Date of Graduation

12-2012

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Higher Education (EdD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders

Advisor/Mentor

Michael T. Miller

Committee Member

Kenda S. Grover

Second Committee Member

Adam A. Morris

Keywords

Social sciences, Education, Colleges, Community, Gender differences, Habits, Rural education, Study, Technology

Abstract

The purpose for conducting the study was to explore the trait differences by gender of the study habits and technology use patterns of rural community college students. Significant research and data presently exists at the university level specific to study habits and technology use, but little research had been conducted targeting those topics in a rural community college setting.

The following questions guided the research:

1. What were the study habits of rural community college students?

2. How did rural community college students use technology?

3. Were there significant differences, by gender, in the study habits of rural community college students?

4. Were there significant differences, by gender, in technology use of students in a rural community college?

A single, rural two-year community college located in the southwestern United States served as the target for the study. The community college was set in a rural area located approximately 90 miles from the nearest city with a population of 40,000 or more. A stratified selection process was used to choose the students who would complete the survey. A purposeful sample that was statistically representative of the population yielded a potential of 204 students available for survey, and 153 usable surveys were available for analysis (75% return rate).

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