The effects of college students' educational level and gender on their use of the Internet as: (a) an instructional tool, (b) a research tool, (c) a communication tool, and (d) an entertainment tool

The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the pattern of the Internet use by Ohio University students in educational activities in four domains: (a) as an instructional tool, (b) as a research tool, (c) as a communication tool, and (d) as an entertainment tool. It focuses on the gender and educational level as potential factors influencing the use of the Internet among college students in the four domains.;Using quantitative research methodology, the data were collected through a survey completed by 800 students from Ohio University. Two-way ANOVA was conducted to investigate whether or not the statistical differences revealed in the descriptive statistic results were significant. Chi-Square statistical procedure (crosstabulation) was used to examine the relationship between the independent variables (gender and educational level) with other variables such as computer ownership, hours of use of the Internet per week, and the correlations between students' GPAs and their use of the Internet.;Findings from the study reveal that gender evidently plays a significant role in the overall use of the Internet in daily activities. Males still generally dominate the use of the Internet in the four mentioned domains. More graduate students use the Internet for instructional, research, and communication purposes than undergraduate students.;At the undergraduate level, this study interestingly reveals that more female students use the Internet for research and communication purposes. It is also revealed that more male undergraduate students use the Internet for entertainment purposes. The descriptive statistical results show that fewer female graduate and undergraduate students, as well as male graduate students, use the Internet for entertainment purposes.;The study indicates that students' GPAs have significant, positive correlation with the use of the Internet as an instructional tool, a research tool, and as a communication tool. However, it is indicated that the correlation between students' GPAs and the use of the Internet as an entertainment tool is negative and not significant.;It is concluded that gender and educational level are relatively effective predictors in looking at the pattern of college students' use of the Internet the previously mentioned domains.