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Project Eagle Research Capsules (PERC) #9 November 2002
E-Learning Facts and Statistics from Three Recent Releases
Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Reports
National Center for Education Statistics
November 2002
- Results reflected 1999-2000 undergraduates (who represented 8% of the
total student population), as well as graduate and first-professional
students (10% of the total student population), who participated in
distance education.
- Among undergraduates, characteristics associated with family and work
responsibilities - being independent, older, married, or having dependents
- appeared to be associated with greater levels of participation in
distance education.
- Among independent undergraduate students, those who earned $50,000 or
more (11%) were more likely to take distance education classes than
those who earned less (9%).
- Undergraduate females (9%) were more likely than males (7%) to participate
in distance education.
- Participation rates of undergraduates at public 2-year institutions and
those seeking associate's degrees were higher (9%) than those of students
in other institutions/degree programs (4%-7%).
- Greater proportions of 1999-2000 undergraduates who majored in education
(11%) participated in distance education than students in most other
fields of study (3%-7%).
- Students who delayed entry into postsecondary education more than 2 years
(10%) were more likely to participate in distance education than those
who did not (7%). Those who attended part-time, full-year (10%) were
more likely to participate in distance education than those with other
attendance patterns (7%); full-time workers (9%) were more likely than
others (6-7%).
- Among undergraduates who reported participating, those groups with higher
overall participation were more likely than their counterparts to report
that their entire program was available through distance education.
- Similar patterns emerged among graduate/first-professional students. While
a gender difference was not detected among students at this level, married
students and those with dependent children were more likely than their
counterparts to participate in distance education.
- Among those who took distance education classes, both graduate and undergraduate
students were more likely to use the Internet (undergraduate - 60%,
graduate/first-professional - 67%) than live TV or audio or prerecorded
TV or audio.
- Graduate/first-professional students were less likely (28%) than undergraduates
(39%) to use prerecorded TV or audio, but more likely (43%) than undergraduates
(37%) to participate in distance education courses via live TV or audio.
- The majority of both groups (undergraduate - 70%, graduate/first-professional
- 73%) were at least "equally satisfied" with their distance education
courses compared with their regular courses.
Annual Report
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (Paris, France)
October 2002
- Average number of students sharing a school computer - U.S., 5; International
13.
- 15-year-old girls from 16 OECD countries who feel comfortable with computers
- U.S., 88%; International, 70%.
- 15-year-olds from 32 comparable countries with "top-level literacy skills"
- U.S., 12%; International, 10%. 6 other countries had percentages higher
than the U.S. - Australia, Canada, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand and
the United Kingdom.
- 15-year-olds whose literacy skills are below basic - U.S., 6%; International,
6%.
- Mid-career U. S. teachers, with an average $40,037 salary, rank 8th among
27 countries with comparable data, but 22nd when teacher salaries are
compared to gross domestic product.
How Students Are Living in the Future with Today's
Technology
Principal Author: Steve Jones, Senior Research Fellow
Pew Internet and American Life Project
September 2002
- 20% of today's college students began using computers between the ages
of 5 and 8. By the time they were 16 to 18 years old all of today's
current college students had begun using computers - and the Internet
was a commonplace in the world in which they lived.
- 86% have gone online, compared with 59% of the general population.
- College students are frequently looking for email, with 72% checking email
at least once a day.
- 49% first began using the Internet in college; 47% were using it at home
before they arrived at college.
- 85% own their own computers, and 66% use at least two email addresses.
- 78% of college Internet users say that at one time or another they have
gone online just to browse for fun, compared to 64% of all Internet
users.
- 79% state that Internet use has had a positive impact on their college
academic experience.
- 46% agree that email enables them to express ideas to a professor that
they would not have expressed in class, but some interactions are still
primarily face-to-face: Only 19% of students said they communicate more
with their professors via email than they do face-to-face.
- 73% say they use the Internet more than the library, while only 9% said
they use the library more than the Internet for information searching.
- 48% are required to use the Internet to contact other students in at least
some of their classes.
- 68% reported subscribing to one or more academic-oriented mailing lists
that relate to their studies. They use these lists to carry on email
discussions about topics covered in their classes.
- 42% say they use the Internet primarily to communicate socially, with
72% saying most of their online communication is with friends.
- 33% find that the majority of their computer use occurs at school and
outside their homes or dorms.
www.spjc.edu/eagle/research/perc/perc9.htm
For a list of previous Project Eagle Research Capsules, go to www.spcollege.edu/eagle/research/perc/index.htm
For more information, contact the project manager: lechnerj@spcollege.edu
The contents of PERC were developed under a grant from the U. S. Department of Education (DOE). However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the DOE, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
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