5.2: Student Sample
- Page ID
- 98094
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)A total of 103 students from a variety of disciplines participated in one of the two 60-minute focus groups we held on each campus in the library. Groups ranged in size from two to eight students. Qualitative data were collected about students’ use of what we call “internet giants”: sites massive in scale and scope such as Google, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, that are frequently used by students and faculty for news and information.
As Table 3 indicates, the focus group participants were 18 years of age or older and registered as full-time students in their second-year (29%), third-year (31%), fourth-year (28%), or fifth-year or beyond (12%) at the eight colleges in the institutional sample. More than two-thirds of the sample was female (67%). The most common major for participants was social and behavioral studies (18%) and arts and humanities (14%) while far fewer declared computer science (1%) as their majors.
| Major | Count | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture and Engineering | 3 | 2.91% |
| Arts and Humanities | 14 | 13.59% |
| Business Administration | 10 | 9.71% |
| Computer Science | 1 | 0.97% |
| Education | 7 | 6.80% |
| Mathematics | 3 | 2.91% |
| Occupational Training | 7 | 6.80% |
| Social or Behavioral Sciences | 18 | 17.48% |
| Life or Physical Sciences | 9 | 8.74% |
| Undeclared | 4 | 3.88% |
| Multiple | 18 | 17.48% |
| Other | 9 | 8.74% |
| Total | 103 | 100.00% |
| Class standing | ||
| Sophomore or second-year student | 30 | 29.13% |
| Junior or third-year student | 32 | 31.07% |
| Senior or fourth-year student | 29 | 28.16% |
| Fifth-year student or beyond | 12 | 11.65% |
| Total | 103 | 100.00% |
| Age | ||
| 18 years old | 15 | 14.56% |
| 19-20 years old | 42 | 40.78% |
| 21-22 years old | 27 | 26.20% |
| 23-25 years old | 9 | 8.74% |
| Over 25 years old | 9 | 8.74% |
| Prefer not to answer | 1 | 0.97% |
| Total | 103 | 100.00% |
| Gender | ||
| Female | 69 | 66.99% |
| Male | 31 | 30.10% |
| Prefer not to answer | 1 | 0.97% |
| Total | 103 | 100.00% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| Asian | 6 | 5.83% |
| Black/African American | 5 | 4.85% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 4 | 3.88% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 1.94% |
| White/Caucasian | 74 | 71.84% |
| Multiple (more than one selected) | 11 | 10.68% |
| Prefer not to answer | 1 | 0.97% |
| Total | 103 | 100.00% |