A demographic and attitudinal profile of general education students in a CS survey course (abstract only)

An analysis of 1,406 valid responses to a 25-item questionnaire by general education students enrolled in a “Survey of Computers and Their Applications” course at the State University of New York College at Oswego in 1985-86 forms the basis of this presentation.Demographic information made up half of the questions and ranged from standard items, like sex, age, math background, to questions about previous exposure to computers in school and work. The remainder of the questions referred either to attitudes toward the present role of computers in education or specific computer applications.The survey instrument was developed, refined, and tested from 1983-85 to insure a meaningful form. The questionnaire was administered at the beginning of the first day of classes before any instruction or explanation in order to survey initial attitudes of non-majors in an introductory general education course.The raw scores are themselves enlightening. Realization of the importance of computer technology but an uneasiness about its effects is revealed. However, the focus of this research is on constructing a profile using statistical analyses that match particular demographic characteristics with attitudinal responses.Replies to the attitudinal questions are examined by assigning negative responses a value of -1 and positive responses are given a 1. The sum of each person's responses is then divided by the number of questions asked to give a total index value. This, in turn, is used for the statistical analyses. Numerous hypotheses are tested, as male versus female importance in cyberphobia and previous math preparation and computer exposure in relation to feelings about computers.Several factors emerge as predictive. Of particular interest is the high level of computer anxiety among a sample with significant previous experience with computer technology. Overall, 44% of the sample said that they were uneasy, perhaps fearful, about working with computers.A table of means further reveals that the 754 who had a high school computer course had an attitude score of 0.2097 whereas those (650) who had not taken such a class had an attitude score of 0.2069. The difference is not significant from a statistical point of view. Thus, a high school computer course does not improve students' attitudes toward computers.This fact is highlighted by the mean attitude score for those who used computers in school but not in a formal course, which is .1293 higher than that of students without this experience. Those with the highest positive rating were subjects who had taken a college CS class and used the computer both at home and on the job (0.5636).Greater exposure to computer usage results in a more positive attitude score concerning computer technology. The only exception to this general picture is that use of computers in a formal high school course does not improve attitudes toward computers in general.Other analyses reveal males tend to have a slightly more positive set of attitudes than females, students whose parents did not attend college are more positive, and older students are more positive than younger students. Math preparation is a factor with students having no college math background, basic or general math, or algebra being less positive than those with any business math or calculus preparation.Out of this study a profile of the undergraduate student who typically enrolls in a general education survey course about computers designed for non-majors is gradually emerging. Their attitudes are revealed and related to demographic characteristics.