A Case for Virtual Desktops
William Joseph Rosener, Mai Anh Vu Tran, Jon M. Shapiro · Journal of Cases on Information Technology · 2025
This study delves into strategies for overcoming software access barriers in educational settings for a course on Database Management Systems. It demonstrates how access to course materials and software via a virtual desktop can mitigate challenges such as schedule conflicts and limited resources, benefiting student retention and overall achievement. The Experimental Group, which benefited from the virtual desktop, demonstrated superior performance and retention compared to the Control Group. Notably, the Experimental Group exhibited a lower dropout rate (4.1% vs. 7.4%), indicating enhanced retention. Additionally, they consistently outperformed the Control Group across all assignments, with differences ranging from 3.29% to 23.07%, suggesting significant improvement over the course duration. The findings suggest that implementing virtual desktops can enhance software accessibility, promote educational equity, and significantly improve both student performance and retention in courses requiring specialized tools.