The amount of technology flooding into classrooms may vary widely, but there’s no denying that it’s a red-hot trend in education. A new study further bolsters this idea as it’s found that digital devices are saving students time, are widely accepted, and are actually making students more likely to do their homework.
All these factoids and more are presented in the study by CourseSmart and Wakefield Researchwhich focused on more than 500 currently enrolled college students. It found that nearly all of the students (98%) that own a device have used it in school. 90% of these students say it saves them time, too. Here’s the rundown of what the study found according to a recent MarketWatch article (also check out the handy infographic below for even more details):
- The survey revealed that technology has become a significant part of students’ everyday lives with the average using three devices daily.
- A majority (67%) can’t go more than one hour without using some sort of digital technology, with 40% not lasting more than 10 minutes.
- Print textbooks are losing their reputation of being indispensable. Only 5% of students say textbooks are the most important item in their bag and a majority of students say they are more likely to bring a laptop (51%) than a print textbook (39%) to class.
- Digital devices also allow for on-the-go reference to information with 79% of college students reporting they have done a quick search on a mobile device or tablet to verify something right before a test or a quiz.
- The study found that 68% of college students who save time using technology report saving two hours or more each day and nearly one in six students (14%) saving five hours or more.
- Nearly 3 in 5 students (58%) report that they frequently are unable to complete required reading in time for class and of those, a majority (51%) said they would be more likely to do so if they had digital textbooks that could be accessed on a mobile device, eReader, laptop or tablet.
- Online courses are gaining popularity with 58% of students reporting they have taken an online course, motivated primarily by being able to take the class on their own time (63%), not having to physically be in a class (48%) and being able to learn at their own pace (47%).
- Traditional brick and mortar classes, though, are incorporating online elements, creating increasingly hybrid experiences.
- Nearly all (96%) college students have had online components to a course: a majority of students (79%) have submitted assignments or papers online and 71% have taken online tests and quizzes.
- Communication between faculty and students is becoming more social with nearly one in five (18%) students having received materials from their professor via Facebook.
- Professors are also relying more on technology for delivering class announcements and assignments: 84% of students have had professors post a class syllabus online and 78% of students have received class news and updates from their professors via campus systems, such as learning management systems or student portals.
“The survey underscores the undeniable influence technology has on today’s college experience. As technology continues to evolve and digital devices become integral to the evolution of higher education, it’s encouraging to see the positive impact on learning outcomes as students utilize advanced devices and digital course materials to streamline and improve their learning environment,” said Sean Devine, CEO of CourseSmart.