Today's university students and their need to connect

<p class="Abstract">Higher education is rapidly changing and university instructors are presented with new types of students for whom technology is a significant influence. They perceive technology as a way of life and express a need to feel connected at all times. With increasingly...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Theresa Janine Russo, Moira Fallon, Jie Zhang, Veronica Acevedo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Brock University 2014-10-01
Series:Brock Education: a Journal of Educational Research and Practice
Online Access:http://brock.scholarsportal.info/journals/brocked/home/article/view/391
Description
Summary:<p class="Abstract">Higher education is rapidly changing and university instructors are presented with new types of students for whom technology is a significant influence. They perceive technology as a way of life and express a need to feel connected at all times. With increasingly diverse university classroom, technology integration is both a challenge and an opportunity. Supportive communication is important in the promotion of relationships and essential in a university classroom.  A convenience sample of 390 students was surveyed to investigate the perceived influences of technology on relationships, including preferences, usage and time with technologies. Results indicated that technology makes communication easier, allows students to stay in touch with more people, and have relationships that would otherwise not be possible.  Implications of this study suggest positive influences of technology on academic work, performance and maintenance of relationships, but disadvantages such as increased stress, addictive feelings toward technologies, and increased misunderstandings in relationships and conflict. </p>
ISSN:1183-1189
1183-1189