Internet for Cambodian students: USES, ATTITUDES AND ACADEMIC UTILIZATION
description
Transcript of Internet for Cambodian students: USES, ATTITUDES AND ACADEMIC UTILIZATION
INTERNET FOR CAMBODIAN STUDENTS:USES, ATTITUDES AND ACADEMIC UTILIZATION
PI: Chivoin PeouMentor: May O. Lwin
1
Cambodian Internet (2008-10) Internet users: <1% (pop. 14 million) Broadband subscription: 0.2 per 100 inhabitants Number of ISPs: 34 Home access: 0.43% (urban households) &
0.11% (households countrywide) Outside-home access: 3.64% (urban households)
& 0.85% (households countrywide) Internet cafés: 320 PC ownership: 15.7% (urban households) & 3.7%
(countrywide)
2
Internet and Education
Digital divide: Benefits vs. Exclusion Learning resources More positive perceptions of learning and job prospects
(Cheung & Huang, 2005) Access, uses and academic utilization
Perceptions: toy, technology, tool & tour (Taiwan, Tsai & Line, 2004)
Communicative more than academic usage (U.K., Marriott et al., 2004; Selwyn, 2008; Walmsley et al., 2003)
Chatting > games > information > pornography (China, Hong & Huang, 2005)
Online plagiarism (Selwyn, 2008; Underwood & Szabo, 2004)
3
Objective
Exploratory – among university and high school students in the capital city
Research questions:1. How do the students access and use the
Internet?2. What do they use the Internet for?3. What are their attitudes toward the Internet?4. How much of the Internet is utilized for
academic purpose?
4
The Study
Survey in mid-2009 (end of academic year) at two high schools and four universities (overall typical of the several dozens in Phnom Penh in terms of resources, qualities, specializations and tuition)
Participants: 2,074 students (uni.=75% & high sch.=25%) Male=54% & Female=46% Grades (high sch.): G10=32%; G11=37%; G12=31% Year levels (uni.): 1=33%; 2=27%; 3=22%; 4=18% Specialism areas (uni.): Arts & humanities=39%;
Social sciences=22%; Business & related=21%; Sciences=13%; Law=5%
5
Access & Usage Internet use experience = 85% (uni.=90% vs. high
sch.=70%) Male = 91% vs. female = 79% Regular access points (≥1 per week)
Internet café = 46% Mobile phone = 32% On-campus = 25% Home = 19%
Length of Internet experience: <1 year = 36% 1-2 years = 32% 3-4 years = 21% >4 years = 11%
6
Internet Uses
3 main types of common uses (from most to least common): (1) Information seeking, (2) entertainment, and (3) socialization
Longer usage experience more information seeking, entertainment and socialization uses
Information seeking: (1) more uni. students than high sch. students; (2) more males than females
Entertainment: (1) more high sch. students than uni. students; (2) more males than females
7
Attitude toward the Internet
Overall positive attitude toward the Internet: Comfort: absence of anxiety about, or feeling at ease
with, the Internet Optimism: belief that the Internet has positive impacts
on humans and society Enthusiasm: feeling of excitement with the
development of the Internet Longer usage experience more positive
attitude toward the Internet More usage for information seeking most
positive attitude toward the Internet
8
Academic Utilization Little academic use of the Internet:
More academic use among males, uni. students, longtime users, and café and home users
9
Conclusions
Growing access and integration, but lack of academic utilization
Common dividers: gender, educational level and resources
The importance of public access venues (e.g. Internet café)
10
Implications for Stakeholders
11
Educational Institutions: curriculum improvement and teaching staff training
Royal Government of Cambodia and Ministry of Education: Infrastructural improvement and policy support for educational institutions
Funding agencies and NGOs: Policy and expertise support for educational institutions and governmental agencies
Thanks for the attention!12