The Internet Goes to College: College Students, Faculty

and Internet Use

Steve Jones, Ph.D. Senior Research Fellow, Pew Internet & American Life Project

Professor of Communication, University of Illinois at ChicagoResearch Associate, Electronic Visualization Laboratory

Adjunct Research Professor of Communication, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

© 2005 Steve Jones, Pew Internet & American Life Project

The Internet Goes to College

Overview: Background What we know about college faculty

and student internet use What it means - implications Q & A

Background - Computing

First computing experience mid-1970s: Digital PDP 8/e

Background - Computing

UIUC late-1970s: mainframes, punch cards & paper tape

This is not me

I was using Plato…

Not Not thisthis Plato, the Plato, the otherother PLATO! PLATO!

PLATO IV at UIUC

Why, when I was their age…

This is also not me

Background - the “other” PLATO

PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) invented by Prof. Don Bitzer, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign, early 1960s

What were some other features? Talkomatic & Term-Talk: one-to-one chat Notes evolved into Personal Notes (think Usenet)

and Group Notes (think Lotus Notes) Multiplayer games A lot of talking about music

Plus ça change, plus c’est la net?

Background - Pew Internet & American Life Project

Dedicated to examining the Internet's role in everyday life in the U.S. Funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts January 2000 - December 2005…and

beyond? Core research is a daily tracking survey,

RDD, nationwide sample, asking about Internet use

Background - The Internet Goes to College

Online survey randomly distributed in May 2004 to college instructors at institutions of higher education across the United States.

2,316 college faculty completed the survey. Comparisons made with findings from study

of college students’ Internet use in 2002. Currently in the field (Spring 2005) with

research on college students’ Internet use.

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

Reasons for using the Internet to communicate with students Faculty (2004) Students (2002) Make class announcements 95% 89% Provide information about class assignments

71% 82%

Provide feedback on assignments

7% 60%

Discuss course-related problems

4% 4%

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

Internet communication has had a positive impact

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Stronglyagree

Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree

Faculty (2004)

Students (2002)

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

• The Internet is a social technology for college students, but it is not the only one: • Two-thirds (69%) of college students said they are more

likely to use the phone than the Internet to communicate socially, even though 85% of college students consider the Internet to be an easy and convenient choice for communicating with friends • Cell phone use while being online is prevalent

61% of 18 - 24 year olds own a cell phone (and the number is rising)

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

Top Three Internet Tools

Faculty Students

Email 92% 62% Instant messaging 24 29 Web discussion board 28 2

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

Has plagiarism increased in your students’ work since the internet’s spread?Yes - 44% No - 23%Undecided - 33%

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

Do you use the Internet to check for plagiarism?Yes - 74%

No - 26%

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

Faculty comments:

“Confusion reigns about the difference between ‘academic’ sources and internet blog or ‘junk’ sources. I’m amazed at how little students seem to know about how best to research via the internet.”

It is a “mixed blessing for student research that the internet provides, as both a great resource and an unfortunate substitute for sustained research and inquiry.”

Scholars and libraries must examine and instill critical skills and information values in students.

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College Most faculty computer use is split between home (51%)

and work (49%). Slightly more student computer use (59%) takes place at

home. For checking email 93% of college students,and 92% of

college faculty, reported using their home computers the most. Observations in campus computer labs showed that, while

often crowded, students do not spend a great deal of time in them.

Faculty virtually never observed - except in libraries.

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College Mobility (wi-fi, laptops) becoming more common.

17% of faculty reported using wi-fi, laptops (comparable to 18% of all internet users, 27% of students (early number)).

Public spaces can quickly become public ‘computer labs,’ for long periods of time.

Students often sit and work together in such spaces. But as in other public areas generally segregate by

race, ethnicity and/or gender.

What We Know - The Internet Goes to CollegeWeblogs, or ‘blogs,’ increasingly

common among faculty and students.Wikis are on the rise.Multi-tasking very common.Downloading and file sharing continue.

60% of college students said they had done it, compared with 28% of all Internet users in the U.S.

What We Know - The Internet Goes to College

Student and faculty library use has decreased as time spent in the library ...but

Library use has increased as access to materials.

What It Means - Implications

Increasing habit of using the most convenient computer, the one “at hand.”

Mixing of work and social activity online. Mirrored by blurring of boundaries between

work and home, work and leisure.

What It Means - Implications

Students expect near-ubiquitous Internet access. Even in class, at events, concerts, dining,

recreation and leisure areas. Faculty are coming to expect this as well.

Students and faculty expect high speed access.

What It Means - Implications

Issues apparent with the spread of cell phones, such as etiquette and distraction, are likely to emerge as students are able to access the Internet anywhere, including in libraries, classrooms.

Students and teachers would benefit from tools for presence and awareness.

What It Means - Implications

Some libraries adopting presence model (UIC, for example).

What It Means - Implications

Non-tech infrastructure: Support, training, need better integration with faculty, student work. Tech infrastructure: Internet technologies could be better integrated with faculty work.Increasing expectations of technology use.

•Students critical of professors, others, who don’t use technology, but more critical of those who use it badly.

What It Means - Implications

The Web in particular has become an information cornerstone for students and faculty, and the Internet is their info-‘Swiss Army Knife.’Why do students use the information tools

that they do?

What It Means - Implications

Early data from ethnographic interviews “I use Google because I heard it searches for more things”

(than other sources). “I believe I can find anything on the Internet. There hasn’t

been anything I haven’t been able to find.” “Because I’m lazy.” Books have “so much information that no one can go through

it all.” I use “the Internet first is because it is more convenient.” I go to the library “because that’s what teachers like.” “Google has gotten me through college.”

What It Means - ImplicationsWas this foreseen years ago (1987) - but

is still not realized?

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are needed to see this picture.

What It Means - Implications What might reliance on Google (or other

sites) mean for the future?

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What It Means - Implications

Collaboration and interdisciplinarity will continue to increase in part due to Internet use.

VICIVisualizationInteractionCollaborationImmersion

VR & high-speed networkingVirtual heritage, large data sets,

scientific visualization, etc.

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What It Means - Implications Given present realities and forthcoming

technologies, how might ARL’s strategic directions (particularly Strategic Direction I - sustainability, access, support of teaching, learning, research, service - and Strategic Direction III - engage in transformations affecting research and education) be best aligned?

What It Means - Implications Strategic Direction I (sustainability, access,

support of teaching, learning, research, service) - Pay particular attention to ICT use across (and in some cases outside) institution.

Strategic Direction III (engage in transformations affecting research and education) - Engage academic computing, teaching, groups, cognate disciplines.

Questions?

For More Information

Websiteshttp://info.comm.uic.edu/jones/http://www.evl.uic.edu http://www.pewinternet.orghttp://aoir.orgE-mailsjones@pewinternet.org, sjones@uic.edu

Thank you!