{"id":115215,"date":"2026-03-08T03:53:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T06:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tech.einnews.com\/article\/897995973"},"modified":"2026-03-08T03:53:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T06:53:39","slug":"student-tech-hangups-include-wi-fi-ai-policy-tool-overload","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/08\/student-tech-hangups-include-wi-fi-ai-policy-tool-overload\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Tech Hangups Include Wi-Fi, AI Policy, Tool Overload"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>                              <title>Student Tech Hangups Include Wi-Fi, AI Policy, Tool Overload<\/title>  <!-- Tiny Rich Text Editor --> <!-- Load the site id in order to track the insider locales --> <!-- this will add webcomponent polyfills based on browsers. As of 04\/29\/21 still needed for IE11 and Safari --> <!-- Start of HubSpot Embed Code --> <!-- End of HubSpot Embed Code --> <!-- Google Tag Manager --> <!-- End Google Tag Manager --> <!-- OneTrust Cookies Consent Notice start for govtech.com --> <!-- OneTrust Cookies Consent Notice end for govtech.com --> <!-- Propensity tag (propensity_analytics.js) -->  <!-- Putting icons here, so we don't have to include in a bunch of -body hbs's --> <\/p>\n<div class=\"BrowserCompatibility\" data-dialogue data-show-on-internet-explorer data-show-dialogue>\n<div class=\"BrowserCompatibility-container\">\n<div class=\"BrowserCompatibility-body\">\n<h2 class=\"BrowserCompatibility-title\"> IE 11 Not Supported <\/h2>\n<div class=\"BrowserCompatibility-text RichTextBody\">\n<p>For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Microsite Header --> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ArticlePage-MicrositeHeader\" data-with-bg>\n<div class=\"Page-heading\" data-text-align=\"left\" data-with-bg>\n<div class=\"Page-heading-content-wrapper\" data-modulewell>\n<div class=\"Page-heading-content\" data-module>\n<div class=\"Page-heading-logo\"> <img class=\"Image\" data-image-size=\"siteLogo\" alt=\"CDE logo REV_TRANS_med.png\" width=\"291\" height=\"120\"> <\/div>\n<h2 class=\"Page-heading-subHeading\">Preparing K-12 and higher education IT leaders for the exponential era<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"SectionPage-sectionNavigation\" data-align-center>\n<nav class=\"SectionNavigation\"> <\/nav>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"Page-content\">\n<div class=\"Page-twoColumn\"> <main id=\"readArticle\" class=\"Page-main\" data-module data-padding=\"none\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ArticlePage-lede\">\n<div class=\"ArticlePage-lede-content\">\n<div class=\"Page-breadcrumbs\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.govtech.com\/education\/higher-ed\" data-cms-ai=\"0\">Higher Education<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"Page-subHeadline\">As artificial intelligence and digital tools continually reshape their coursework, students say common frustrations include a lack of clear AI guidance, an overabundance of tools and apps, and Wi-Fi connectivity issues.<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ArticlePage-actions-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"Page-byline\">\n<p>March 06, 2026&nbsp;\u2022&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"Page-authors\"> <!-- one off byline --><a href=\"https:\/\/www.govtech.com\/abby-sourwine\" data-cms-ai=\"0\"><span>Abby Sourwine<\/span><\/a> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"Page-lead\">\n<figure class=\"Figure\">    <img data-opt-id=586494135  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"A young woman sitting at a table looking at a laptop with an expression of frustration and one hand on her head.\" width=\"840\" height=\"438\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/erepublic.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/522063c\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1000x521+0+54\/resize\/840x438!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ferepublic-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F01%2Ff2%2F9a3dbb15481db6fad9f6ab04ad4c%2Fcomputer-frustration.jpg\">  <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Page-article\">\n<div class=\"Page-articleBody RichTextBody\"> College students today navigate a web of digital platforms to complete coursework, communicate with instructors and participate in campus life. While these systems promise convenience and efficiency, students also report their experience using technology can be confusing, inconsistent and frustrating.<\/p>\n<p>From unclear artificial intelligence policies to spotty Wi-Fi to unreliable patchworks of apps and portals, students face a technological learning curve in addition to their academic work. While traditional-age college students are often seen as inherently tech-savvy because they have had phones, tablets and the Internet for most or all of their lives, students say there is a difference between familiarity and true skill.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing younger, growing up with all the technology, we know how to navigate it a little bit better, but knowing how to really apply it to what we&#8217;re doing is where we have a gap,\u201d Morgan Bowman, a third-year data science student at Indiana University (IU), said.<\/p>\n<p><span data-bsp-pv=\"4f8e492c-6f2f-390e-bc61-f176d3a37ab9\"><\/span><span data-bsp-pv=\"0000019c-c548-da9a-ab9e-ff6d331a0000\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Bowman said university-provided guidance would be helpful in bridging that gap, but it is not always provided in the way students hope.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"confusion-around-ai-policies\">CONFUSION AROUND AI POLICIES<\/h3>\n<p>For example, students experience frustration with lack of guidance around a technology relatively new to everyone: artificial intelligence. Bowman, who is a member of IU\u2019s Student Technology Advisory Committee (STAC), said expectations on AI use vary widely from class to class.IU provides its staff and students access to ChatGPT, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. While the school has created guidelines on using AI with data privacy in mind, IU does not have any specific educational AI policies, according to the university <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/teaching.iu.edu\/resources\/generative-ai\/policies.html\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\">website<\/a>. This is reflected on college campuses across the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>EDUCAUSE\u2019s <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.govtech.com\/education\/higher-ed\/survey-higher-ed-ai-adoption-faces-financial-policy-hurdles\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\">2025 <i class=\"rte2-style-italic\">AI Landscape Study<\/i><\/a> showed that in November 2024, fewer than 40 percent of higher education institutions had formal acceptable-use policies for AI. Even where policies exist, the process for creating them and how they are communicated with students is often unclear, according to the study.<\/p>\n<p>Katie Thompson, a student outreach and engagement consultant for IU IT services, said students can find this difficult.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they have six different professors that semester, they could have six very different AI policies, and it\u2019s incumbent on them to keep it straight,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>At Chapman University in California, Zoe Zadah, vice president of the student government association, said a campuswide AI policy is in the works. The university is seeking input from faculty and students through committees, but rules are still set at the individual course level.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome professors are saying you can use it in this way, and others are saying you can&#8217;t use it at all, and some are saying you have full freedom to use it, just cite it,\u201d she said. \u201cSo there\u2019s a lot of different opinions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Students have approached Zadah about creating more dialogue around how students interact with AI, as they feel instructors assume students rely on AI more than they really do. Thompson said the same is true at IU.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome of the narratives [students] see are just like, &#8216;Oh, they\u2019re just kind of uncritically adopting it,&#8217;\u201d Thompson said. \u201cIn my experience, that\u2019s really not true.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"technology-overload\">TECHNOLOGY OVERLOAD<\/h3>\n<p>Even beyond AI, students say the sheer number of digital platforms required for everyday tasks can be overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>Most coursework at Chapman, for example, runs through the learning management system Canvas. Students also rely on a variety of communication and collaboration tools, including the Microsoft suite, networking platform Handshake and a student organization portal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKeeping up with all the different technological platforms can be a little overwhelming,\u201d Zadah said.<\/p>\n<p>According to a 2025 study by the ed-tech company <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/doodle.com\/en\/resources\/research-and-reports\/time-management-in-education\/?\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\">Doodle<\/a>, college students use between six and 15 digital tools on a daily basis. With so many platforms, students can feel like there is always something not functioning quite right.<\/p>\n<p>For Bowman, IU\u2019s transition from one scheduling system to a new one made it difficult to finalize class schedules. Simple issues like system errors when connecting to a university\u2019s portal are bound to happen occasionally, she said, but when you&#8217;re interacting with so many tools, those problems feel more common.<\/p>\n<p>Nationwide, ed-tech company <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/pathify.com\/news\/new-survey-finds-fragmented-digital-systems-are-eroding-student-success-belonging-and-satisfaction-across-u-s-colleges-says-pathify\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\">Pathify<\/a> found that 57 percent of students said their institution\u2019s digital experience causes them stress at least occasionally, and nearly half of respondents reported missing an important deadline because they were unaware of the date, which can occur as a result of navigating multiple disconnected portals.<\/p>\n<p>Despite students having plenty of tools to achieve a given task, Thompson said students frequently default to the one they are most familiar with, even if it is less efficient. For example, students may have been exposed to Google tools in their K-12 education and will continue using them in college, even if IU has worked to embed Microsoft products across the board. Similarly, they might rely on a search function if they have not been taught helpful file-management practices.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, having access to the right tools is not helpful if students are not aware of them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudents just don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s out there,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes they\u2019re sort of floundering around for the right tool, or knowing what tool they want to use, but thinking they have to pay for it when really, they don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"connectivity\">CONNECTIVITY<\/h3>\n<p>Underlying all of these experiences is campus connectivity, a common complaint among on-campus students. According to the <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/collimateur.uqam.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/05\/2025-Students-and-Technology-Report_-Shaping-the-Future-of-Higher-Education-Through-Technology-Flexibility-and-Well-Being-_-EDUCAUSE.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\">2025 EDUCAUSE <i class=\"rte2-style-italic\">Students and Technology Report<\/i><\/a>, overall student satisfaction with campus technology is closely linked to the reliability of Internet connectivity. While a majority (56 percent) of students said they were satisfied with the quality of campus Internet, connectivity still ranked among the most frequent complaints.<\/p>\n<p>Bowman, who attends classes online, said these concerns come up frequently in STAC meetings.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know it makes it a lot harder for them to get their work done, especially because, even being on campus, all your work is online,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"looking-for-balance\">LOOKING FOR BALANCE<\/h3>\n<p>Despite these frustrations, students still want their campus to be technologically forward-thinking. According to the EDUCAUSE <i>Students and Technology Report<\/i>, students who feel their campus is on the cutting edge of technology adoption feel more confident in their career skills and the value of their education.<\/p>\n<p>Students instead hope institutions will focus on making technology more streamlined and relevant to real-world skills.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think digital platforms are useful, and I think they should remain,\u201d Zadah said. \u201cBut I think being selective about which ones remain. I think that also involves looking to see what people are using in their careers and in the real world and mimicking that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Students also seek guidance on balancing this real-world preparation, especially when it comes to AI, with ethics and self-improvement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn one hand, they want to be trained in it and know that, for any kind of employment opportunities, they need to be AI fluent,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cOn the other hand, they do have ambivalence about it. A lot of them say, &#8216;it&#8217;s not completely accurate, and I don&#8217;t know if I can trust what it tells me and I&#8217;m worried about it eroding my ability to critically think.&#8217;\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"Page-authorInfo \" data-with-image>\n<div class=\"Page-authorInfo-image\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govtech.com\/abby-sourwine\" data-cms-ai=\"0\">    <img data-opt-id=2108544237  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"Abby Sourwine\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/erepublic.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/8a230c1\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1440x1440+204+0\/resize\/100x100!\/quality\/90\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ferepublic-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F62%2Ffc%2Ff95cfb7b497ba749b3246c65265b%2Fabby-sourwine.jpg\">  <\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"Page-authorInfo-content\">\n<div class=\"Page-authorInfo-name\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govtech.com\/abby-sourwine\" data-cms-ai=\"0\">Abby Sourwine<\/a> <\/div>\n<p> Abby Sourwine is a staff writer for the Center for Digital Education. She has a bachelor&#8217;s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and worked in local news before joining the e.Republic team. She is currently located in San Diego, California. <\/p>\n<div class=\"Page-authorInfo-seeMore\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.govtech.com\/abby-sourwine\" data-cms-ai=\"0\">See More Stories by Abby Sourwine<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <!-- Contributors --> <\/p>\n<aside class=\"Page-aside\"> <\/aside>\n<div class=\"Newsletter-container\">\n<p> Never miss a story with the GovTech Today newsletter. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <button class=\"GoogleDfpMobileAd-close\" data-close>  <\/button>    <\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\"> <\/a><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\/acceptable.html\"> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8230; often seen as inherently <span class=\"match\">tech<\/span>-savvy because they have &#8230; a 2025 study by the ed-<span class=\"match\">tech<\/span> company Doodle, college students &#8230; more common. Nationwide, ed-<span class=\"match\">tech<\/span> company Pathify found that &#8230; student satisfaction with campus <span class=\"match\">technology<\/span> is closely linked to the reliability &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115215"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115215\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}