Student Survey - Winter 2001

Survey Text
Survey Results
Survey Interpretation
Other Surveys

Survey Text

On 3/23/2001 the following survey was set to 1000 students who had used the computer classrooms since the start of the Winter quarter. 
  Lab Management is constantly trying to refine and improve the campus
computer rooms.  We would like your input to determine what changes you
feel would improve our services.

  Your name was selected by a random sample of all computer room users.
As a result, your responses to this survey represent many users.  Please
reply to this survey so that your views will be properly represented.

  The survey contains eleven questions which are listed below.  To answer
the survey, reply to this message and mark your answers to the questions
below by putting an "x" or text, as appropriate, between the square
brackets provided (eg. [x]). Since a program will automatically tally your
responses for later analysis, please keep your responses between the
square brackets provided. There is a space for comments at the end of the
survey.

Thank you for your time and input.

                        Tim Leamy
                        Information Resources
                        tcleamy@ucdavis.edu

*****  Computer Room Survey *****

1. Why do you use the computer rooms (please mark all that apply)

  [] Don't own a computer
  [] Need to access the network (e.g., Netscape, email, Eudora, Telnet)
  [] Need to print
  [] Need to access class software or information
  [] Need to access to special hardware (scanners, video editors, etc.)
  [] Campus computers are more convenient than mine
  [] Campus computers work better than mine
  [] Required for class
  [] Class meets in a computer room
  [] To access Registrar services (RSVP, Degree Navigator, etc)
  [] Other (please describe): []

2.  Do you own a computer?
  [] YES
  [] NO   (If NO please skip to question #4.)

3.  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:      [] Desktop     [] Laptop

  Platform:  [] Macintosh   [] PC/IBM compatible (Windows)
             [] Other       [] Don't know

  Operating System: (check all that apply)
             [] Mac OS 7      [] Mac OS 8       [] Mac OS 9
             [] Windows 95    [] Windows 98     [] Windows NT
             [] Windows 2000
             [] Linux         [] Other Unix
             [] Other

  Printer:   [] None        [] Dot Matrix          [] Ink Jet
             [] Laser       [] Other
             [] Don't Know

  Does is have a CD-ROM:    [] Yes   [] No   [] Don't know

  Does it have a Zip drive: [] Yes   [] No   [] Don't know

  If you are waiting for a computer in a lab, and one of the other type is
available (ie.  You own a PC but a Mac is available) would you:
    [] Use the available computer
    [] Wait until the type you own is available

4.  How often do you use the campus computer rooms?
 [] More than once a day
 [] Daily
 [] A few times a week
 [] Weekly
 [] Monthly

5.  Does the department of your major (or field of study) have computer
labs available for your use?
 [] Yes
 [] No      (If NO please skip to question #6.)
 [] Don't know  (If Don't know please skip to question #6.)
 [] Not Applicable (I've yet to declare a major. - skip to question #6.)

6.  Which do you use more?
  [] Department computer labs
  [] Campus computer rooms
  Why? [   ]

7.  Which of these items will improve service to you in the computer
rooms?  Please rank the THREE most important by placing 1, 2 or 3 in the
brackets provided, using 1 for the most important.

  []  Open later hours (after midnight)
  []  More open use time (i.e. no classes in session)
  []  More staff
  []  Better trained staff
  []  Newer equipment
  []  More computers
  []  More quick or print-only stations
  []  More centrally located computer rooms
  []  Other (please describe): []

8.  Please rate the ease of finding an available computer on campus to
use.
  [] Easy
  [] Sometimes easy
  [] Moderately difficult
  [] Difficult
  [] Extremely difficult

9.  How long do you wait in line on average?
  [] No line, so I don't have to wait
  [] 1-5 minutes
  [] 5-10 minutes
[] 10-15 minutes
  [] 15-30 minutes
  [] Over 30 minutes

10.  Is there any additional software that you feel should be loaded on
the computers?
  []

11.  If there was one thing that we should do better, what would it be?
  []

Thank you for your time and input.

Survey Results

There were 279 responses. Of those 251 were usable.
 
Reasons for using computer rooms
Need to print 191 76.1%
Need to access the network 124 49.4%
Need to access class software or information 117 46.6%
Campus computers are more convenient than mine 101 40.2%
Campus computers work better than mine 73 29.1%
Required for class 58 23.1%
Class meets in a computer room 52 20.7%
Access to Registrar services 78 31.1%
Other 78 31.1%
Specialized hardware 45 17.9%
Don't own a computer 21 8.4%

 
Own a computer
Yes 228 91.2%
No 18 7.2%

Of those who own a computer:
Percentages are of those who own a computer, not total respondents.

 
How often do you use the computer rooms?
More than once per day 21 8.4%
Daily 36 14.3%
A few times per week 88 35.1%
Weekly 55 21.9%
Monthly 47 18.7%
 
Is there a departmental computer lab?
Yes 100 39.8%
No 62 24.7%
Don't know 81 32.2%
N/A (undeclared) 5 2.0%
 
Which labs do students use more?
Departmental 50 50.0%
Campus 47 47.0%
 
Most important way to improve computer classrooms
Ranking 1st 2nd 3rd Total
More computers 72 56 30 358
More quick or printing stations 40 40 35 235
More open use time 36 35 45 223
More centrally located computer rooms 14 32 38 144
Open later hours 19 15 15 102
Newer equipment 10 8 12 58
Other 5 5 7 32
Better trained staff 5 3 6 27
More staff 3 2 1 14
Total is computed by (number of 1st's) x 3 + (number of 2nd's) x 2 + (number of 3rd's).

  Ease of finding free computer to use
Easy 38 15.1%
Sometimes easy 123 49.0%
Moderately difficult 68 27.1%
Difficult 13 5.2%
Extremely difficult 5 2.0%

  
How long do you wait in line?
No line 34 13.5%
1-5 minutes 51 20.3%
5-10 minutes 67 26.7%
10-15 minutes 65 25.5%
15-30 minutes 22 8.8%
Over 30 minutes 4 1.6%

Additional software that should be loaded on the computers

One thing that we can do better

Survey Interpretation

The top reasons why students use the computer rooms are access to printers (76.1%), access to the network  (49.4%), and access to class software (46.6%).  These same three items were the top reasons for the last three student surveys.  However, the printing has risen from 58% in Winter 98 to 76% now, while network access has dropped form 62% to 50%.  It will be interesting to see if printing continues to rise.

The percentage of students who own a computer continued to rise to 91.2%.  This is up from 69% in Winter 1997, 74% in Winter 1998, 78.0% in Spring 1999, and 85.3% in Winter 2000..
Macintosh ownership among students continues to remain low, from a high of 22.2% in Winter 1997.
Laptop ownership remained steady at around 18% (was 16-17% for past three surveys).
Ink Jets remain the most popular printers, which 65.1% of computer owners having one.
CD_ROMs are installed on almost all computers. Zip drive ownership increased from 17.2% in Winter 2000 to 27.5%.  But this is still fairly low, so they cannot be seen as a floppy replacement.

Most students use the computer rooms fairly often (71.3% use them daily - weekly).

Almost 40% of students have access to a departmental computer room.  Of those with access to a departmental lab, half used it primarily.

For the fifth year in a row the most desired improvements for the computer rooms voiced by the students is more computers.  More quick or printing stations  and more open use time were a strong second tier.
More centrally located computer rooms and open later hours  grouped in a lower tier of support, while the other improvements received  little support. It appears students are more concerned about access to the computer rooms as opposed to the quality of the service provided in those rooms.

The computer rooms are heavily utilized and students rated more computers as the top possible inprovement, but overall students report reasonable access to a computer.  Roughly 64% report that finding a computer is easy or sometimes easy, and 60% reported waiting in line less than 10 minutes (86% less than 15 minutes).

Other Surveys

Survey Text
Survey Results
Survey Interpretation
Other Surveys
Comments: tcleamy@ucdavis.edu
URL: http://lm.ucdavis.edu/pubs/survey/student_w01.html
Last reviewed: Thu, 18-Jul-2002
Last updated: May 8, 2000