4,500 UB students share feedback on technology

Students cheering.

Published March 6, 2020

by Orly Stein

More than 4,500 UB students responded to UBIT’s 2019 Student Experience Survey, sharing how they use technology for personal and academic success.

Windows vs. Mac

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Author

UBIT Student Ambassador Orly Stein.

Orly Stein (UB Student, Class of 2022) is an Information Technology and Management major from Long Island, NY. In the future, she hopes to get more experience with cyber security and pursue a career in the field. In her free time, Orly enjoys playing soccer, going to SoulCycle with her friends and snowboarding.

Although iPhones are the leading mobile device on campus (65%), more students own a Windows computer than any other OS (53%). 30% of respondents used MacOS.

Students are also using:

  • Smart TVs and streaming devices (38%)
  • Wearable technology (23%)
  • Gaming consoles (17%)
  • Smart speakers (11%)

Students and Duo

In 2019, Duo two-step verification was introduced for UB online accounts. Shortly after this survey closed, students became required to use Duo to protect their UBITName accounts.

The majority of responses (71%) were positive regarding two-step verification for UB accounts. 36% said they were pleased that two-step verification is available to help secure their accounts. 35% felt that, while somewhat inconvenient, the extra login step is worth the added security.

Most popular academic resources: Top Hat, Chegg and more

Non-UB online learning resources are used widely by UB students. UB students who responded most commonly reported using Top Hat (56%), Chegg (44%) and Khan Academy (37%).

Many students re-use their UBmail address and password when signing up for non-UB academic sites. This results in security challenges at the university, since attacks and breaches on these third-party sites can compromise institutional UB data. In 2018, a data breach at Chegg.com exposed the UBITName login information of as many as 26,000 UB students.

The introduction of Duo two-step verification reduces the chances of security threats from third-party online sites.

Students are happier with UBIT services

Dissatisfaction with eduroam Wi-Fi at UB fell by 9 points in 2019, and Wi-Fi satisfaction at UB is higher than the national average, according to EDUCAUSE (71% at UB vs. 65% nationally).

Students were asked to name the areas on campus with the most Wi-Fi-related issues. The Student Union (14%), Knox (7%), and outdoor areas (6%) were the most common responses.

Thank you to all the students who participated in this year’s survey!