Fluency with Information Technology (CSE 100): Student Response

Students enrolled in the course were primarily freshmen, although there was also a fair number of seniors, and there were more men enrolled than women. Most students reported that they currently used a computer on a regular basis, either in their residence or on-campus, and the most common use was for word processing or to send email. A moderate number of students used spreadsheets, but relatively few were familiar with databases, presentation software or bibliographic software. Student self-rated ability to use software mirrored the reported frequency of use, and showed a significant increase over the course of the quarter. Post-course confidence in using various applications was significantly related to self-rated ability in using the same software, and was also related to the likelihood that students would try to solve problems in using unfamiliar applications by clicking around, and to a seven-item computer attitude scale. However, significant pre- and post-course differences were not found for student confidence, attitude toward computers (already very high at the beginning of the quarter), or open-ended problemsolving questions. Essentially all students who responded to the post-course questionnaire said that they would recommend the course to others, and responses to standard course evaluation forms were exceptionally high. However, it should be noted that almost 20% of the students who had initially enrolled in the course withdrew over the course of the quarter, and so would not be represented in the post-course responses. Various modifications have been made based on instructional experiences and student feedback, and the course will be offered again autumn quarter, 1999.