SMARTPHONES & DIGITAL SERVICES
Devices used for study Respondents were asked what their preferred device was for various studying activities. Using a laptop or desktop is by far the most popular choice for many activities, with 94 per cent saying they would use a laptop or desktop computer to write essays and 93 per cent to do research. However, more than a quarter of respondents (27 per cent) said a mobile phone is their preferred device for time and task management activities. In addition, respondents are not always reliant on technology. A non-digital device was popular for students’ and graduates’ note-taking activities (44 per cent) and reading (30 per cent). Elsewhere, 28 per cent prefer a tablet for reading and 18 per cent opt for this device when reviewing lecture materials. Asked about their most used device on the course as a whole, the vast majority (90 per cent) said that it was a laptop or desktop computer, while it was a non-digital device for five per cent of respondents, a tablet for three per cent and a mobile phone for one per cent. Respondents were asked if they thought that using a mobile phone is essential in order to complete a business/management course. Their opinions were mixed: while 56 per cent agreed at some level that using a mobile phone is essential, 31 per cent said that it was not. The remaining respondents neither agreed nor disagreed. Splitting the data by respondents’ year of graduation does not alter the results significantly. Given the rapid progress in technology in this area, it might have been expected that those who had graduated more recently would be more likely to think of their mobile phones as being an essential component of study, but this was not the case. Range of digital services Students and recent graduates were asked about the range of digital services they were currently using, or had used, during their degree. Respondents were most likely to have accessed learning resources using digital services, as cited by no fewer than 83 per cent. Other popular facilities or resources accessed on digital services are grades (77 per cent), the library (75 per cent) and personalised timetables and class schedule (65 per cent). Less likely to be accessed by digital services are wellbeing initiatives (cited by 13 per cent), transport information (17 per cent), campus maps (25 per cent) and the digital campus (28 per cent). Based on their answers to the previous question, respondents were asked to rate their experiences
FINDINGS SNAPSHOT
The devices students use for study 90 per cent of students and recent graduates said they mostly use a laptop or desktop for their management course studies. 56 per cent of students and recent graduates believe a mobile phone is essential to completing their management course. The usability of digital services 83 per cent of current or recent students and graduates said they use digital services to access learning resources. Half of respondents rated the ability to access their grades through digital services as “excellent”. Use of apps in business schools App usage among business schools has risen by 37 percentage points , when comparing the experiences of those who graduated in 2018 and those who were studying in 2022. Students and graduates most commonly use apps to access personalised timetables ( 74 per cent ). 79 per cent of respondents said they find their institution’s app useful.
83%
Alumni relations 78 per cent of respondents said they have stayed, or would like to stay, connected to their business school by using digital services and tools.
78%
Overall experience using digital services 78 per cent of respondents said they find accessing learning resources to be the most helpful aspect of a school’s digital offering. On the flipside, students and graduates said they find connecting with their peers the most difficult aspect of using digital services.
Ambition JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 31
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