.

The Effect of Computer Literacy Course on Students' Attitudes toward Computer

Applications (EJ816678)

Author(s):
Erlich, Zippy; Gadot, Rivka; Shahak, Daphna

Source:
Journal of Educational Technology Systems, v37 n1 p83-95 2008-2009

Pub Date:
2009-00-00

Pub Type(s):
Journal Articles; Reports - Research

Peer-Reviewed:
Yes

Descriptors:
Student Attitudes; Computer Attitudes; Social Sciences; Computers; Computer
Literacy; Undergraduate Students; Questionnaires; Attitude Change; Majors
(Students); Educational Technology; Computer Uses in Education; Internet; Computer
Software; Computer Mediated Communication

Abstract:
Studies indicate that the use of technologies as teaching aids and tools for self-study is
influenced by students' attitudes toward computers and their applications. The purpose of this
study is to determine whether taking a Computer Literacy and Applications (CLA) course has
an impact on students' attitudes toward computer applications, across various undergraduate
disciplines. A Computer Application Attitude (CAA) questionnaire was administered at the
beginning and at the end of the semester to social science students enrolled in a CLA course.
The study population was divided into two groups according to the students' field of study:
quantitative-oriented and qualitative-oriented. A significant difference was found in attitudes
before and after the CLA course only in the quantitative group. Based upon the results of this
study, it is recommended to offer different computer literacy courses to the different groups to
improve students' attitudes toward the use of these applications. (Contains 5 tables.)

. How Does Student Ability and Self-Efficacy Affect the Usage of Computer Technology?
(ED503901)

Author(s):
Isman, Aytekin; Celikli, Gulsun Ersoy
Source:
Online Submission, The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology--TOJET v8 n1 Jan
2009

Pub Date:
2009-01-00

Pub Type(s):
Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative

Peer-Reviewed:
N/A

Descriptors:
Self Efficacy; Computer Literacy; Academic Ability; Use Studies; Computer
Attitudes; Gender Differences; Access to Computers; Predictor Variables; Likert
Scales; Student Surveys; Foreign Countries; Computer Assisted Testing; College Students

Abstract:
The main aim of this research was to find out the self-efficacy level among participant
students and analyze their beliefs. This study showed that male students are more confident
comparing to female student, similar to research of Bimer (2000), the computer usage has
been known as biased toward the interests and fashion of men, this research also showed that
females are not as confident as men are to computers. Awoleye & Siyanbola (2005), Bimer
(2000), indicated that computers have some gendered attributes that favor man in some way
so that men are more likely to use computers and they are more confident. Therefore it can be
said that many studies has been support the gender factor in self-efficacy, but this research
also showed that this changes are more likely to be depend on the complexity of the task and
the year of computer usage of the particular student as Busch(1995) has been found the
similar results. Similar to the study of Compeau, and Higging (1995), it is found that self-
efficacy shapes the individuals beliefs and behaviors as well. It is not surprising to find out
that students have different computer levels and this affects their self-efficacy. Also some
students have advance computer knowledge, therefore they complain about the level of the
computer courses offered to them. In addition to this it can be said that students with
different computer skills shows different self-efficacy levels as well.

ED372734 - Schools, Teachers, Students and Computers:

A Cross-National Perspective. IEA-Comped Study Stage
2.
Help With This Page
ERIC Home
 0 items in My Clipboard | Add record to My Clipboard
Record Details
Full-Text Availability Options:

ERIC Full Text (3280K) | Find in a Library

Related Items: Show Related Items

Click on any of the links below to perform a new search

ERIC #:
ED372734

Title:
Schools, Teachers, Students and Computers: A Cross-National Perspective. IEA-Comped
Study Stage 2.

Authors:
Pelgrum, W. J., Ed.; And Others

Descriptors:
Comparative Analysis; Comparative Education; Computer Literacy; Computer Uses in
Education; Cross Cultural Studies; Data Collection; Educational Policy; Educational
Practices; Educational Technology; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign
Countries; Longitudinal Studies; Outcomes of Education; Questionnaires; Sampling; Sex
Differences; Student Attitudes; Student Characteristics; Tables (Data); Teacher
Characteristics

Source:
N/A

Peer-Reviewed:
N/A

Publisher:
University of Twente, Center for Applied Educational Research, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE
Enschede, The Netherlands.

Publication Date:
1993-00-00

Pages:
238

Pub Types:
Books; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires

Abstract: The Computers in Education (Comped) study was designed as a two-stage survey.
 The first stage (1987-1990) was aimed at gathering information from a
representative sample of schools at elementary, lower secondary and upper
secondary level with regard to the state of computer use in education. The survey's
focus was on the extent and availability of computers in schools, how computers
are used, nature of instruction about computers, and the estimates of the effects
that computers are having on students, curriculum, and the school as an
institution. This publication describes Stage 2. The first part of Stage 2 was a
repetition of the survey of Stage 1, with data collection centering on a school
questionnaire. This enabled a longitudinal study of trends. Part 2 of Stage 2 studied
the relationship between policy, practice, and outcomes with respect to computers
in education relating variables referring to school, teacher, and classroom practice
to student variables such as functional computer literacy, specific knowledge about
and experiences with computers, performance in handling computers as well as
attitudes towards computers and their uses. Ten countries (Austria, Bulgaria,
Germany, Greece, India, Japan, Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and the United
States) participated. Because thorough analyses have not yet been done, the
presentation is mostly descriptive. The data collected are presented in 31 tables
and 38 figures. Twelve appendixes, with an additional 30 tables, contain detailed
information on participating countries, sampling, computer uses, and responses to
specific questionnaire items. (Contains 56 references.) (SLD)

1
Public computing, computer literacy and educational outcome:
Children and computers in rural India
Dr. Ritu Dangwal
Research Head
HiWEL/NIIT ltd, Synergy Building
2nd Floor, IIT Campus, Haus Khas
New Delhi –17
India
ritud@niit.com
Phone No: +91-11-26581017-20 extn:7022
Fax No: +91-11-26581022
Abstract
This paper reports the research findings from a national research program conducted in
rural India. In this research, children were provided unconditional access to public,
outdoor computer. Evaluation was conducted on the children’s ability to learn to operate
the computer and the effect of such playground computing on educational outcome.
The results suggest that playground computers might have an important role to play in
improving the outcomes of elementary education and in imparting critical life skills.
Keywords: Evaluation, education, outcomes, computer, rural

International Journal of Development Issues

Vol. 4, No. 1 (2005) 71 - 81
Self organising systems for mass computer literacy: Findings
from the ‘hole in the wall’ experiments
Sugata Mitra*
Centre for Research in Cognitive Systems, NIIT Limited
Synergy Building, IIT Campus, Haus Khas
New Delhi 110016, India
sugatam@niit.com
Abstract
Earlier work often referred to as the ‘hole in the wall’ experiments has shown that groups
of children can learn to use public computers on their own. This paper presents the
method and results of an experiment conducted to investigate whether such unsupervised
group learning in shared public spaces is universal. The experiment was conducted with
‘hole in the wall’ (minimally invasive education, or MIE) kiosks in 23 locations in rural
India. Focus groups in each location were tested for computer literacy for 9 months.
Results, which are discussed in the paper, show that groups of children can learn to use
computers and the Internet on their own, irrespective of who or where they are. The
paper also discusses the engineering considerations for building such ‘hole in the wall’
computers in public spaces.