Computer self-efficacy: A practical indicator of student computer competency in introductory IS courses

Introduction Business colleges commonly require business majors to complete an introductory information systems (IS) course early in their program of study (Kim & Keith, 1994). It is in the context of introductory IS courses that many students first receive formal, college-level training in the computer hardware and software they are likely to encounter in future education and business environments (Omar, 1991). While the computer training offered in such courses is generally quite basic in nature, a number of business school constituencies have a substantial stake in course outcomes. Students, instructors in other disciplines, and IS instructors often expect introductory IS courses to instill the "fundamentals" necessary for effective computer use and acquisition of additional computer skills in future courses (Kim & Keith, 1994). As IS instructors, we have also observed that skill development expectations are often accompanied by expectations of enhanced student motivation to use computers in other course settings as a result of the training (Larson & Smith, 1994). In sum, students are expected to become more computer literate, as well as more inclined to seek opportunities to use computers to solve problems in the future. We propose that meeting reasonable expectations regarding student computer competence and confidence is an appropriate course outcome objective for introductory IS courses. Unfortunately, we have found it difficult to determine and demonstrate the degree to which computer training in the introductory courses accomplishes this objective. Traditional methods of course assessment provide relatively limited insight into the development of student computer capability. For example, grades may indicate that certain performance criteria and standards have been met. However, course grades contribute little information about student confidence or motivation to use computers in subsequent courses or employment settings. Moreover, grades and other traditional assessment measures are generally determined during or after the course. Consequently, they are limited in their ability to provide information regarding the impact of a variety of factors (e.g., gender, prior computer experience) of interest to IS educators on the development or enhancement of computer competency and student confidence in the introductory course context. Purpose of the Study Recognizing the limitations of traditional measures of assessment, the purpose of this study was to expand our insight into student computer competency and confidence in introductory IS courses from an IS educator's perspective. In this study, we have applied and evaluated a measure of computer self-efficacy as a supplementary introductory IS course assessment tool. Computer self-efficacy is based on the well-researched concept of self-efficacy ??the belief one has the capability to perform a specific task (Bandura, 1997). Prior research consistently indicates that computer self-efficacy (CSE) is positively correlated with an individual's willingness to choose and participate in computer-related activities, expectations of success in such activities, and persistence or effective coping behaviors when faced with computer-related difficulties (Compeau & Higgins, 1995; Gist, Schwoerer, & Rosen, 1989; Murphy, Coover, & Owen, 1989). In short, CSE appears to "capture" much of what we hope are desirable student outcomes of introductory IS courses. Moreover, CSE lends itself to meaningful measurement and has been demonstrated to be discriminative and informative in similar training circumstances (Harrison & Ranier, 1992; Murphy et al., 1989; Torkzadeh & Koufteros, 1994). A review of the literature indicates CSE has been investigated in similar settings; however, it has not been thoroughly investigated as an additional assessment tool in this important educational context. In this investigation of CSE from a course assessment perspective, a measure of CSE before and after students completed an introductory IS course was taken. …