Student Survey - Winter 2024

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Survey Interpretation

Computer Lab Management (CLM) annually surveys students who use the campus computer rooms. This data may be useful in determining what computer the "average" student owns and what the campus should support.

  • Computer ownership among students remained close to universal with 94.7% owning laptops and 17.2% owning desktops. Only 4 students (2.6%) reported they didn't own a computer.
  • Smartphone ownership remains close to universal (98.0%).
  • Tablet ownership made a large jump from 2020 to 2022. Perhaps the pandemic changed student behavior to be more "paperless" (annotating notes on PDFs sent out by faculty, reading eTextbooks on tablet instead of textbooks, etc.). But this year ownership dropped a bit.
  • Mac ownership has grown from 7.2% in Winter 2006 to 40.4% in Winter 2023. Mac ownership was briefly higher than PC ownership, but has dipped lower recently.
  • Students have embraced an online Google computing environment.
    Google Docs has now supplanted Microsoft Office as the most commonly used office suite.
    Google Drive has been the most common way to access their files. It's used far more than USB drives or other online storage services.
    Many K-12 schools are heavily invested in Chromebooks and the Google environment, so these changes might be a reflection of those students' experiences.
  • Most students are staying relatively current with their operating system (Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS 13 or macOS 14). In past years more students were using older versions.
  • Questions 3 & 7 show that students mostly use the computer rooms:
    • To print (mostly class related)
    • They have a class in a computer classroom
    • When they leave their laptop at home
    • To access specialized software
  • Printing is one of primary reasons students use the computer rooms. This is not surprising since most students don't own printers. And for those with ink-jet printers the cartridges tend to be expensive so printing on a ink-jet printer at home is more expensive than printing in the computer rooms.
  • Questions 4 and 9 garnered a wide variety of responses, but the most common themes are:
    • Several students requested free and/or cheaper printing.
    • Several students wanted access to the IET Virtual Lab during the day. Unfortunately this isn't possible since those PCs are used by in-person classes during the day.
    • Several students wanted more access to Stata and other specialized software.
    • There is confusion about which computers we manage. We got comments about computer labs in Hunt and PES which we don't manage. We suspect some of the other comments are about non-IET computer rooms as well.
    • We need to do a better jobs informing students about our services. We have printing, power outlets, monitors to connect to personal laptops, Matlab, Excel, headphones, etc. across multiple locations. So either studnets were referring to a non-IET room or they just weren't aware we have those items.

Survey Text

On March 14th, 2024 Computer Lab Management (CLM) sent the following survey 5000 students who had uses the campus computer rooms during Winter 2024.

Survey Results

There were 151 responses.

Question 1. Class Standing

  Number Percentage
First year 22 14.76
Second year 22 14.6%
Third year 45 29.8%
Fourth year 41 27.2%
Fifth or more year 6 4.0%
Masters candidate 4 2.6%
PhD candidate 7 4/6%
Professional School 0 0%

Question 2a. What types of computers do you own?

  Number Percentage
Desktop 26 17.2%
Laptop 143 94.7%

Question 2b. Which of these other electronic devices do you own?

  Number Percentage
Tablet 73 48.3%
Smartphone 148 98.0%
eReader 6 4.0%

Question 3. Why do you use the computer rooms?

  Number Percentage
I don't own a computer 4 2.6%
When my laptop/phone runs out of power 16 10.6%
When I leave my laptop at home 38 25.2%
I use systems in the IET Virtual Lab 20 13.2%
Access academic related websites (Canvas, DavisMail, SISWeb, etc.) 32 21.2%
Access websites for non-academic reasons 4 2.6%
I need to print 92 60.9%
I need access to specialized software which I do not own 40 26.5%
I need access to specialized hardware which I do not own (e.g. scanners, video editors, etc.) 11 7.3%
The campus computers have faster Internet access 13 8.6%
The campus computers work better than mine 13 8.6%
The campus computers have bigger monitors than my laptop 28 18.5%
I have a class that meets in a computer classroom 60 39.7%
Other 10 6.6%

Other Reasons Listed:

  • Was supposed to use CSIF machines for a class
  • When I need to use a computer but dont have time to go home and use the one I own.
  • It’s easier to print from the computers on campus than on my own
  • Place to study
  • The computer lab is located in the same building as my classroom (Wellman Hall).
  • When I need to scan a document
  • The school desktops can handle more programming/compiling than my laptop
  • It helps me focus/ my own computer has too many tabs for other things open
  • Because is Quiet and spacious
  • It's easier to work on projects as a group with that setup
  • I like to use my laptop as a second monitor while researching
  • I feel comfortable in the space you have made.
  • I was an intern for PLS 21 where I had to hold office hours in the computer room
  • I focus more when I'm working on IET computers. I don't have access to my games/music/social media, so I'm basically forced to do work.
  • cant bring desktop computer to school
  • Campus computers have better ergonomics and are good to use when I want to save battery on my laptop.
  • I TA a class in the computer room
  • It is convenient to have computers on campus so I do not have to bring my laptop. It also has all of the specialized programs that I need to use for my design classes.
  • I like using the Ubuntu OS of the Kemper computer dungeon, rather than my laptop's MacOS

Question 4.  What additional devices or services you would like in the computers rooms?

  • Matlab, Creo Parametric, Solidworks
  • Not sure
  • Free printing
  • Longer hours throughout the week, laptop or monitor renting services
  • printing, running photoshop, illustrator, indesign, and autoCAD
  • Printing
  • printing and spss software
  • Scantrons.
  • Bluetooth does not work on the computers so either bluetooth connections or wired headphones to be able to listen to audio on the computer.
  • Some PCs in the Shields library do not work.
  • More rooms to have colored printing (aka at the MU)
  • No the listed examples are the devices I would also like in the computer rooms
  • color printing
  • A bean bag chair
  • ability to use screens as a monitor with my personal laptop
  • Charger outlets
  • Chargers (granted, must avoid theft)
  • printing on larger scale paper
  • Outlets for student to plug in their devices. Printing, scanning, being able to connect monitor to laptop.
  • Bluetooth access. Headphones to listen to lectures.
  • Printing is a big one
  • iPads
  • Coding and editing film
  • No, I just need to print.
  • I think it's good
  • replacement keyboards, replacement mouse
  • printers
  • If possible, I'd like to have a few more MACs to work with. My computer stopped working and I needed to work on a project that can only be run on a mac, so I went to the computer lab. However, the computer was quite slow and I wasn't able to do my work in XCode.
  • I would like more programs like autocad and rhino to be accessible on the SCC computers.
  • Excel for labs!!! And also, if you had computers on the 4th floor of Shields that would be AMAZING!!! It always gets so loud on the 3rd floor and in other computer rooms, but 4th floor is quiet.

Question 5.  If you own a computer please answer the following question. If you own more than one computer, please respond for the computer you use most often.

Type:

  Number Percentage
Desktop 16 10.6%
Laptop 127 84.1%
No answer 8 5.3%

Operating System:

  Number Percentage
ChromeOS 0 0%
Windows 11 51 33.8%
Windows 10 23 15.2%
Windows - older version 0 0%
Windows - not sure what version 4 2.6%
macOS 14 Sonoma 30 19.0%
macOS 13 Ventura 11 7.3%
macOS 12 Monterey 7 4.6%
macOS - older version 1 0.7%
macOS - not sure what version 12 7.9%
Linux or Unix 2 1.3%
Other 1 0.7%

Office Suite:

  Number Percentage
Microsoft Office 365 (online version) 28 18.5%
Microsoft Office 2021 (Mac/PC) 14 9.3%
Microsoft Office 2019 (Mac/PC) 4 2.6%
Older version of Microsoft Office 0 0%
Pages, Numbers & Keynote (Apple) 1 0.7%
OpenOffice, LibreOffice, FreeOffice 2 1.3%
Google Docs 77 51.0%
Not sure 7 4.6%

Printer:

  Number Percentage
None 102 67.5%
Ink Jet 15 9.9%
Laser 5 3.3%
Other 4 2.6%

Please check all the peripherals you own:

  Number Percentage
USB flash drive 65 43.0%
External hard drive 32 21.2%
Scanner 15 9.9%
3D Printer 3 2.0%

Question 6. How do you access your personal files from our computers?

  Number Percentage
USB flash drive 3 2.0%
Portable hard drive 2 1.3%
Email file to yourself 28 18.5%
Google Drive 97 64.2%
Box.com 2 1.3%
Microsoft OneDrive 5 3.3%
Dropbox 0 0%
iCloud 0 0%
Other Internet or cloud based file storage 2 1.3%
AirDrop (to/from IET computer) 2 1.3%
Other 1 0.7%

Other Reasons Listed:

  • & Email
  • I both email files to myself and use Google Drive, depending on how many files I want to transfer
  • iCloud and OneDrive

Question 7. Please check any true statements below regarding the campus IT Support Desk

  Number Percentage
I am aware that there is a Knowledge Base at kb.ucdavis.edu or servicehub.ucdavis.edu 28 18.5%
I have used the Knowledge Base to search for computer help 12 7.9%
As an incoming student I was given a copy of Recommended computer configurations for students - KB0000765 https://kb.ucdavis.edu/?id=00765 15 9.9%
I am aware that I can call 530-754-HELP for IT support 39 25.8%

Question 8. If you have printed in the computer rooms, why did you print?

  Number Percentage
I didn't print in the computer rooms 33 21.9%
I don't own a printer 75 49.7%
I printed class assignments (e.g. essays, homework, labs) 82 54.3%
I printed class materials (e.g. research, syllabi, readings) 61 40.4%
I printed personal documents (not class related) 41 27.2%
The campus printers are better than mine 6 4.0%

Question 9. Do you have other suggestions or comments to help improve the campus computer rooms or services?

  • Please post signs about lower noise level. Some people talk very loud in the computer rooms.
  • Please provide Stata on more computers. It’s really difficult as an economics student to complete assignments when I can only use VirtualLab (which works only after 8:30 pm).
  • Setup the computers so the mouse and keyboard cords are pulled behind the monitor and are organized and neat, leave the monitors lowered and tilted slightly upwards to reduce eye strain, auto set orange light settings to come on at 7:30 pm.
  • I have been completely unable to remotely access CSIF machines
  • Extended hours and more Mac computer in other computer rooms
  • Allow me to access programs like Stata from home. On days I can’t make it to campus it is annoying to have to wait until 8:30pm to start doing my homework. Very frustrating to be confined to small windows or be forced to work on campus, especially when most computer rooms do not even have licenses for the program I want to use.
  • A more detailed guide of how to use virtual lab software on Apple laptops
  • To my knowledge, Stata is only available in 2 of the Hutchison computer rooms, it would be nice if it was available in other locations as well.
  • Switch the TLC theme back to kirby please ty
  • Expanding hours for the virtual IET computer. 6:30pm-4am is too limiting.
  • N/A, the computer rooms are great!
  • Some specialized software are only available on the Mac computers which cannot be accessed virtually after hours. Some of the software can also run on windows but they are not on those computers. Installing those on Windows computers will allow me to use the specialized software when the rooms are closed.
  • Please fix the PCs in the shields libraries.
  • It would be nice if they could provide adaptors , like usb to hdmi or similar to be able to connect better!
  • Wish there was some form of free printing, whether it was an allotted amount each week or day or the like.
  • Update and upgrade the monitors and chairs,
  • please clean the floors in the hunt and pes computer labs they're so gross
  • Maybe make printing included in tuition? I don't see why we should have to pay for it after already bleeding money just to be here
  • We should focus on improving existing computers (especially from virtual access) over expanding the labs. We should also increase the internet speed for virtual access. Currently, communication with the computers is slow on virtual access and I frequently disconnect for a few seconds due to overload on resources and internet speed.
  • We need new computers and more on campus to make it accessible. Like the computer rooms to be open longer
  • It's be nice to not have to input my duo password every time I use a computer. I've noticed that the math and engineering computer labs save my login info over repeated uses, so I'm wondering why IET rooms don't do that. I understand if it'd be more hassle than its worth, though.
  • More obvious number displayed in the room to call for software of hardware problems. For example a malfunctioning key board.
  • I would like the hunt hall computers to be improved. With adobe suite programs the desktops tend to crash when the file becomes more that about 8 mb. It is really frustrating when you have to work on a school project and you are not able to because the computers do not have the processing power needed.
  • I log in from my computer weekly to use indesign because I am on the newspaper and I need it, it could be nice to have to redownload all my content every time I log on.
  • more accessible printers
  • Obviously understand there are staffing restrictions but some computers straight up don't work and others are really dusty, dirty, or have old sticky keyboards/mice. Some work really well but would be great if that were more across the board.

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