What do they do with IT?

Abstract

Student utilisation of personal computers is very much on the national and international educational agenda. The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) has undertaken a three-year project to monitor the use of electronic information within Higher Education. The Pew Internet & American Life Project (Pew, 2001) has been looking at overall usage of the web by college students in the USA. The majority of today’s undergraduate students have grown up in a world where there have always been computers, the Internet, and mobile phones. The use of the Internet is, for many students, integrated into their daily communication habits. The University of Wolverhampton is investing heavily in I.T. and this project developed out of a need to have a better understanding of how students are using the computers within the Harrison Learning Centre. How many students actually activate their university accounts? Is the layout of the Harrison Learning Centre I.T. suite suitable for the ways it is used? How long do students sit at PCs on average? How are students utilising the Internet? When are peak usage times? The answers to these questions will help the Learning Centre to see where it needs to prioritise I.T. infrastructure and support.