As part of an ongoing effort to understand and meet the needs of our clients, Computer Lab Management (CLM) emailed a survey to a sample of our student clients on 3/3/2006. The survey was sent to 1000 students who used the computer rooms during the Winter 2006 quarter. There were 97 respondents.

Survey Results and Interpretation

• Computer ownership was 100% in this survey.  In past surveys it was very close, but this is the first one to hit 100%.  Yet the usage in the computer rooms remains very high, which indicates students prefer to use the campus computer labs while on campus.
• Printing remains one of the most important reasons students use the computer rooms.
• Most students (67%) own Ink Jet printers.  Despite a majority of students owning printers, they still utilize campus printing because of quality and convenience reasons.  This makes sense as laser printers are generally higher quality than ink jet printers and the current charge of 5 cents per sheet is cheaper than printing from an ink-jet.  Most students prefer to print out class material while on campus rather than returning home to print.
• As for the last few years almost all student computers were PCs.  Laptop ownership has increased dramatically since Winter 2003 and now laptop ownership (63.9%) is substantially higher than desktop ownership (36.1%).
  
• Windows XP has become almost standard for PCs.  Windows XP use reached 85.6% in Winter 06.  The use of Win9X operating systems has dropped from 42.3% in Winter 03 to 5.1% in Winter 06.
  
• Most students (79.4%) have some sort of high-speed Internet access, usually shared with their housemates (67%).  In contrast, only 7.2% of students are still using modems.
• USB flash drives are the most common peripherals (of the ones we surveyed).  CLM has promoted USB drives as the best means to transfer files so it's good that 73.2% of students have them.
• Most students still email files to themselves to transfer them.  We need to promote mySpace and USB flash drives more effectively.
• Most students will not wait in long lines.  They would either "go to another lab which no waiting line or a shorter one" (22.7%), "give up and decide to come back at a later time that day" (32.0%) or "give up and wait until you got home to use a computer" (11.3%).  Therefore, wait line statistics only reflect a fraction of the total demand for computers.
• Most students (61.9%) own a MP3 player, with Apple iPods being the most popular (40.2%).  This is good news for the campus' podcasting pilot.

Survey Details

Winter 2006 Computer Room Survey

1. Class Standing:
Please select First year Second year Third year Fourth year Fifth or more year Masters candidate PhD candidate Professional School

2. Why do you use the computer rooms (please mark all that apply)
Don't own a computer
Don't own a printer
Need to access the web (Firefox and Internet Explorer)
Need to check/reply to email
Need to print class assignments
Need to print class materials from the web
Need to access specialized software which is not on home computer
Need to access special hardware (scanners, video editors, etc.)
Campus computers have faster access to the network (web, email, etc)
Campus computers are more convenient than mine
Campus computers work better than mine
Campus printers are better than mine
Class meets in a computer room
To access student information (RSVP, grades, financial aid info, classes enrolled)
Other (please describe):

3.Do you own a computer?
Yes
No (If no, skip to question #5)

4. If you own a computer please answer the following: (If you own more than one computer please respond for the one you use most often.)

Type: Please select Desktop Laptop

Operating system: Please select Windows XP Windows 95 Windows 98 Windows NT Windows 2000 Windows ME Windows 2003 Windows - not sure what version Mac OS 9 Mac OS X Mac - not sure what version Linux Other unix Other

Printer: Please select None Ink jet Laser Other

Network Connection: Please select None 56K modem 28.8K or slower modem DSL Cable modem Resnet High speed connection provided by apartment complex Other or Don't know
Is your network connection shared with your roommates: Yes No

Please check on the peripherals you have:
DVD-R/RW
DVD-ROM
CD-ROM
Zip Drive
Floppy drive
USB flash drive (also called Jump drive)

Please indicate how your computer time is roughly split between your computer at home and the campus computer rooms:
almost all at home, very little on campus
75% at home, 25% on campus
about evenly split
25% at home, 75% on campus
very little at home, almost all on campus

5. How do you normally transfer your work from one computer to another: Please select Floppy disk Zip disk mySpace (in myUCDavis) CD-RW USB flash drive Email file to yourself FTP Other
If you said other, please specify how:

6. If you go to a computer room and see more than 10 people waiting in line, what would you usually do?
go to the end of line to wait
ask the CRC about other open computer rooms
go to another lab which no waiting line or a shorter one
give up and decide to come back at a later time that day
give up and wait until you got home to use a computer

7. When you go to use a computer room, how long do you typically have to wait for an open computer?
Please select Not at all Less than 5 minutes 5 to 10 minutes 10 to 15 minutes 15 to 30 minutes Over 30 minutes

8. Do you own a MP3 player (iPod, Creative Labs, etc)?  If so, what type:
Please select Don't own a MP3 player Apple iPod Creative Labs (MuVu, Zen, etc.) Dell DJ Other

1. Class Standing

2. Why do you use the computer rooms?

Reasons given for "Other":

• to access the harvest catalog through www.lib.ucdavis.edu
• Recreation
• print last minute papers
• Campus computers are most convenient for last minute printing of assignments due before class
• Do homework (2 responses)
• to print notes double-sided
• save money by printing on university paper, not mine
• Print double sided
• To spend free time in the gap between classes.
• Writing and printing of essays/assignments
• needed a computer while can't leave campus

3. Do you own a computer?

		Percent
Yes	97	100%
No	0	0%

4. If you own a computer please answer the following:
Note: all the percentages reported for this question are of the students who own a computer, not all students.

What type of computer do you own?

	Number	Percentage
Desktop	35	36.1%
Laptop	62	63.9%

What type of operating system do you use?

Operating System	Number	Percentage
Mac OS 9	0	0%
Mac OS X	7	7.2%
Mac - not sure	0	0%
Windows 95	1	1.0%
Windows 98	3	3.1%
Windows NT	0	0%
Windows 2000	2	2.1%
Windows ME	1	1.0%
Windows XP	83	85.6%
Windows - not sure	0	0%
Linux	0	0%
Other Unix	0	0%
Other	0	0%

What type of printer do you own?

	Number	Percentage
None	16	16.5%
Ink Jet	65	67.0%
Laser	13	13.4%
Other	2	2.1%
No Answer	1	1.0%

What type of network connection do you have at home?

	Number	Percentage
56K modem	7	7.2%
28.8K or slower modem	0	0%
DSL	34	35.1%
Cable Modem	20	20.6%
Resnet	13	13.4%
High speed provided by apartment complex	10	10.3%
None	3	3.1%
Other or Don't know	9	9.3%
No Answer	1	1.0%

Are you sharing the network connection with your roommates?

	Number	Percentage
Yes	65	67.0%
No	13	13.4%
No Answer	19	19.6%

What type of peripherals do you have at home?

	Yes	No	Percentage of "Yes"
DVD-R/RW	50	47	51.5%
DVD-ROM	70	27	72.2%
CD-ROM	72	25	74.2%
Zip Drive	15	82	15.5%
Floppy	33	64	34.0%
USB flash drive	71	26	73.2%

Please indicate how your computer time is roughly split between your computer at home and the campus computer rooms:

	Number	Percentage
almost all at home, very little on campus	48	49.5%
75% at home, 25% on campus	38	39.2%
about evenly split	6	6.2%
25% at home, 75% on campus	3	3.1%
very little at home, almost all on campus	2	2.1%

5. How do you normally transfer your work from one computer to another:

6. If you go to a computer room and see more than 10 people waiting in line, what would you usually do?

7. When you go to use a computer room, how long do you typically have to wait for an open computer?

8. Do you own a MP3 player (iPod, Creative Labs, etc)?  If so, what type:

Comments: labmanager@ucdavis.edu URL: http://clm.ucdavis.edu/pubs/survey/student-w05-1.html Last reviewed: Thu, 13-Apr-2006 Last updated: Thu, 13-Apr-2006