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Li-Jen Yu Shannon, Ed.D . Sam Houston State University ISECON November 3, 2007 . Information and Communication Technology Literacy Issues in Higher Education. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM. Computer wizard generation
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Li-Jen Yu Shannon, Ed.D. Sam Houston State University ISECONNovember 3, 2007 Information and Communication Technology Literacy Issues in Higher Education
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM • Computer wizard generation • Carlson, 2005; Howe & Strauss, 2003; Lowery, 2001; Sanchez, 2003; Taylor, 2005 • Insufficient technological proficiencies • Sanchez, 2003; Kelly & Haber, 2006; Udobong, 2001; Rafaill & Peach, 2001; Hardy, 2005 • “Time-To-Degree” - Closing the Gaps by 2015 • THECB, 2007 • Baccalaureate degrees: 120 credit hours • SACS, 2007
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE • Analyze the Millennial Generation (MG) regarding: • information and communication technology (ICT) literacy levels • ICT literacy levels regarding to ethnicity and gender Before and after they take the introductory computer course.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. What is the competency (ICT literacy) of students who do not take an introductory computer course? 2. To what degree does the introductory computer course improve the college students’ ICT literacy levels? 3. Is there a need to designate the introductory computer course as a developmental course as is done in English and Mathematics?
THE METHODOLOGY: SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS • Population • 14,411 students • The purposeful sample • 815 accessible purposeful samples • The minimal total sample sizes: 620 for the independent samples (Gall, Gall, & Borg ,2003) • t tests with alpha level : 0.05 • a small effective size • statistical power: 0.7 (N)
Demographic information Year of birth Student classification College major Gender Ethnicity INSTRUMENTATION (PART I)
Prior experiences with computers Experiences with multimedia classroom environments Communication methods preference Hours working with computers for coursework Grade point average Ownership of digital devices INSTRUMENTATION (PART I)
Computer hardware Computer software File management Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Microsoft Access Microsoft PowerPoint INSTRUMENTATION (PART II) The MG’s ICT levels of knowledge in specific skill areas: (Likert scale of 1 to 5: 1 being the least and 5 being the highest )
INSTRUMENTATION (PART II) The MG’s ICT levels of knowledge in specific skill areas: (Likert scale of 1 to 5: 1 being the least and 5 being the highest ) • Microsoft FrontPage • Web design • Internet browsers • Email • CD burners • File Transfer Application • WinZip applications
INSTRUMENTATION: Reliability • A self-report measure • A paper-and-pencil instrument • How individuals differ on various aspects of self (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003) (p. 189).
DATA COLLECTION • Approval for the Protection of Human Subjects • The participants completed voluntarily • At the beginning of Spring 2006 • At the end of Spring 2006 • Collected by the faculty of the Computer Science Department
DATA ANALYSIS: • Pre-measure analysis: • ICT Literacy Levels • Spearman’s rho: 0.520 - 0.905 • Cronbach’s alpha: 0.568 - 0.980
RESEARCH QUESTION 1 What is the competency (ICT literacy) of students who do not take an introductory computer course?
RESEARCH QUESTION 2 To what degree does the introductory computer course improve the college students’ ICT literacy levels?
RESEARCH QUESTION 3 Is there a need to designate the introductory computer course as a developmental course as is done in English and Mathematics?
Ethnicity and ICT Literacy Levels: Pre-self-report (54) (5) (289) (44) (8) Function1: 42.4% of variance (p<0.01) Function2: 30.6% of variance (p=0.02)
Ethnicity and ICT Literacy Levels: Post-self-report (54) (5) (289) (44) (8)
Gender and ICT Literacy Levels: Pre-self-report Function1: 100% of variance (p<0.01)
Gender and ICT Literacy Levels: Post-self-report Function1: 100% of variance (p<0.01)
CONCULSIONS • Pre-self-report • 5/13 ICT items: above the expected level • African-Americans: the lowest ranking • Hispanics: the second lowest ranking • The females: a significant lower ICT score than the males • Comparison • 13/13 ICT items: above the expected level • African-Americans: the third highest ranking • Hispanics: the highest ranking • The females: a significant improvement in all of the items • White/Non-Hispanics: a significantly improvement in 12/13 ICT items
IMPLICATIONS • The introductory computer course: • Reduce the technological gaps within sub-populations • Strengthen the weakness in technological areas • Broaden the interest for selecting degree majors
IMPLICATIONS (cont.) • The findings support the needs of introductory computer courses in the vulnerable institutions • Subpopulations • Valuable courses • Individual needs
THE END • The leaderships: • The higher education institutions • The legislators • The oncoming challenges • The needs of the students