National survey to help CMU gauge technology services, compare to other schools

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A survey designed to help Central Michigan University provide students with better information technology services was conducted earlier this month.

The survey asked a variety of questions regarding students’ use of technology in class and at home. It asked how students feel about taking courses using varying levels of IT and how proficient they felt their instructors were at using different technology.

“The survey that was distributed is a general survey of student behaviors regarding technology, and it’s actually conducted by a nationwide organization called ECAR — the research arm of Educause, which is the Higher Ed IT professional organization,” said Roger Rehm, vice president for Information Technology, in an email. “In past years, it has looked at things like the use of various technologies in the classroom, use of smart phones, student use of email, etc.”

Rehm said the survey is useful because it is nationwide, so CMU is able to compare itself to other universities in their usage and adoption of technologies.

“It’s been useful in helping us understand how CMU students are similar to, and different from, their counterparts at other schools,” he said.

Judy Caruso, the director of the survey who is from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the survey has been incredibly useful in evaluating the effectiveness of IT services in different universities nationwide.

“To get the most precise statuses about the services at a given university, you have to ask the students,” Caruso said. “By sending this survey to students and having them fill it out, we can get a serious assessment of the quality of the services at that university and then that university can compare itself to other universities around the country and see how they measure up.”

Wyandotte senior Rudy Barron said he has been happy overall recently with the IT services at CMU.

“The computer labs usually work and the library computers are always up and running,” Barron said. “I’ve never taken an online class, but I don’t think I’d like it. I need the face-to-face interaction with my professors, but overall I think that the services here are good, and they definitely have gotten a lot better over the years that I’ve been here.”

It could not be determined before print when the survey’s results would be evaluated.