IBP Assessment 1 Task1 2020 - Individual (HD Grading) PDF

Preview

Summary

Assessment Task 1 Part 1. First IBP assignment, investigating the student problem space' regarding student finance - in order to develop a business product/idea to be developed using the business model canvas and the value proposition method.

1a. What is the nature of the problem you h...

Description

TASK 1 – ANALYSIS OF THE STUDENT PROBLEM SPACE Section 1 Financial Burdens on University Students Food and eating

12

Financial burden

Rent and Accomodation

experience with textbooks,

Tuition Fees

with a specific focus on

31

their financial burden.

16

Textbooks

Through distributing a

25 0

5

10

which this report is broadly based, is students and their

17

Transport

The problem space on

15

20

25

30

35

number of students that believe it is a burden

survey, students’ demographics and opinions on the financial burdens

that university imposes were obtained. 50% of participants selected textbooks, suggesting they are a significant financial burden to many students. This leads me to infer that students are unable to finance textbooks they require, due to their unaffordability.

How do students experience the problem? Interviewee 1 – Middle-Eastern, female, first-year, unemployed She stated that she spent more than $150 on one textbook for one subject. She mentioned that she relies heavily on textbooks to learn, as COVID-19 has made it impossible for her to learn from lectures in proper depth. She originally had not purchased the textbook, due to the high expense, and the knowledge she would unlikely use it again. This caused her immense stress, as she was unable to learn without it once distance learning began. Having purchased it, she is now worried about whether she has enough money saved for other upcoming expenses. She has found that textbooks burden her financially, but not having them poses academic difficulties. Interviewee 2 – Indian, male, first-year, unemployed

He stated he did not spend any money on textbooks as lecturers provided them free-of-cost. He mentioned that the textbooks were not his sole source of learning but aided in understanding concepts. He mentioned he could not perform satisfactorily without the textbook. When asked if he would obtain the materials himself, he stated he would need to find cheaper ways of financing them (for example- finding a similar book with relevant material), as they were incredibly expensive. He believes that textbooks are a financial burden, but do not affect him currently. He believes that if he is required to finance learning supplies, the burden will be significant. Interviewee 3 – Caucasian, female, second-year, employed, living alone She stated that she spent over $200 for her accounting textbooks this semester. She believes they are not worth it, and has decided against purchasing her third prescribed textbook, as she needs to save her earned money for living expenses. She finances her supplies, rent and utilities. She was adamant in stating that the price of textbooks makes it difficult to believe they are value-for-money. She prefers to find her information in ways that do not hurt her finances as significantly, for example, through viewing lectures. She stated the burden of textbooks to be strictly financial. Interviewee 4 – Indian, male, second-year, unemployed He has stated that textbooks were not a financial burden. He explained that he did not have to finance books himself, and has financial help. When asked if he would purchase them himself, he admitted that they were costly, but vital for performing well. This student was adamant that textbooks don’t have implications on his finances, but going without them would impact his academic performance significantly.

How do differences amongst the interviewees/respondents influence their perspective of the problem? GENDER Women were 16% more likely to cite textbooks as a significant burden. When speaking to the interviewees, it was clear that both women felt significantly more burdened by the expense of

textbooks. The interviewees study pre-medicine and business, two very textbook-reliant subjects. Their male counterparts study engineering. Females have, in the past, been more inclined to study humanitarian subjects such as social sciences. On average, sciences and social sciences tend to have the most expensive books, whereas engineering texts are mid-range. Although this is changing, it could be a reason as to why women are more likely to see textbooks as a financial burden. CULTURAL BACKGROUND In proportion to the number of students from each background, the percentage of students who selected textbooks remained similar. There were no significant differences observed when speaking to the interviewees, in regards to cultural background either. This may be because all students surveyed/spoken to, study in the Sydney area, meaning textbook prices are similar. EMPLOYMENT STATUS Employed students were 29% more likely to state textbooks as a financial burden. After speaking to the interviewees, I was able to understand that the student that was employed, financed her textbooks, and had other commitments- such as rent and living expenses, competing for their finances. A possible reason for employed students being more likely to see textbooks as a financial burden is because they are aware of the significance of their expenditures since they have worked for the money. YEAR OF STUDY First years (51%) and second years (100%) cited textbooks as a burden, whereas no student third year and above did. This may be because younger students are more likely to follow purchasing recommendations during their first experience/s at university, whereas older students may opt-out of buying textbooks, something an interviewee mentioned she had done herself, or have a stable income, meaning the cost is not an issue. 821 words

Section B The precise problem is that students are unable/unwilling to finance the textbooks they require, due to their significant financial burden. Students are resorting to using ‘similar’ textbooks, consider Google, or opt-out of purchasing textbooks altogether. This is resulting in financial stress, as well as lesser performance in assessments.

How big is the problem? The problem is significantly widespread, in that it significantly affects all students, even internationally, regardless of their demographics. In New Zealand, The University of Otago results showcased that students; felt they purchased expensive textbooks that were one-time-use, “described alternative resource seeking behaviours; and are heavily reliant on alternatives.” [CITATION Ste17 \p 403 \l 3081 ] Of the 238 students surveyed, 5% stated they had made conscious decisions/gave serious thought to withdraw from a course due to textbook expenses. This showcases the severity of the problem, regarding the financial expense of learning materials, which prevents students from pursuing the courses they desire. During 2013, a survey of 2039 students was conducted by the Student PIRGs from 150 university campuses across the USA. The survey found that 65% of students had opted out of purchasing a textbook due to its expense. It also found that 94% of these students were “concerned that doing so would hurt their grade in a course.” [CITATION Eth14 \p 4 \t \l 3081 ] This is an extraordinary number of students who cannot afford to finance textbooks, resulting in apprehension and inability to perform at their best. A study from Virginia State University reported that “only 47% of students were purchasing textbooks for their courses,” [CITATION Fel12 \p 1 \l 3081 ] most citing the substantial expense as the cause. Of 991 students, 525 did not have access to textbooks. This further demonstrates that outstanding amounts of students cannot afford to purchase textbooks, describing the extensive scale of the problem. A study explaining socioeconomic inequalities in student achievements obtained students’ data about social, cultural and material factors (including possession of a dictionary, a place to study, a desk for study, and textbooks) from 30 countries. The study focused on students aged 15-years old, and performance in reading, writing and mathematics. The study found that lack of material resources significantly impacted students’ academic performance,

specifically in Brazil, the US, Portugal and Mexico [CITATION Gar06 \p 122 \l 3081 ]. This depicts the lack of access to textbook material due to its financial burden significantly disadvantages students in their performance, regardless of subject, age and home country.

What are the main causes of the problem? From the primary study, it is clear the leading cause of this problem, is the significantly high cost of textbooks, resulting in an inability or unwillingness to obtain the resource. Secondary causes include contending financial commitments (e.g. rent/living expenses), the recurring nature of the expense, and the lack of use for the product post-one-subject-usage. A 2016 report highlighted that 29.7% of students needed to turn to financial aid for textbooks in the United States. Of the students using aid for textbooks, “the average amount used is more than 300$ per semester… spending around 1.575 billion USD/semester” [CITATION Eth16 \p 5 \t \l 3081 ]. The report also highlighted that the “cost of a college textbook increased by over 73% - over four times the rate of inflation.” [CITATION Eth16 \p 4 \t \l 3081 ] This proves the unaffordability of textbooks, is the main cause of textbook inequality. An internal survey at VSU showed that only 47% of students were purchasing textbooks. The most frequently cited reason was affordability. The survey also reported that students did not receive help in financing supplies, and had to work “one or two jobs” alongside full-time study to finance their living and studying expenses. This indicates that a significant cause of the inability to buy textbooks is the competing financial burdens of rent and other expenses. This coincides with primary research, in which an interviewee stated that she could not finance her textbook because she needed the money for living expenses. Once administering open access, free online textbooks, the investigators found that “85 % of the students downloaded files… more encouraging was the appearance that student outcomes improved.” [CITATION Fel12 \p 7 \l 3081 ] This further shows that the cost of textbooks is too high for students to afford, resulting in an inability to obtain the resource, and hampering students outcomes. Twenty-nine students from the University of Otago study (12%) stated in some way, that “textbooks were not value for money… were high-cost items that would only be used for a short period...” [CITATION Ste17 \p 411 \l 3081 ]. This indicates that students are questioning purchasing the textbooks at all, due to the high expenditure on supplies they are never going to use again. This concurs with primary data, in which another interviewee stated she didn’t want to purchase her textbook, as she knew it would be one-time-use. This

confirms that low value-for-money/usability is another reason that students are unwilling to finance textbooks. 824 words

References Feldstein, A., Martin, M., Hudson, A., Warren, K., Hilton, J., & Wiley, D. (2012). Open Textbooks and Increased Student Access and Outcomes. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, 1-9. Retrieved from https://www.eurodl.org/materials/contrib/2012/Feldsteint_et_al.pdf. Hilton, J. (2016). Open educational resources and college textbook choices: a review of research on efficacy and perceptions. Educational Technology Research and Development, 64, 573-590. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9434-9. Marks, G. N., Cresswell, J., & Ainley, J. (2006). Explaining socioeconomic inequalities in student achievement: The role of home and school factors. Educational Research and Evaluation, 105-128. doi:10.1080/13803610600587040. Senack, E. (2014). Fixing the broken textbook market: How students respond to high textbook costs and demand alternatives, 1-19. Washington: The Student Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs). Senack, E., & Donoghue, R. (2016). Covering the cost: Why we can no longer afford to ignore high textbook prices, 1-24. Washington: The Student Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs). Stein, S., Hart, S., Keaney, P., & White, R. (2017). Student Views on the Cost of and Access to Textbooks: An Investigation at University of Otago (New Zealand). Open Praxis, 9(4), 403-419. doi:https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.9.4.704.

Appendix Graphs of survey data

% STUDENTS THAT BELIEVE IT IS A BURDEN

CULTURAL BACKGROUND VS FINANCIAL BURDEN 120% 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

TEXTBOOKS

TRANSPORT

TUITION FEES

RENT

FOOD

FINANCIAL BURDENS Caucasian South Asian

East Asian Mixed Race

African Brazilian

Middle Eastern

Figure 1: Percentage of students (as per the total number who have the same cultural background) that selected

% STUDENTS WHO BELIEVE IT IS A BURDEN

each financial burden

EMPLOYMENT STATUS VS FINANCIAL BURDEN 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

TEXTBOOKS

TRANSPORT

TUITION FEES

RENT

FOOD

FINANCIAL BURDENS Employed

Unemployed

Figure 2: Percentage of students (as per the total number who are un/employed) that selected each financial burden

% STUDENTS THAT BELIEVE IT IS A BURDEN

GENDER VS FINANCIAL BURDEN 120% 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% TEXTBOOKS

TRANSPORT

TUITION FEES

RENT

FOOD

FINANCIAL BURDENS Male

Female

Other

Figure 3: Percentage of students (as per the total number of those with the same gender) that selected each

% STUDENTS THAT BELIEVE IT IS A BURDEN

financial burden

YEAR OF STUDY VS FINANCIAL BURDEN 120% 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% TEXTBOOKS

TRANSPORT

TUITION FEES

RENT

FOOD

FINANCIAL BURDENS 1st Year

2nd Year

3rd Year

4th Year

5th Year

6th Year+

Figure 4: Percentage of students (as per the total number who are in the same year of study) that selected each financial burden

Survey questions 1. Which university are you studying at? 2. What is your year of study? (In total, including partial/completed years) 3. What is your gender? 4. What is your cultural background? 5. Do you currently have a job? (Casual, part-time or full-time) 6. Do you currently live away from home? a. If so, do you pay rent? 7. Have you thought about the financial burden university imposes upon students? 8. Which of the following do you believe poses the highest financial burden on CURRENT university students? (You may choose more than one) a. Tuition fees b. Textbooks c. Transport (Public) d. Rent and accommodation e. Food and eating...