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WISSEN
TECHNIK
LEIDENSCHAFT
Educational Technology
Change of IT equipment and communication
applications used by first-semester students from
2011 to 2020 and possible effects of the COVID-19
pandemic: Analysis of a long-term survey
EdMedia Conference 2021
Walther Nagler
Bettina Mair
Martin Ebner
Sarah Edelsbrunner
Sandra Schön

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Dr. Sandra Schön
Graz University of Technology
(TU Graz)
Austria

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Initial situation
Since 2007: surveys amongst the study
beginners about their technical
equippment and usage of applications
Today: Results from the 2019 and
2020 survey and comparison with
older data.

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Research Questions
• How is the digital equipment of first-year students
at TU Graz changing throughout the years?
• How is the use of digital communication and social
media applications changing among first-year
students at TU Graz?
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related
school closures, has there been a significant change
in equipment and communication applications
among first-year students at TU Graz?

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Participants of the 2019 and 2020 survey
Key characteristics of the study
beginners
2019 2020
Number of evaluable questionnaires
(N)
824 955
Sex (in percent) female 28% 32%
male 70% 68%
other <1% <1%
Age mean 19.94 20.12
median 19.5 20
standard
derivation
2.116 2.477
Professional
activity (in percent)
yes 25% 25%
no 69% 63%
(not answered) 5% 11%

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Equipment for first-year students at TU Graz over time from 2011 to 2020

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Wearables and digital equipment of first-year students at TU Graz over time

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Communication tools of first-year students at TU Graz over time

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Social Media tools used by first-year students at TU Graz over time

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Potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on equipment and
communication behaviour of first year students
Quelle: TU Graz
Only significant change against the trend:
Less portable power packs.

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Discussion and outlook
How will COVID-19 influence the study beginners‘
equippment and applications in October 2021?

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Licensing of the contribution
These slides can be used under the terms of the
CC License CC BY 4.0 International
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).
Please use, if applicable, the links and references as
attribution for individual illustrations.

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Full paper
Nagler, W., Mair, B., Ebner, M., Edelsbrunner, S.
& Schön, S. (2021). Change of IT equipment and
communication applications used by first-
semester students from 2011 to 2020 and
possible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic:
Analysis of a long-term survey. Submission to
EdMedia 2021.
Preprint available at ResearchGate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/35299
1611_Change_of_IT_equipment_and_communic
ation_applications_used_by_first-
semester_students_from_2011_to_2020_and_po
ssible_effects_of_the_COVID-
19_pandemic_Analysis_of_a_long-term_survey

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EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
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INTERNATIONAL OFFICE – WELCOME CENTER
We care about international Education
SPRACHEN,
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Dr. Martin Ebner
Kontakt: martin.ebner@tugraz.at
Dr. Sandra Schön
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