5.2: Student Sample

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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.

Table 3: Description of Student Focus Group Sample
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%

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