What Social Factors Affect Students’ Use of Online Registration: An Exploratory Study

What Social Factors Affect Students Use of Online Registration An beta StudyXiaobing Cao, Ph.D., institutional interrogationer Robert Brodnick, Ph.D., Director and Assistant Professor Planning and Research University of the peaceful Association for Institutional Research 42nd Annual Forum June, 2002 (Toronto, Canada)Track 3 Institutional Management and PlanningAbstractWhat Social Factors Affect Students Use of Online Registration An explorative StudyThis study investigated how social factors reach college students use of the online registration serving that was belatedly offered in a private university in Northern California. During the first year, closely 31% of the students who pre-registered their courses used the service. The results indicated that academician and demographic factors affected students use of the online service. For example, students from accepted disciplines (e.g. Pharmacy and International Studies) and high income families were more likely to use the on line service. It is evoke to notice that the results did not show a signifi lowlifet bear on of sex on the use of online registration. Implications are presented for institutions considering alternative registration methods or the carrying out of technological solutions to administrative processes.What Social Factors Affect Students Use of Online Registration An Exploratory StudyThe current study focuses on how social factors affect students use of online registration. The online service was first offered at the university in spring 2001. Using online registration can be viewed as crude engineering adaptation. However, updated literature in students raw(a) technology adoption is rare. It is worthwhile to investigate how social factors affect college students in adapting the new technology. thither are 2 objectives for this study reviewing relevant literature of the online registration and examining the stirs of social factors on use of the online service. Review of Literatu reAccording to the literature, online registration1 can be divided into three layers of development. The first gift is the 1970s. This is a developing arcdegree in which some universities led higher procreation institutions to have a go at it sign new technology application in administration (Michael, 1976 Chapman & Gambrell, 1976 Brown, 1979 Hengehold & Keim, 1975 Adams, 1974). During this stage, online registration underwent a period of experiments and testing. Online registration was beginning to be recognized for its operation in assisting university administration.The second stage refers to the decade of the 1980s. During these years, online registration was widely used by universities across the country. New features in the registration process were added and more experience was summarized (Heard, 1987 interpolate & Parker, 1983 Arnett & Posey, 1986 Lonabocker & Long, 1983 Lisker, 1987). This period can be viewed as the stabilized stage. Cook & Parker (1983) conducted a survey of online registration practices among 66 colleges and universities. They found that online registration had change academic advising.Online registration in the literature review refers to various methods through and through which a registration can be completed, such as, mainframe computer,telephone, and web.New technology application had saved time for students, faculty and staff members (1987). Online registration has been understandably confirmed as a successful approach (Lonabocker & Long, 1983 Arnett & Posey, 1986).The third stage includes the 1990s and beyond. This period can be viewed as the enhancement stage. There have been new ways of exploring online registration such as apply web service (Swein, 1997), integration of internet technology into all phases of the education process (doubting Thomas, Carswell & Price, 1998), and getting specific groups of students involved in online registration (Kelly, 1998). Thomas et al. pointed out that the integrative approach has been effective in university administration. The third stage indicates that online registration has been well developed, looking for new ways to enhance the new technology environment through new technology convergence.Theoretical Framework & Research QuestionsSocial cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) helps explain how human behaviors are affected by both social factors (e.g. family income) and personal factors (e.g. selfconcepts). The theory suggests that different social characteristics of students affect how they adapt themselves into the new technology environment. Based on social cognitive theory, the current study is investigating how social covariants affect students use of online registration. The future(a) are the research questions. 1. To what extent do student academic variables impact the use of online registration? 2. To what extent do student demographic variables impact the use of online registration?3. What are the effects of the academic and demographic variable s on the use of online registration? MethodologyThe data were extracted from the university student information system. Thedependent variable was the registration method (online vs. walk-in). The independent variables were in two parts academic variables and demographic variables. TheSocial Factors and Online Registration 5 University of the Pacificacademic variables included Major, Class, Grade, and Degree Level. The study was measured by the college or school a student majored in. The class expound the students class level including freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate. The degree level was measured by two categories graduate level and undergraduate level. The grade was measured by the students accumulative GPA. The demographic variables included Gender, Age, Ethnicity, and Family Income. The family income was a two-category variable including families with income =$90,000. The data source was the alter gross income reported from FAFSA.ResultsTo answer research qu estion one, To what extent do student academic variables impact the use of online registration?, a descriptive analysis was conducted. The results showed that the students who used the online registration were more likely those who majored in drugstore (39%) and international studies (37%). The students who did not use the online registration were more likely those who majored in music (13%). The Chi-square test shows that the relationship between the registration method and major was significant, 2 (6, n=3024)= 43.8, p