The ECAR study of Undergraduate Students
and Information Technology
•Ali Rahimi: Director, Information Technology Services, The American University of Paris arahimi@aup.edu
www.aup.edu
•Vicky Tseroni: Librarian, American College of Greece, www.acg.edu vtseroni@acg.edu
•Peter Korovessis: Executive Director for IT, American College of Greece, www.acg.edu
pkorovessis@acg.edu
•Rosa Fusco: Director of Computer Services, The American University of Rome www.aur.edu
r.fusco@aur.edu
•Ekaterina Kombarova: Director, Information Technology, The American University of Central Asia
kombarova_e@mail.auca.kg www.auca.kg
•Asma Al-Kanan: Director, Library, The American University of Kuwait aalkanan@auk.edu.kw
www.auk.edu.kw
What is EDUCAUSE?
 EDUCAUSE® is a nonprofit association and the foremost community
of IT leaders and professionals committed to advancing higher
education.
 EDUCAUSE helps those who lead, manage, and use information
technology to shape strategic IT decisions at every level within higher
education.
 EDUCAUSE annual conference is the most important HE event in the
world
EDUCAUSE annual subscription fees:
 Domain .edu - $40.00 USD
 Institution's membership - $1075.00 USD (Over 1,800 colleges and
universities)
 ECAR Premium Subscription - $5,150 USD
 ECAR Subscription - $3,600 USD (students, faculty, and staff
automatically have access to ECAR research and analyses)
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EDUCAUSE Services:
Core Data Services
Colleges and universities use the CDS benchmarking service to
inform their IT strategic planning and management.
EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research
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• Infuse IT engagement not only in academic but also
in everyday life.
• Research Topic: “Establishment of an Information
Security Awareness and Culture”.
• Focus on the academic sector emphasizing the
importance of security awareness in academia and
how the lessons learnt here are applied in both
personal and professional lives.
EDUCAUSE Resources
EDUCAUSE Resources
Other Resources
• SANS Institute
– Securing the Human Target.
• ENISA
– The users’ guide on how to raise
information security awareness.
• UK GetSafeOnline
– Detailed advise for home and business
users on how to use the Internet
confidently, safely and securely
The Method
• Security is not solely an IT discipline.
• Investigate the level of security awareness amongst the online
population.
• Sample size of 160 students registered for CS1070 –
Introduction to Information Systems course at ACG.
• Paper based questionnaire of 28 questions consisting of three
sections:
– Background Information (eg. Gender, college year,
academic discipline, age, employment status).
– Level of Awareness (eg. Online habits)
– T/F Questions (Indicate the level of agreement with
specific information security statements).
Results
• Presented and interpreted in the following four sections:
– Background Information.
– Use of IT and the Internet.
– Security Knowledge and Perceptions and
– Security Practices and Behaviors.
• It is the responsibility of the academia to prepare professionals
that can protect critical infrastructures and investments in people,
equipment and information assets.
• Although a large proportion of respondents claimed knowledge
of security measures, they did not demonstrate effective security
practices.
Next steps
• Paper publication:
– “Information Security Awareness in Academia”,
International Journal of Knowledge Society Research.
• Further research:
– Establish a common body of knowledge (CBK) to serve as
a tool that groups the necessary skills and essential
knowledge of this field.
– Survey security awareness differences between incoming
students and students ready for graduation.
– Develop an Information Security Awareness toolkit.
ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students
and IT
Overall objective is to examine how IT affects the
college experience for students.
To do this it:
•Assesses student’s technology ownership and use
•Explore how effectively instructors and institutions use
technology
•Investigates the IT skill level of students
•Measures students’ IT perceptions, attitudes and
preferences
Data from the 2012 ECAR study of
undergraduates and IT
Why should we participate in the
study?
AMICAL Member Institutions
Summary of Response Statistics
Institution
American University of
Central Asia
American University of
Kuwait
American University of Rome
The American College of
Greece-Deree College
The American University of
Paris
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Current
Response
Sample
Response
Population
Count
Size
Rate
Estimated
Margin of
Error
169
1,039
1,039
16.27%
7.06%
71
2,050
2,050
3.46%
11.74%
46
203
203
22.66%
13.11%
138
2,325
2,325
5.94%
8.29%
77
717
717
10.74%
10.84%
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AMICAL Member Institutions
Response Statistics:
• Device Usage & Ownership
• Technology Requirements & Expectations
• Student Recommendations for Instructors
use of Technology
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Q. 2.1a - Own Laptop ?
All institutions
All non-US
institutions
7%
6%
AU Paris
3%
3%
AU Greece
7%
5%
AU Rome
2%
4%
87%
95%
Yes, Currently own a
Laptop
88%
No & DO plan to purchase
94%
78%
11%
11%
0%
No & Do NOT Plan to
Purchase
94%
3%
3%
AU Cen. Asia
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87%
6%
7%
AMICAL
AU Kuwait
92%
4%
4%
20%
40%
60%
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80%
100%
18
Q2.1.c Own Smartphone ?
All institutions
All non-US institutions
82%
8%
11%
AMICAL
10%
16%
AU Paris
4%
10%
AU Greece
5%
9%
AU Rome
4%
AU Kuwait
1%
6%
AU Cen. Asia
77%
7%
16%
75%
Yes, I currently own one
86%
No, and I DO plan to
purchase one
86%
No, and I don't plan to
purchase one
76%
20%
93%
21%
27%
52%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
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Q2.1.c Own Desktop ?
36%
All institutions
4%
All non-US institutions
5%
48%
47%
AMICAL
5%
43%
53%
AU Paris
18%
1%
AU Greece
AU Rome
4%
59%
81%
63%
3%
AU Cen. Asia
7%
No, and I DO plan to
purchase one
33%
22%
9%
AU Kuwait
Yes, I currently own one
70%
No, and I don't plan to
purchase one
38%
59%
44%
49%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
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Q2.2a. OS/type: Laptop?
All institutions
All non-US institutions
AMICAL
AU Paris
AU Greece
AU Rome
AU Kuwait
AU Cen. Asia
1%
78%
19%
3%
69%
29%
1%
Windows
29%
69%
1%
MAC
LINUX
81%
18%
0%
49%
51%
0%
60%
36%
5%
92%
6%
1%
0%
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68%
30%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
JUNE 2013
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
21
2.2b. OS/type: Tablet or iPad ?
All institutions
All non-US institutions
5%
3%
78%
18%
1%
AU Paris
2%
IPAD
90%
ANDROID
3%
WINDOWS
76%
19%
AU Greece
0%
AU Rome
8%
0%
AU Kuwait
7%
BLACKBERRY
92%
87%
0%
58%
38%
4%
0%
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63%
27%
AMICAL
AU Cen. Asia
61%
27%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
JUNE 2013
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
22
3.4 Important that I be better skilled at using technologies
21%25%
All institutions
41%
26%30%
AMICAL
3%
7%
38%
10%
4%
Extremely Important
34%
26%
22%
AU Paris
Very Important
30% 34%
28%
6%
3%
Moderately Important
17%
AU Rome
4%
28%
41%
9%
AU Kuwait
25%
31%
4%
2%
0%
5%
10%
Not Very Important
28%
27%
31%
13%
1%
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27%
9%
3%
AU Cen. Asia
31%
19%
All non-US institutions
AU Greece
40%
9%
15%
20%
25%
30%
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Not at all Important
38%
35%
40%
45%
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examples of open ended
questions, finding
• Give some examples of how you would like to
see free available course content.
1. Khan Academy
• What online resource do you use first ?
1. Google
2. Wikipedia
3. EBSCO/JStor
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The American University of Paris
Experience
A Successful First Experience
AUP’s Participation
in the 2013 ECAR Survey
Report by Jorge Sosa (Library) & Ali Rahimi (ITS) – The American University of Paris
• Collaborative effort:
– Information Technology Services & Library
• Partnered with Student Organizations &
Academic Affairs
• Several channels of communications
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Communication
February 26 (before the Spring break) - First email to students
With Facebook Postings
MARCH 10: As of 8 AM (PDT), AUP 2013 ECAR Student
Technology Survey response status was as follows:
Institution
The American University of Paris
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Response
Count
Population
Sample
Size
37
717
717
JUNE 2013
Current
Response
Rate
Estimated
Margin of
Error
5.10%
6.10%
27
March 5 (after Spring break)
– Email (AUP & Personal),
- Student organizations,
- AUP News, Student TV network
MARCH 18: As of 8 AM (PDT), AUP 2013 ECAR Student Technology
Survey response status was as follows:
Institution
The American University of Paris
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Response
Count
Population
Sample
Size
71
717
717
JUNE 2013
Current
Response
Rate
Estimated
Margin of
Error
9,90%
11.35%
28
March 25 – REMINDER:
Email message, additional advertising campaign
MARCH 25: As of 8 AM (PDT) March 25, AUP 2013 ECAR Student
Technology Survey response status is as follows:
Institution
The American University of Paris
Response
Count
Population
Sample
Size
72
717
717
Current
Response
Rate
Estimated
Margin of
Error
10,00%
11.3%
April 12: Final - As of 8 AM (PDT), AUP 2013 ECAR Student
Technology Survey response status is as follows:
Institution
The American University of Paris
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Response
Count
Population
Sample
Size
77
717
717
JUNE 2013
Current
Response
Rate
Estimated
Margin of
Error
10.7%
10.8%
29
Raffle with Prizes offered
• During AUP’s talent show, 3 winners selected at random from the
pool of respondents were awarded with gift certificates (2 @ 40
Euros and one @ 100 Euros).
Conclusions:
• The prizes seems to be a great instrument to encourage student
participation.
• Monitoring the participation is essential in order to launch
another round of the e-mail campaign and the flyers.
• Communication is vital and also the key to the success for this
survey.
• Don’t even try to get a donation for educational purposes with
Amazon. They are a monopoly, although locally very cheap.
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The American University of Central Asia
Experience
What was the goal to participate
to learn about AUCA undergraduate
students’ technology profile,
experiences and interests
Who were introducing the survey and
promoting the survey
• Vice-president for Academic Affairs
•
•
•
•
•
IT department
Student life office
Academic Advising office
PR office
Student Senate and Faculty and Chairs of
Programs
What did we do to communicate with students /
to make participation more active
•
First message (invitation) to students asking them to participate in the survey from
Vice-president for Academic Affairs
•
Reminder messages from IT
•
Similar reminders to students from advisers, Chairs of Programs, etc.
• General advertising:
AUCA website, Facebook, Twitter, desktop wallpaper, home page in IE and on posters
•
Massage to faculty to say that we are surveying students and need the support
•
Invitation to participate in a prize draw for those students who completed the survey
AUCA statistics on students' response
Institution
American University of Central Asia
Response
Count as
of 4/12
169
Institution
American University of Central Asia
Response
Count as
of 4/8
130
Institution
American University of Central Asia
Response
Count as
of 4/1
69
Institution
American University of Central Asia
Response
Count as
of 3/18
35
Institution
American University of Central Asia
Response
Count
2
Population
1,039
Population
1,039
Population
1,039
Population
1,039
Population
1,039
Sample
Size
1,039
Current
Response
Rate
16.3%
Estimated
Margin of
Error
7.1%
Sample
Size
1,039
Current
Response
Rate
12.5%
Estimated
Margin of
Error
8.2%
Sample
Size
1,039
Current
Response
Rate
6.6%
Estimated
Margin of
Error
11.7%
Sample
Size
1,039
Current
Response
Rate
3.4%
Estimated
Margin of
Error
16.9%
Sample
Size
1,039
Current
Response
Rate
0.19%
Estimated
Margin of
Error
99.90%
AUCA statistics on students' response
opened: March 18 closed: April 12
180
169
160
140
130
120
100
80
69
60
40
35
20
0
2
Mar 18
Mar 25
Apr 1
Apr 8
Apr 12
First findings
• A lot of AUCA students participated in the survey – 169 (16,3%)
this shows interest from the student community in this survey and good
administrative work on promoting the survey
• AUCA has consistent results with other AMICAL participants,
this means that AUCA faculty, students and administration
demonstrate the same pattern in the use of IT within an academic context
this allows us to create a comparative analysis and make future
collaborative projects
• There are a lot of results in ECAR Study of Undergraduate
Students and Technology, and we need to conduct deeper
quantitative /qualitative cross tabulation analysis with
development of practical recommendations
The American University of Rome
Experience
The Process
How did we encourage
participation?
Response Statistics for AUR
Institution
Response
count
Population
Sample size
Response
rate
The
American
University of
Rome
46
203
203
22.66%
Data for technology ownership
Technology
AUR
All Institutions
AMICAL schools
Laptop
93.5%
92.3%
86.8%
Tablet/I-Pad
30.4%
28.9%
24.8%
Smartphone
76.1%
77.0%
74.7%
Desktop PC
21.7%
36.2%
42.5%
Learning environment, where
students learn best
Environment
AUR
All Institutions
AMICAL schools
Some online
component
55.6%
61.6%
65.9%
The American College of Greece
Experience



We have never conducted a similar
comprehensive survey
We make a number of assumptions about
student experience with technology
Opportunity to benchmark with other similar
institutions



IT and Library worked together
Sought approval by the administration
Did not opt to participate in the incentive
program:
◦ Complicated internal process
◦ Complete confidentiality


Survey ran from March 7 to April 12
Invited students to participate
138
140
120
98
106
100
80
64
64
60
40
20
0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Final
The American University of Kuwait
Experience
Why ECAR?
•Strategic
Planning & Improvement
•Institutional Assessment
•Group Level Data
Getting Started with ECAR
•Admin.
Approval
•Intent to Participate Form
Departments Involved
•IR
•IT
•Library
Process Overview
•March
20th – Faculty and Staff were informed of the study being distributed to students.
•March
25th – initial e-mail with the survey link was sent from the President
•April
7th – reminder sent to students from VP-Student Affairs to students to complete the
survey
•April
10th – reminder sent to students from IT Director to students to complete the
survey
•April
15th – Received confirmation from Educause that the survey was closed, and AUK’s
response rate was approximately 3.5%
•Institutional
Data files to be distributed by Mid-June, with full published annual report out
in September 2013.
Response Rate
3.46%
To Participate Again?
Yes, Definately!
 Questions
and Discussion
JUNE 2013
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