Are Learning Analytics the New ‘Likes’? 87% of College Students Perform Better with Access to Personalized Data, New Research Finds

Students are satisfied with the use of technology in college but see greater potential

• Eighty-four percent of students reported that technology helps their professors and teaching assistants to be more efficient and effective in teaching classes, and 86% agree that technology helps them to be more efficient and effective students.
• However, 86% of students feel that there are still ways that they could be using technology to make their education better, and 79% feel that there are still ways that their university and teaching staff could be using technology to make their education better.
• Sixty-seven percent of students found print textbooks with digital components to be “very helpful” or “extremely helpful” to their study process; 57% of students found print textbooks to be helpful on their own.

Mobile learning trends continue to accelerate, but laptops are still students’ preferred device

• Almost two-thirds (61%) of college students report using their smartphones to study;  year-over-year data collected from McGraw-Hill's own students demonstrate a 20% increase in smartphone-studying since 2014, and a 69% increase since 2013.
• On average, students report that 85% of their preferred study spaces would be impossible to study in if not for technology such as a laptop or smartphone.
• When it comes to total usage, laptops still rule: 86% of students report using laptops “often” or “all the time”; 57% of students report using smartphones as frequently.

About The Impact of Technology on College Student Study Habits Research

McGraw-Hill's report, "The Impact of Technology on College Student Study Habits," surveyed 2,657 college students aged 18+ who are currently enrolled in higher education institutions across the United States. Respondents were from a mix of majors and grade levels, ranging from freshman to PhD students. 2,107 of the students were selected from among a group of students that have previously used McGraw-Hill's technology in their coursework, while the remaining 550 were selected from outside of this group.