20 April 2015

New research article from COBL

Little is known of students’ Information and Communication Technology (ICT) readiness in a learning context. To learn about health science students’ usage of digital equipment, familiarity with software, online behavior and communication with the university, we have conducted a survey focusing on these areas. The questionnaire was distributed to all students at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

Among other things, we found that almost all students owned a laptop (98.3%) and a smartphone (86.5%) and used these for internet access. The students were most familiar with typical office programs like word processing and spread sheets. Students used social media in their private lives but to a lesser extent in relation to their studies; they also experienced that their teachers made limited use of these media. The most commonly used tool for working with fellow students was email (80%) and for communication, SMS (47.6%). Over half of the students (53.4%) found that the degree of ICT incorporated in the teaching and learning activities was insufficient to provide them with the skills necessary in their future profession.

View the entire research article.