Answer

Usage of Computers on the Ground Floor in the UOW Library

Background of the Study

Usage of computers in a public university space is affected by various factors. Some of the potential factors are availability of library materials and resources, some of the students may have attitude in choosing the sitting position, university library management policies among others. Each of these factors is essential in choosing a sitting position in a library (Alharbi & Drew, 2014). In some libraries, computer and information technology services are located on the ground floors. In regards to the students’ attitude, some students may prefer to use their computers or university library computers in the university ground floor. In this case, a student is able to easily move in or out of the library when enjoying university library services from the ground floor. In some cases, one may be in need of quickly connecting to classes by having to easily move in and out of the library.

UOW University is among the university libraries where computer services are located on the ground floor. In light of this information, there is need to attest to whether the proportion that uses computers on the ground of the university library really comes from the whole students’ population in the university.  

Statement of the Problem

In the recent past, a large number of students appear to be so much into computer usage in the university library from the ground floor. The trend has really encouraged the university management to evaluate whether the proportion is among the current students’ population. In this case, this will enable the university library management to devise splendid policies that can be applied to ease congestion currently experienced in the university’s library ground floor.

The current university library policies are not effective in curbing congestion in the university’s library ground floor (Jantti, 2015). Therefore, there is need to evaluate whether the computer users from the university library ground floor actually come from the current student population. The proposal will equally try to respond to the claim: how can the university library management can ease on the congestion in the library ground floor space? Is there a need to create another space within the university library for computer usage?

Objectives

General Objectives

• To determine whether the computer users on the UOW library on the ground floor actually comes from the large current student population.

Specific Objectives

• To determine how the university library management can ease on congestion in the ground floor.
• To determine whether there is need to establish another space in the library for computer users to rest while using the computers.

Significance of the Study

The study is extremely vital to the university library management to help on how the management can come up with new policies that can aid in reducing congestion in the university ground floor chambers. Secondly, the study will assist the university management decide whether to devise another chamber in the library for computer users. As highlighted in the statement of the problem section, there is a challenge in the university library due to congestion created in the university ground floor by the computer users. Similarly, there is also a need by the management to attest whether the computer users on the ground floor of the university actually come from the current students’ population. The study equally forms potential basis upon which the library management can reduce congestion on the ground floor space in the university library. In essence, the study forms splendid benchmark to the management on how to effectively utilize library policies on computer usage at university level perspective.

Methodology and Procedure of the Study

Scope of the Study

The study sought to establish how the university management at UOW library could reduce congestion on the ground floor chambers. Additionally, there is need to attest whether the computer users from the ground floor of the university library actually comes from the current students’ population at the university.

Data Collection

This section reveals the strategy plan that was employed in data collection for the study. The data for the study comprise of 20 observations recorded at an interval of one hour. The data was collected for three days; Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. On Monday, the data was collected from 9.00 am in the morning up to 2.00 pm in the afternoon. This is a record of six observations during the first day of data collection. On Tuesday, the data was recorded from 9.00 am up to 2.00 pm in the afternoon. On Wednesday, it is perceived that the UOW library had many computer users as opposed to other days of the week. In this case, the researcher was able to take many observations than on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, the researcher was able to take observations from 9.00 am up to 4.00 pm late in the day.

Table 1: Data

The table above (table 1) displays the data collected for 20 observations recorded within three days in the week.

Data Analysis Technique

The study is a quantitative one in nature. In this case, the main analysis technique is one sample t test. A one-sample t test technique helps the researcher to make comparison between the mean of the observed values randomly selected to a known mean value (O’Mahony, 2017). In this case, the researcher is able to attest whether the selected sample comes from a specified population. Some of the properties that make one sample t test valid are that the sample had to be small and also no one is having idea about the population standard deviation. In the study proposal, the population std. deviation is unknown and the sample size is quite below the standard one (n<30 observations).

One-sample t test is a technique that possesses three assumptions (Lowry, 2014). To begin with, the data observations have to reveal lack of correlation with each other (independence). Secondly, each observation has to have equal chance of entering into the study (random selection criterion). Thirdly, the data values have to be normally distributed within the mean value.

Theoretically, one-sample t test analysis technique entails five steps in execution (Chatfield, 2018). To begin with, null and alternative hypothesis of the study are stated at this step. Secondly, the test’s statistic is calculated using the following formulae.

The illustration (formulae (a.)) illustrates how one-sample t test is calculated manually however, this is the same technique that analysis tool applies. The third step is to compare the t-stat calculated with the t-tabulated value. Here the decision is made at this step. When the calculated value is greater than tabulated value, the stated null is not rejected and vice versa is true at the set alpha level preferably 5% significance level.

Data Analysis

This section reveals the analysis technique in the study. It is assumed the mean value for the student population who use the library facility on a daily basis is 90 on every hour. The study hypothesis is set as follow:

Against;

The stated null and alternative hypothesis is validated at 5% level of significance.

Figure 1: One-sample t test

The illustration (figure 1) displays the calculated one-sample t test statistic for the study. The analysis establishes that the t-stat=-10.611, df=19, p-value<0.010. In this case, the test statistic is statistically significant at 0.05 alpha level.

Figure 2: Tabulated t-value

The illustration (figure 2) displays the tabulated t-value by applying the command “qt (sign. df).” The t-stat (0.05, df=19) =2.093024. Evidently, the calculated value is greater than the tabulated value for the 2-sided test. As such, the stated null hypothesis is rejected at 0.05 alpha level in favor of the alternative one. Therefore, the mean for the computer users per hour on the ground floor in the library is significantly different from value “90.”

Conclusion

The study has evaluated whether the computer users in the UOW library on the ground floor section actually comes from the normal population of the current students who uses the facility on hourly basis. The study has relied on quantitative approach of analysis. The analysis has evaluated that the computer users on the ground floor section does not reflect the current student population since the calculated mean is found significantly different from the hypothesized value.

(2017) study employed, there are very little room for generalizing the study’s findings.