2018 UBIT Student Experience Survey reveals tech habits of UB students

Published April 4, 2019

by Grace Golabek

Nearly 3,000 students in every UB school told UBIT how they use technology in their academic and personal lives in our 2018 survey. Here is what the students said.

Diverse digital ecosystem

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Author

UBIT Student Ambassador Grace Golabek.

Grace Golabek (UB student, Class of 2019) is a Business major with a minor in Mandarin Chinese. After graduating from UB, she hopes to attend law school, pursue a career as a civil rights attorney, and revive the trend of pink business suits. A Hamburg, NY native, Grace enjoys conspiracy theories and writing.

One overarching theme: students reported using more devices than ever before, continuing a five-year trend. Smart watches, smart speakers and VR headsets were among the over three dozen unique devices students said they used during the Fall 2018 semester.

Students’ habits are changing to reflect their new diverse digital ecosystem, too. More students told us they use specific devices for specific tasks, and use different channels of communication for different types of activities.

Smartphones still rule

Another technology trend that continued at UB in 2018: the increasing popularity of smartphones. 92% of students reported using them, and they prefer them to their laptops when it comes to social media. Laptops are stilled the preferred devices for homework and notetaking.

59% of responding UB students said that they wanted to have the ability to use smartphones for classroom activities, like responding to clicker questions, collaborating with classmates and taking notes.

When texting is best

Students indicated they prefer text messages for time sensitive information such as notifications on school closings or campus emergencies. Email, however, was the preferred option for non-urgent communication matters.  

Where Facebook stands with students

This year’s survey also shows that Facebook, while still popular with students, is losing ground to Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter as a news and media source for students.

According to the 2015 survey, 68% of students reported using Facebook as a source of news and 64% for media sharing. However, in 2018, just 35% of students reported using it to share media and 40% using it as a news source.

The apps students use to stay productive

This year, for the first time, UBIT asked students which apps they use to stay productive.

Microsoft Office, which is free for UB students, faculty and staff on the UBIT website, earned the top spot, with 88% of students reporting using it. 47% used G-Suite (Google docs, etc.), which students can access through their UBmail powered by Google.

Thank you to all the students who contributed to this year’s survey—your responses are vital in allowing the university stay up-to-date on your technology needs.