Volume 9 Number 49

November 24, 2001

ISSN 1068-2341

A peer-reviewed scholarly journal
Editor: Gene V Glass
College of Education
Arizona State University

Copyright 2001, the EDUCATION POLICY ANALYSIS ARCHIVES .
Permission is hereby granted to copy any article
if EPAA is credited and copies are not sold.

Computing Experience and Good Practices in Undergraduate Education:
Does the Degree of Campus "Wiredness" Matter?

Shouping Hu
Seton Hall University

George D. Kuh
Indiana University

Citation: Hu, S. and Kuh, G.D. (2001, November 24). Computing Experience and Good Practices in Undergraduate Education: Does the Degree of Campus "Wiredness" Matter?, Education Policy Analysis Archives, 9(49). Retrieved [date] from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v9n49.html.

Abstract

Introduction

An increasingly technology-oriented workplace makes competence in computer and information technology essential (Gilbert, 1996; Green & Gilbert, 1995; Morrison, 1999; West, 1996). Thus, it is no surprise that computing and information technologies have proliferated on most campuses and now typically represents a substantial share of an institution's operating budget (Finkelstein, Frances, Jewett, & Scholz, 2000; Institute for Higher Education Policy, 1999). Continuously upgraded, the technology is supposed to add value to the student experience. E-mail, for example, promises to remove time and distance barriers between students and faculty members (Gilbert, 1995; D'Souza, 1992) and students are generally satisfied with this mode of communication, reporting that it has a positive effect on the learning process (D'Souza, 1992), especially when faculty members use email to elaborate on key points made during class discussions and provide feedback to students (D'Souza,1992; Hawarth, 1999; Roach, 1999).

Assuming the benefits of email extend to the use of other forms of electronic technologies, it seems plausible that more is better, meaning that the more pervasive the technology the more students will use it and the more they will benefit. However, relatively few studies have looked specifically at the relationships between computing and information technology and the overall undergraduate experience. It's also possible that prospective students consider the degree to which an institution is "wired" (i.e., the availability of advanced forms of computing and information technology) when deciding to which schools they will apply and ultimately, the specific college they will attend (Armstrong, 2000; Bernstein, Caplan, & Glover, 2000;
Jackson, 2000).

Some studies are encouraging, showing positive influences of the use of information technology on a broad range of desired outcomes of college (Flowers, Pascarella, & Pierson, 2000; Kuh & Vesper, 2001; Pew Internet and American Life, 2000). At the same time, others worry about potentially undesirable consequences of the overwhelming presence of computer and information technology (Upcraft, Terenzini, & Kruger, 1999). For example, Wen (2000) reported that as more and more adolescents grow up communicating via instant electronic messaging, chat rooms and email, they would be isolated from and have little experience with face-to-face human contact. Though the Internet offers almost unlimited access to information, some caution that it must not become "a substitute for hands-on learning" (Malveaux, 2000, p.
38). In addition, it is not clear whether the availability and use of technology promotes or discourages student engagement in good educational practices, behaviors that are linked with a host of desirable college outcomes (Chickering & Gamson, 1987). Haworth (1999) suggests that e-mail does not increase the frequency of student-faculty interaction, but rather allows it to take a different form.

Peers and faculty members are the two most important agents of socialization for students in college (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991; Weidman, 1989). One way to determine the impact of computing and information technology on the quality of undergraduate education is to examine the relationship between the degree to which a campus is wired and the level of student engagement in a range of empirically-derived good educational practices (Chickering & Gamson, 1987). Included among such good practices are student-faculty contact, peer cooperation, and active learning.

Purpose

This study examines the relationships between the availability of computing and information technology (wiredness), use of the technology, and student engagement in three good educational practices (faculty contact, peer cooperation, active learning). Two questions guide this study.

First, does highly accessible, advanced forms of computing and information technology have a demonstrable effect on students' experiences with this technology and their exposure to good educational practices? That is, do students use technology more frequently and interact more frequently with their teachers, engage in more cooperative peer activities, and have more active learning experiences on wired campuses compared with their counterparts at less wired campuses?

Second, does the degree of campus wiredness have differential effects on the experiences of different types of students (men and women, traditional age and older students)? Previous studies have reported certain differences in how men and women use computing and information technology (Kuh & Hu, 2001; Pew Internet and American Life, 2000). However, it is not known whether there are differences in the relationships between campus wiredness and students' experiences with information technology and their exposure to good educational practices depending upon student characteristics such as gender or age.