Engaging Students in the
First Year Computer
Literacy Course with SelfPaced, Flexible, Online
Instruction
Mava Wilson, PhD
Bill Jaber, PhD
Department of Business
Computer Information Systems
Background
• Computer literate student population
• Varying degrees of literacy
• Disengaged in the introductory course
• Computer literacy classes not meeting
needs
• Met and discussed with the administration a
new plan for the computer literacy courses
Student Needs
• Students were largely disengaged
o Due in large part to students growing up with
technology
• Misunderstood surfing and social networking
as computer literate
• Experience indicated students were not
skilled in computer concepts, spreadsheets
or database
The Plan
• Past computer literacy exam produced few
passing scores
• Developed two proposals for consideration
o Plan 1 - The courses are going to be self-paced with a
schedule.
o Plan 2 - The courses are going to traditional classroom
setting.
• Presented these plans to Department Chair
and Dean
o The administrations elected to try Plan 1.
The Design
• General Literacy Course
o Two sections
o Pre/Post-Tests in Excel, Word, PP, Computer
Literacy
• Option to receive “P” by passing all four with
80+
• Business Literacy Course
o Two sections
• Pre/Post-Tests in Excel & Access
The Design (cont)
• Calendar with DUE dates
• Training (simulation; observe, practice, apply; not for
grade)
• Tutorials (simulation; up-to-three times; 10 chances per
task; graded)
• Project (case problem; live in software; submit/receive
feedback immediately; submit up-to-three times;
graded)
• Quiz (second scenario; live in software; submit one time;
graded)
• Capstone Project (cumulative; graded)
• Post-Test (graded as test)
The Operation
• Attendance not required
• Self-paced, meeting deadlines
• Material completed = course completed
• Help / mini-lectures / explanations
o In class
o Office hours
o Via email
The Experience
• Students
o No one passed all pre-tests
o Slow purchasing book/access
codes
o Mac issues
o Slow getting used to method
o Book not seen as “necessary”
o Little attendance for 8:00 class
o Group that attend class
• Faculty
o Difficult getting everything
setup
o Issues with access first few days
o Important to have everything
ready
o More questions via email
o Last minute “help” on due
dates
o Very “picky”
o Control w/passwords for
Capstones
o Doesn’t follow standards
o Grading scale “curve”
The Survey Feedback
• 26 responses from General Literacy (out of 55 – 47%)
23 responses from Business Literacy (out of 51 – 45%)
• GL - 25 students like self-paced component; one no
opinion
• BL – 19 students like self-paced component; three dislike;
one no opinion
o One person needs more self-discipline
o One person likes more one-on-one help in “lecture class”
• GL – one student felt this way is not quite as good
compared to what they’ve heard about other sections;
21 felt it was better or much better
• BL – one student student felt this way is not quite as good
compared to what they’ve heard about other sections;
15 felt it was better or much better
The Feedback (cont)
• “really enjoying self-paced nature. With my
schedule it makes it much easier”
• “puts a lot of responsibility on the
students…catch myself doing it last minute
literally…student wants a good grade in this
class its easy to attain just a matter of time
management…”
• “Like doing the assignments in SAM not from
book” & “I love SAM!!! I hate SAM and the book
together…”
• “…wish training covered the whole project just
not part…”
The Feedback (cont)
• “I like the way it works. Wish it wasn’t so picky or
would give a more definitive answer to ones that
are missed”
• “format of class is excellent; SAM site is not always
the best to work with…automated feedback on
projects can sometimes be obscure or confusing
leading to some degree of frustration instead rather
than learning” & “Confusing sometimes”
• “Do not like this way of learning. .. Feel like I am
failing in the class because of the lack of one-onone help. Yes, I can come to class but that one
period can only do so much since we do everything
outside of class. I’d rather have this be a lecture
class explaining in a clearer way what is in each
chapter”
The Feedback (cont)
• Unexpected learning
o Quick feedback on the Case problem projects is
helping me to pay more attention to detail and
reading instructions carefully
• 12 strongly agree
• 8 moderately agree
• 3 neutral
The Feedback
• Video Clips of students
The Next Phase
• Spring 2011 – online component with
black/white copy of book
• Two sections of General Literacy
o Similar format
• Two large sections of Business Literacy
o One faculty
o Two lab-assistants
o Half of class attend one-day-per-week
o Scheduled labs with assistants
The Future
• Questions to be answered
• Outcomes
• Course Organization
o Lab assistants
o Class size
• Faculty Load/Administration
Questions?
Mava Wilson, PhD
mwilson@leeuniversity.edu
Bill Jaber, PhD
bjaber@leeuniversity.edu