DubLabs Logo
“Our goal was to hear directly from students on what factors they believe might prevent them from graduating, as well as their expectations for how mobile can contribute to their success,” said Chris Hopkinson, chief strategy officer at DubLabs.
Falls Church, Va. (PRWEB) May 16, 2017
DubLabs LLC, the leading provider of personalized campus mobile applications designed to improve the student experience, today released the findings of the “Student Life and Technology” survey. With the goal of understanding today’s post-secondary student experience, the survey, conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by DubLabs, reveals potential barriers to graduation and how students are leveraging campus resources to stay on track.
Barriers to Graduation
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 60 percent of first-time, full-time students are earning their bachelor’s degree within six years. Graduation concerns were reflected in the “Student Life and Technology” survey as more than a third (38 percent) of students surveyed report being somewhat or very worried that they won’t graduate on time. When asked what barriers might prevent them from graduating, students cited:
● Challenging curriculum (35 percent)
● Financial issues (27 percent)
● Additional responsibilities including work and family (18 percent)
● Lack of support/guidance from administration/faculty (8 percent)
Life After College
As the class of 2017 prepares for life after college, the survey also found that 52 percent of respondents were concerned that they wouldn’t be able to find a job, and more students were concerned about not finding a job that’s satisfying (42 percent) than finding a job that pays well (39 percent). Rounding out the top five concerns included having to be financially responsible and not being able to pay off student debts (31 percent). Interestingly, 13 percent of students listed living back home with their parents as their greatest concern, followed by starting a family (11 percent).
Leveraging Technology to Improve Student Experience
A recent report by Ovum highlights that more thought needs to be given on how to improve the student experience in an effort to boost graduation rates. To meet the expectations of today’s students, the report suggests that sustainable strategies supported by the right technology will help improve student success.
As such, the “Student Life and Technology” survey examined how students are utilizing campus resources, including their campus mobile app. The survey results revealed:
● Seventy-five percent of responding students agree that their campus mobile app helps them stay on top of course assignments
● Seventy-one percent report that their campus app saves them time
● Sixty-nine percent of students use their campus mobile app to stay connected to campus life
● Sixty-seven percent of students agree that their campus app helps them better manage their day-to-day life as a student
● Fifty-nine percent of students say their campus app helps them communicate better with teachers
With the majority of students using their campus mobile app to stay on top of assignments, not surprisingly, the survey finds that students prefer academic features over social. When asked to rate how important each campus mobile app feature is to them, respondents cited:
● Academics, including assignments, course discussion and grades (79 percent); followed by
● Mobile alerts about grades and assignments (72 percent); then
● Email access (63 percent); and
● Communications with professors, staff and classmates (60 percent) as extremely important.
Additionally, the survey finds that a campus mobile app may have an impact on student experience. When asked to rank their college experience to date, 89 percent of students who use their campus mobile app reported having a positive college experience.
“Our goal was to hear directly from students on what factors they believe might prevent them from graduating, as well as their expectations for how mobile can contribute to their success,” said Chris Hopkinson, chief strategy officer at DubLabs. “Students are clearly concerned about meeting academic demands and are looking for campus apps to help them stay on top of coursework.”
To view the full results of the survey, visit https://www.dublabs.com/2017-student-life-and-technology-survey-summary/
Survey Methodology
Sponsored by DubLabs, the “Student Life and Technology” survey was conducted by OnePoll, a marketing research company specializing in online quantitative research and polling, between March 29, 2017 – April 7, 2017. Feedback was obtained from more than 500 U.S. college students currently enrolled in higher education programs of two or more years.
About DubLabs, LLC.
DubLabs empowers higher education institutions to effectively deliver the critical information students need to succeed, in the way in which they prefer. Its managed, turnkey mobile app platform features native enterprise systems integration (SIS, LMS, ERP), personalized, automated push notifications and a thoughtfully designed user interface aimed at keeping students organized, on-track, engaged and connected. Since 2012, more than 150 schools around the world have partnered with DubLabs to promote a positive student experience. For more information, visit http://www.dublabs.com or follow on Twitter @dublabs.