Learn.gold: Poll findings: expectations and reality of ICTs in Higher Education

JISC commissioned Ipsos MORI to undertake research among first year students studying in higher education to understand first year students’ experiences of information and communication technology (ICT) use and provision in Higher Education Institutions, particularly in light of the expectations which emerged from the first study in June 2007, and to examine whether there is a mismatch between expectations and reality. The findings are available in the report Great Expectations of ICTs. How Higher Education Institutions are Measuring Up. As usual, Arts subjects are are under-represented in the sample compared to Sciences (these are the only two categories recorded), so we should be cautious about extrapolating these findings too broadly to Goldsmiths. Nevertheless, the report is well worth a read.

There is an appetite for ICTs because learners see their peers benefiting from using them. Casting aspersion on the 'digital natives' idea, students use social networking sites more in Higher Education than they did in compulsory or further education. Students are self-organising in social networking (aka Web 2.0) sites, for learning. One interesting theme, picked up elsewhere, is doubt about whether social networking (aka Web 2.0) sites can be formalised or co-opted by institutions and still retain their dynamism and attraction for learners.

To summarise the key findings from the press release:

General use of social networking sites is still high (91% use them regularly or sometimes). Frequency of use has increased now that they are at university with a higher proportion claiming to be regular users (80%) - up from 65% when they were at school/college
73% use social networking sites to discuss coursework with others; with 27% on at least a weekly basis
Of these, 75% think such sites as useful in enhancing their learning
Attitudes towards whether lecturers or tutors should use social networking sites for teaching purposes are mixed, with 38% thinking it a good idea and 28% not. Evidence shows that using these sites in education are more effective when the students set them up themselves; lecturer-led ones can feel overly formal
Despite students being able to recognise the value of using these sites in learning, only 25% feel they are encouraged to use Web 2.0 features by tutors or lecturers
87% feel university life in general is as, or better than, expected especially in terms of their use of technology, with 34% coming from the Russell Group of universities saying their expectations were exceeded
75% are able to use their own computer on all of their university's systems with 64% of students from lower income households assuming that they will be able to bring along their own equipment (raising the issue of affordability).

And here's an important point:

"However universities are not currently perceived to be leading the way in developing new ways people can learn. At the moment, technology training for students (and, one might suspect, for staff) tends to focus on how to use different systems. There is little sense that for these students, the university has a remit to encourage them to think differently about information, research and presentation."

This is what CELT and the Learning and Teaching Office (soon to be united) are trying to do (it isn't so easy).