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Student technology trends: going online, going mobile

September 9, 2003

Jason Clark

With new technology options at hand, students are using the Internet more and communicating on the move, according to the university’s 11th annual survey of student computing use.

Internet use by students jumped 40 percent to an average of 22 hours per week, compared to 16 hours last year. The survey found that students access the Internet in different ways. Fewer use telephone modems (down to 28 percent from 60 percent two years ago), while access via cable modem and DSL has become more frequent. General access computer labs and computer kiosks also proved popular.

Student ownership and use of laptops, personal digital assistants and cell phones are at an all-time high. About 38 percent of students own a laptop, for example, up from 25 percent last year. PDA ownership grew from 10 percent two years ago to 18 percent this year. Cell phone ownership rose from 22 percent in 2000 to 64 percent in 2003.

Nearly 80 percent of students have more than one e-mail address. That keeps them busy checking their accounts; 83 percent of students check for e-mail at least twice a day, with 35 percent checking five or more times a day. Sixty-two percent of students, mostly freshmen and sophomores, report using instant messaging.

Other survey findings include:

  • Desktop computer ownership now stands at 92 percent, a rate that is consistent for each class.
  • Women were more likely to be cell phone users than men (71 percent vs. 58 percent), but more men owned handheld computing devices (26 percent vs. 12 percent).
  • Windows operating systems dominate among students. Recent years have seen a migration within Windows users to XP and other network-oriented systems. Mac ownership is around 9 percent.

The survey was conducted by DoIT to learn more about student use of computers and the Internet. Survey results will be used in planning for campus information technology. For the second straight year, the survey was administered via the Web. Of the 1,500 students who received an e-mail invitation, 658 completed and returned the survey. The survey’s margin of error is approximately +/- 3.8 percent.

For the full report, visit http://www.doit.wisc.edu/about/research/2003/student.asp.