71% 64% 65% My professors 57% 64% 52% 57% Other students 60% 56% 50% 46%
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a professor or any classmates. The VCCS response was significantly higher than the national average of 46%.
Another interesting question concerned social networking in the learning environment. In 2012, 64% of VCCS respondents indicated that they either “agree” or “strongly agree” with the notion of keeping their academic and social lives separate. By 2014, this sentiment had increased to 72% among VCCS respondents. The national sample pool displayed an increase in this exact preference from 53% in 2012 to 70% in 2014.
RESULTS OF 2014 FACULTY SURVEY
The 2014 ECAR Faculty Technology Survey asked participants a wide range of questions regarding their perceptions and relationship to technology in both the classroom and their research environments. This report will touch on those subjects that most closely relate to the student responses outlined above.
Technology Adoption and Use
Questions pertaining to online learning constituted a large part of the student surveys in both 2012 and 2014. This aspect is addressed in the faculty survey when respondents are asked to what extent they “agree” or “strongly agree” with various statements regarding online learning. To begin, 40% of VCCS faculty agree that online learning helps students learn more effectively. This is significantly less than the students’ perceptions of their own online learning results reported previously (68% in 2012; 55% in 2014) but higher than the national faculty response of 32%. Furthermore, 50% of VCCS faculty (41% nationally) believe that online learning will lead to pedagogical breakthroughs, and 88% (77% nationally) agree that it will make higher education available to more students.
Learning Environments
Over half of VCCS faculty respondents (55%) reported having taught in a completely online learning environment with no formal face-‐to-‐face student interaction. Nationally, 38% of faculty reported having taught in such an environment.
Students have shown they believe usage of the course or learning management system is an important part of their learning experience. 2014 faculty were asked if they used the learning management system and to what ends. The results are presented in Table 5 below.
Table 5. VCCS Faculty Learning Management Systems Usage, 2014
Overall VCCS How do you use the Learning Management System? I don’t use it 14% 4% To push out course information (syllabi, handouts, etc.) 58% 67% To promote outside interaction (discussion boards, assignments, etc.) 41% 56% To teach completely online courses (or competency-‐based programs) 28% 40% To teach partially online courses (or competency-‐based programs) 19% 34%
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Of those VCCS faculty who indicated that they use the learning management system, 60% report that they use it daily. Nationally, 59% of system users report daily use.
As for device use in the classroom, most VCCS faculty either ban or discourage smartphone use (60%), but are indifferent to tablets or iPads, laptops, or wearable devices (50%, 50%, and 62%, respectively). These feelings reflect the national survey responses: 52% ban or discourage in-‐class smartphone use, and 50% are indifferent to or unconcerned with tablets or iPads, 46% to laptops, and 63% to wearable devices.
Additionally, 53% of faculty, both nationally and within the VCCS, “agree” or “strongly agree” that the use of mobile devices in the classroom can enhance learning. However, 62% of VCCS faculty (64% nationally) also admit that use of these devices can be distracting. Still, the majority (57% within VCCS; 51% nationally) stated that they would like to have more training or professional development around effectively incorporating mobile devices into their courses.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this report indicate that technology use and ownership among students is increasing, as well as their confidence in its contribution to their academic success. Students are especially utilizing more handheld mobile devices for academics. The overall sentiment regarding technology use seems to be positive, but there are hints of some unfavorable aspects.
For starters, there is a decline in student respondents over a two-‐year period who feel that technology helps them feel more connected to their learning institution, professors, and fellow students. Also worth noting is the large disconnect within online learning environments, as the faculty do not agree online learning is nearly as effective as students.
Overall, responses indicate that VCCS students are more “tech savvy” than students nationally. VCCS students claim higher usage and ownership rates of various devices and generally regard technology more favorably and more instrumental to their academic success. Interestingly, VCCS students have significantly more experience with online learning than do students nationally.
The VCCS will consider the results of the ECAR student and faculty surveys to improve adoption and incorporation of technology in its learning environments. The VCCS is always striving to provide state-‐of-‐the-‐art experiences for our students that afford the best learning opportunities without distraction or detriment through our programs, policies, and faculty.