Answered

Seven hundred and seventy-one distance learning students at Long Beach City College responded to a survey in the 2010-2011 academic year. Highlights of the summary report are listed in Table 1.39.

\begin{tabular}{|l|l|}
\hline
Have computer at home & [tex]$96 \%$[/tex] \\
\hline
Unable to come to campus for classes & [tex]$65 \%$[/tex] \\
\hline
Age 41 or over & [tex]$24 \%$[/tex] \\
\hline
Would like LBCC to offer more DL courses & [tex]$95 \%$[/tex] \\
\hline
Took DL classes due to a disability & [tex]$17 \%$[/tex] \\
\hline
Live at least 16 miles from campus & [tex]$13 \%$[/tex] \\
\hline
Took DL courses to fulfill transfer requirements & [tex]$71 \%$[/tex] \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

Table 1.39: LBCC Distance Learning Survey Results

a. What percent of the students surveyed do not have a computer at home?

b. About how many students in the survey live at least 16 miles from campus?

c. If the same survey were done at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, do you think the percentages would be the same? Why?



Answer :

GinnyAnswer
Certainly! Let's address each part of the question methodically:

### a. Percentage of students who do not have a computer at home

The survey indicates that 96% of the students have a computer at home. To find the percentage of students who do not have a computer at home, we subtract this percentage from 100%.

[tex]\[ \text{Percent without computer} = 100\% - 96\% = 4\% \][/tex]

Thus, 4% of the students surveyed do not have a computer at home.

### b. Number of students in the survey who live at least 16 miles from campus

The survey states that 13% of the students live at least 16 miles from campus. We need to determine how many students this represents out of the total 771 surveyed students.

We use the given percentage to find the number of students:

[tex]\[ \text{Number of students who live far} = \frac{13}{100} \times 771 \][/tex]

Calculating this:

[tex]\[ \text{Number of students who live far} = 0.13 \times 771 = 100.23 \][/tex]

Since the number of students cannot be a fraction, we round this to the nearest whole number. Hence, approximately 100 students live at least 16 miles from campus.

### c. Would the percentages be the same if the survey were conducted at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada? Why?

For part (c), we need to consider several factors related to demographics, resources, and geographic conditions which might differ significantly between Long Beach City College and Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada.

- Demographics: The student population’s age, socioeconomic status, and access to technology might differ.
- Local Conditions: Availability of Internet and technology, local infrastructure, economic conditions, and the geographic layout all influence survey outcomes, which can lead to different percentages.
- Institutional Resources: Different colleges may have varying levels of resources dedicated to distance education, affecting how many students can access computers or live close to campus.

Given these variables, it is reasonable to assume that the percentages might not be the same if the survey were conducted at Great Basin College. Hence, the results could vary based on local demographics, infrastructure, and specific institutional conditions.

This comprehensive approach ensures all parts of the question are meticulously addressed.