Michael Wesch, uses survey data from 133 Kansas State University ANTHRO 200 students to describe how they learn.

… the basic idea is to create a 3 minute video highlighting the most important characteristics of (university) students today - how they learn (bold added), what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime.

Check out the video. For some it's provocative, for others it confirms opinions about student academic performances. From either conclusion, it describes thoughtfully assembled data.

Over the course of a week, 367 edits were made to his original survey document. Students wrote the script for the video, and made suggestions for survey questions to ask the entire class.

Wesch already knows some things from previous research about what students say about how they learn. Other things he will need to find out.

Here's a sample of what he found out from students (bolds added):

I complete 49% of the readings assigned to me.
Survey: Not including this class, what percentage of assigned readings do you complete? Average: 48.73

Only 26% … relative to my life
Survey: Not including this class, what percentage of assigned readings do you find relevant to your life? Average: 25.95

“I will read 8 books this year.”
Survey: How many books have you read this year? Average 8.03 (ranging from 0-200)

Not a surprise to most of us, they read and write more online than with class assignments.

Do these results mean they are required to perform at an inadequate level of academic rigor or that students apply class learning and academic rigor outside of class?

He's using an interesting process to understand an important topic, one that provides teachers with databased insights into what students do with assignments, during lectures and other classroom presentations without mobile PCs.

Wesch asks students, "Please add whatever you want to know or present.” Since this topic appears to be a current research focus for Wesch, perhaps he would appreciate learning what your Tablet PC, UMPC, or other mobile PC students say about how they learn classroom assignments.

Hmm, at least I'm interested, and will post it for you or direct readers to your site.

Kudos, Michael, and thanks for you blog!

Tablet PC Education Blog