Digital course materials supplier CourseSmart LLC, US, has announced the results of a survey revealing college students' growing reliance on technology. The survey of more than 500 currently enrolled college students found that nearly all college students (98 percent) who own a device have used it for school and a majority of these students (53 percent) read e-textbooks frequently. Further, 90 percent of college students say they save time studying with technology -- including mobile devices, digital textbooks, e-readers and tablets.
Fielded by Wakefield Research, an independent research consultancy, the survey revealed that technology has become a significant part of students' everyday lives with the average using three devices daily. A majority (67 percent) can't go more than one hour without using some sort of digital technology, with 40 percent not lasting more than 10 minutes.
Once the backpack staple, print textbooks are seen to be losing their reputation of being indispensable. Only 5 percent 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 percent) than a print textbook (39 percent) to class. Digital devices also allow for on-the-go reference to information with 79 percent 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.
According to the survey, technology is also streamlining students' studies. The study found that 68 percent of college students who save time using technology report saving two hours or more each day and nearly one in six students (14 percent) saving five hours or more. Further, nearly 3 in 5 students (58 percent) report that they frequently are unable to complete required reading in time for class and of those, a majority (51 percent) said they would be more likely to do so if they had digital textbooks that could be accessed on a mobile device, e-reader, laptop or tablet.
Online courses are gaining popularity with 58 percent of students reporting they have taken an online course, motivated primarily by being able to take the class on their own time (63 percent), not having to physically be in a class (48 percent) and being able to learn at their own pace (47 percent). Even traditional brick-and-mortar classes, though, are incorporating online elements, creating increasingly hybrid experiences. Nearly all (96 percent) college students have had online components to a course: a majority of students (79 percent) have submitted assignments or papers online and 71 percent have taken online tests and quizzes.
According to the survey, communication between faculty and students is becoming more social with nearly one in five (18 percent) students having received materials from their professor via Facebook. Professors are also relying more on technology for delivering class announcements and assignments: 84 percent of students have had professors post a class syllabus online and 78 percent of students have received class news and updates from their professors via campus systems, such as learning management systems or student portals.
