Preliminary Report: 2009-2010 Fieldwork

We’ve finished putting together a preliminary report of the data we gathered last year at our 2009-2010 research sites (City Tech and Brooklyn College). This report presents an initial description and analysis of the data organized by interview type and by broad theme. We’re continuing to interview students and faculty this year, and plan to undertake a more detailed analysis and examination of patterns in student scholarly habits once we’ve completed data collection.

Download: The Scholarly Habits of Undergraduates at CUNY: Preliminary Report (PDF)

Results & Findings

Our book on how CUNY students use technology in their academic work, Digital Technology as Affordance and Barrier in Higher Education, is forthcoming from Palgrave Macmillan.

Since beginning our research we’ve presented our findings at numerous conferences and other venues. Selected slides and other presentation materials are below.

We’ve published several articles on aspects of our study, as well as a report on the preliminary results of our initial year of fieldwork at City Tech and Brooklyn College:

“I am more productive in the library because it’s quiet:” Commuter students in the college library. (2015) College & Research Libraries

Serving the commuter college student in urban academic libraries. (July 2015) Urban Library Journal

“I’m just really comfortable:” Learning at home, learning in libraries. (May 2015) In the Library with the Lead Pipe

Commuter students using technology. (2014) EDUCAUSE Review Online

The Scholarly Habits of Undergraduates at CUNY: Preliminary Report (January 2011) presents an initial analysis of the data gathered during our 2009-2010 fieldwork.

Conference Presentations and Other Talks

The Topography of Learning: Using Cognitive Mapping to Evolve and Innovate in the Academic Library, presented at the Association of College & Research Libraries Conference, March 29, 2015. Co-presented with Donna Lanclos, Andrew Asher, Lesley Gourlay. Slides (Prezi) | Storify

“Anytime I’m on the train, I would just type it up:” Commuter Students Using Technology, keynote at the York College Symposium on Teaching and Learning with Technology, October 31, 2014. Slides | Notes (both PDF)

“I like being under those rules here:” Students Using the College Library, presented at Reinventing Libraries, Reinventing Assessment, Baruch College, June 6, 2014. Slides with notes (PDF)

How CUNY Students Create and Negotiate Learning Spaces, presented at the CUNY CUE Conference, LaGuardia Community College, May 2, 2014. Slides | Notes (both PDF)

Tech Stories: CUNY Students Using Technology, presented at the Teaching & Technology Conference, Baruch College, March 28, 2014. Slides | Notes (both PDF)

“It’s an internet phone, but I don’t have internet:” Students Using Technology, presented at the CUNY IT Conference, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, December 5, 2013. Slides (Prezi) | Notes (PDF)

Embedded and Engaged in Higher Education: Researching Student Entanglements with Technology. Roundtable presented at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meetings, Chicago, November 22, 2013. Co-presented with Andrew Asher, Lesley Gourlay, Lori Jahnke, and Donna Lanclos. Slides (Prezi) | Post-roundtable writeup by D. Lanclos | Storify

How Do Our Students Do Research-Based Assignments?, presented at ACERT Teaching Tuesdays, Hunter College, March 13, 2012. Slides with Notes (PDF)

“The Campus Doesn’t Have a Refrigerator” Student Study Habits and the Library, presented at the Hunter College Library Faculty Teaching & Research Forum, December 14, 2011. Slides (PDF)

“I could study anywhere, as long as I could sit I’ll study:” Student Spaces and Pathways at the City University of New York, presented at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meetings, Montreal, November 16-20, 2011. Paper | Slides (both PDF)

“Sometimes I type papers on my cell phone:” Mobile Digital Technologies and CUNY Students, presented at MobilityShifts: An International Future of Learning Summit, The New School, NY, October 10-16, 2011. Slides | Notes (both PDF)

Feeling Like a Third Wheel? Leveraging Faculty-Student-Librarian Relationships for Student Success. Poster presented at the ACRL 2011 National Conference, Philadelphia, March 30-April 2, 2011. Co-presented with Andrew Asher and Susan Miller of the ERIAL Project. Poster (PDF) | Handout (PDF)

On Beyond Surveys! Using Ethnographic Methods to Inform Design in Academic Libraries. Poster presented at the ACRL/NY Symposium at Baruch College, December 10, 2010.


(Click image to enlarge)

Undergraduate Scholarly Habits Ethnography Project, Grace Ellen McCrann Memorial Lecture, LACUNY Spring Membership Meeting, CUNY Graduate Center, June 11, 2010.

Preliminary results from City Tech were presented at the City Tech 7th Annual Poster Session of Faculty and Student Research on November 19, 2009.

City Tech Faculty Poster Session