Assessment of Spreadsheet and Database Skills in the Undergraduate Student

1. Assessment of Spreadsheet and Database Skills in the Undergraduate Student Jeanne Baugh Department of Computer and Information Systems Robert Morris University Pittsburgh PA

2. Computer Literacy • “A computer literate student should not only know how to use computer application software, but should also understand how computers work and how to manipulate them” (Goldweber 1994)

3. What do Students Know? • Surf the net • Download music • Use email • Use word processing • Play games

4. Information Systems University Core Courses • CI212 – Principles of Information and Computing • CI310 – Information Systems Applications

5. Information Systems Course(CI212) • Word • Excel • Access • Basic Computer Skills

6. Information Systems Course(CI310) • Overview of technological concepts • Application software to enhance decision-making • Computer hardware and software • Telecommunications and networks • Internet and intranets • Data management • Decision support systems

7. Components from IS2002 Model Curriculum in CI310 Course • IS 2002.P0 – Personal Productivity with IS Technology • IS 2002.1 – Fundamentals of Information Systems • IS 2002.3 – Information Systems Theory and Practice • IS 2002.4 – Information Technology Hardware and System Software

8. Various Voices Heard • Administration wants core IS courses reduced • Students say they already know topics (spreadsheet and database) • Students say IS concepts not meaningful to them • Some CIS faculty say “Get rid of IS concepts in course” • Some CIS faculty say “Get rid of Software component in course” • Some professors (other departments) say students don’t need IS concepts • Other Departments expect their students to know Excel and Access

9. What to do?

10. Do students know as much as they think they do?

11. Assessment Test • Excel Spreadsheet • Enter data in cells • Write Simple formulas • Insert Rows/Columns • Format data • Access Database • Add fields • Input data • Create query • Create form (using wizard) • Create report (using wizard)

12. Exam Details • Was to be done during first week of course • Was to be completed during class time • Was to be administered to all 350 students enrolled in CI310 • Spreadsheet and Database were to be emailed as attachments for evaluation

13. Grading Rubric • Excel Satisfactory • No major mistakes with anything • Access Satisfactory • No major mistakes with adding fields, input data and query • Could have mistakes with either form or report creation, but not both

17. Curriculum Changes • Take CI212 out of core (CI310 only IS course in core) • Do not take software out of CI310 (students would not get Excel and Access otherwise) • Excel and Access strengthened in CI310 • Create two new versions of CI310 (one for Nursing and one for Business) • Limited discussion of IS concepts in CI310 (CIS majors will pick up some skipped topics in other IS courses)

18. Evaluation Continues

19. Thank You