Rich Holeton's Home Page:Research:Wired-02

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02: Survey and responses

Seventy-five (75) residents of Rinconada completed this survey in May, 1996, near the end of an academic year's experience living together in a freshman dorm and using the dorm's e-mail list. The numerical averages are displayed below for each question.

The survey addresses residents' perceptions about their participation in the dorm community and e-mail list and their opinions about the usefulness of various communication media (one on one, house meetings, telephone, e-mail, etc.) for particular community-related purposes. I will refer to the survey frequently as I compare these perceptions with the actual uses that residents made of the dorm e-mail list. Looking only at the perceptions revealed in the survey, I would emphasize these results:

Although residents rated themselves overall as only lightly active writers to the dorm e-mail list (1.19 average, question 4), they rated themselves as very active readers of the list (2.53 average, question 3). This result is important with regard to the issue of "lurking" addressed in 11, 12, and 13: how useful is this kind of electronic forum for those who don't participate actively in the discussions?
Residents generally rated computer-mediated communication (CMC) -- the dorm e-mail list especially -- as very useful for a variety of purposes. The e-mail list (column G) was the highest-rated medium for four out of eight activities (1, 2, 3, 8). The only comparable medium was in person, one-on-one (column A), which residents rated the highest for the remaining four activities (4, 5, 6, 7). Most signficicantly, residents found the e-mail list even more useful than face-to-face house meetings for discussing dorm community issues.
Residents rated the telephone as the least useful medium for six out of eight activities (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8).

Name____________________________	Student ID #____________________
Gender M F	Self-described ethnicity____________________

[results will be kept confidential; names & numbers will be used only for coding the data]

1. Overall how would you rate your participation in the Rinconada community this year (e.g., taking part in organized or informal activities, socializing with dormmates, etc.)? [3 = Participated extensively; 2 = Participated moderately; 1 = Participated lightly; 0 = Didn't participate]
2.29

2. Overall for activities that you participated in with dormmates this year, how often did you initiate activities? [3 = Frequently initiated activities; 2 = Sometimes initiated activities; 1 = Rarely initiated activities; 0 = Never initiated activities]
1.66

3. How active were you as a reader of the dorm e-mail list this year? [3 = Very active (read all or most postings; checked messages daily or almost daily); 2 = Moderately active (read many or most postings; checked messages several times a week); 1 = Lightly active (read some or few postings; checked messages weekly or infrequently); 0 = Not active or not subscribed]
2.53

4. How active were you as a writer to the dorm e-mail list this year? [3 = Very active (posted frequent messages to the list); 2 = Moderately active (often or sometimes posted messages); 1 = Lightly active (rarely posted messages); 0 = Not active (never posted or not subscribed)]
1.19

5A. How often did you exchange individual e-mail messages (not to the whole dorm mailing list) with dormmates this year, for any purpose? [3 = Very often (once or more weekly); 2 = Sometimes (a few times per month); 1 = Rarely (monthly or less frequently); 0 = Never]
1.88

5B. How would you describe the major purposes of your individual e-mail exchanges with dormmates, if you engaged in this activity? [List numbers (1-8) from activities below if relevant; describe other purposes here or on back]
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For each of the activities (1-8) listed below, how useful have you found each means of communication listed across the top row (A-H)?

3 = Very useful; 2 = Moderately useful; 1 = Slightly useful; 0 = Not useful. If you have no opinion or no experience, leave the space blank.

(A) In person, one-on-one

(B) In person, informal small group

(C) House Meeting or organized dorm program

(D) Paper fliers/ bulletin board/whiteboard

(E) Telephone

(F) Private e-mail

(G) Dorm e-mail list

(H) Other (please specify & give numerical rating)

1. Conducting "housekeeping" activities (lost & found, arranging meeting times, etc.)
1.69 1.79 2.22 1.97 0.74 1.50 2.47 ----

2. Finding out about or publicizing dorm events, programs, & social activities
1.71 1.68 2.36 2.43 0.59 1.21 2.67 ----

3. Finding out about or publicizing Stanford or community activities
1.45 1.52 2.30 2.38 0.61 1.27 2.45 ----

4. Sharing outside interests with dormmates
2.52 2.24 1.61 1.14 0.72 1.65 1.66 ----

5. Relieving stress (sharing humor, expressing anxiety, etc.)
2.82 2.74 1.18 0.57 1.26 2.07 1.47 ----

6. Discussing academics (Chem, CIV, study groups, etc.)
2.62 2.59 0.44 0.51 0.78 1.18 0.93 ----

7. Discussing social, political, or intellectual issues (grapes, elections, gender relations, censorship, national issues, etc.)
2.36 2.40 1.38 0.90 0.54 1.15 2.03 ----

8. Discussing dorm community issues (shared experiences or adversity or controversy, behavior issues (e.g. noise), Rinc-a-Delt planning, etc.)
2.00 2.13 2.36 1.14 0.52 1.19 2.42 ----

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1. Overall how would you rate your participation in the Rinconada community this year (e.g., taking part in organized or informal activities, socializing with dormmates, etc.)? [3 = Participated extensively; 2 = Participated moderately; 1 = Participated lightly; 0 = Didn't participate]	2.29
2. Overall for activities that you participated in with dormmates this year, how often did you initiate activities? [3 = Frequently initiated activities; 2 = Sometimes initiated activities; 1 = Rarely initiated activities; 0 = Never initiated activities]	1.66
3. How active were you as a reader of the dorm e-mail list this year? [3 = Very active (read all or most postings; checked messages daily or almost daily); 2 = Moderately active (read many or most postings; checked messages several times a week); 1 = Lightly active (read some or few postings; checked messages weekly or infrequently); 0 = Not active or not subscribed]	2.53
4. How active were you as a writer to the dorm e-mail list this year? [3 = Very active (posted frequent messages to the list); 2 = Moderately active (often or sometimes posted messages); 1 = Lightly active (rarely posted messages); 0 = Not active (never posted or not subscribed)]	1.19
5A. How often did you exchange individual e-mail messages (not to the whole dorm mailing list) with dormmates this year, for any purpose? [3 = Very often (once or more weekly); 2 = Sometimes (a few times per month); 1 = Rarely (monthly or less frequently); 0 = Never]	1.88
5B. How would you describe the major purposes of your individual e-mail exchanges with dormmates, if you engaged in this activity? [List numbers (1-8) from activities below if relevant; describe other purposes here or on back]	-----

3 = Very useful; 2 = Moderately useful; 1 = Slightly useful; 0 = Not useful. If you have no opinion or no experience, leave the space blank.	(A) In person, one-on-one	(B) In person, informal small group	(C) House Meeting or organized dorm program	(D) Paper fliers/ bulletin board/whiteboard	(E) Telephone	(F) Private e-mail	(G) Dorm e-mail list	(H) Other (please specify & give numerical rating)
1. Conducting "housekeeping" activities (lost & found, arranging meeting times, etc.)	1.69	1.79	2.22	1.97	0.74	1.50	2.47	----
2. Finding out about or publicizing dorm events, programs, & social activities	1.71	1.68	2.36	2.43	0.59	1.21	2.67	----
3. Finding out about or publicizing Stanford or community activities	1.45	1.52	2.30	2.38	0.61	1.27	2.45	----
4. Sharing outside interests with dormmates	2.52	2.24	1.61	1.14	0.72	1.65	1.66	----
5. Relieving stress (sharing humor, expressing anxiety, etc.)	2.82	2.74	1.18	0.57	1.26	2.07	1.47	----
6. Discussing academics (Chem, CIV, study groups, etc.)	2.62	2.59	0.44	0.51	0.78	1.18	0.93	----
7. Discussing social, political, or intellectual issues (grapes, elections, gender relations, censorship, national issues, etc.)	2.36	2.40	1.38	0.90	0.54	1.15	2.03	----
8. Discussing dorm community issues (shared experiences or adversity or controversy, behavior issues (e.g. noise), Rinc-a-Delt planning, etc.)	2.00	2.13	2.36	1.14	0.52	1.19	2.42	----