Technology in the First Year Experience - A Study on the Resources Provided to and used by Students

The introduction of new technologies has increased the amount and type of information resources available to students. Today’s student encounters technology in all aspects of life, from social interactions to online purchases. Of particular note are the increased possibilities in the availability of resources to support their studies. This paper presents a study of the types of resources available to first year students, how they interact with each type and their preferences. Two surveys were carried out. The first survey was conducted amongst academics delivering first year modules. Its primary aim was to obtain information about the resources students were given, or directed to, by the lecturers. The second survey was conducted amongst first year students from different technical programmes, including full time and part time programmes and therefore a mix of mature and non-mature students. Students were questioned about their engagement with a range of different types of resource and their use of resources that were additional to those provided by their lecturers. This study presents the combined results of the surveys. These were used to evaluate the engagement with traditional resources and technological and digital resources in education both from the lecturer and student perspective. The results show a divide between the types of material provided by the lecturers and the materials and usage preferred and actually used by the students.