Assessing The Effectiveness Of Computer Literacy Courses

Computer literacy is growing in importance for all university students and is especially important for students pursuing technical and engineering courses of study. While an increasing number of today's students enter the university with an adequate level of computer knowledge and skill, there are many who do not. Large numbers of students, especially from economically disadvantaged communities, lack the computer skills necessary to be successful in most engineering programs. Therefore, it is particularly important for universities to offer computer literacy courses to accommodate the needs of such students. In order to ensure the effectiveness of educational programs in computer literacy, assessment must be done on a continuing basis. Such assessment has been difficult due to varying definitions of computer literacy and the lack of tools to adequately assess such programs. This paper describes a pilot study conducted at California State University, Northridge that was done as an experimental attempt to assess the effectiveness of computer literacy courses. The specific instruments used as well as others investigated are discussed, and the methods of conducting the assessment are explained. The results of the pilot study are presented along with recommendation for the development of improved instruments and methods for computer literacy assessment.