Assessment of Spreadsheet and Database Skills in the Undergraduate Student

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Assessment of Spreadsheet and Database Skills in
the Undergraduate Student

• Jeanne Baugh
• Department of
• Computer and Information Systems
• Robert Morris University
• Pittsburgh PA

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Computer Literacy

• A computer literate student should not only know
  how to use computer application software, but
  should also understand how computers work and how
  to manipulate them
• (Goldweber 1994)

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What do Students Know?

• Surf the net
• Download music
• Use email
• Use word processing
• Play games

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Information Systems University Core Courses

• CI212 Principles of Information and Computing
• CI310 Information Systems Applications

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Information Systems Course(CI212)

• Word
• Excel
• Access
• Basic Computer Skills

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Information Systems Course(CI310)

• Overview of technological concepts
• Application software to enhance decision-making
• Computer hardware and software
• Telecommunications and networks
• Internet and intranets
• Data management
• Decision support systems

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Components from IS2002 Model Curriculum in CI310
Course

• IS 2002.P0 Personal Productivity with IS
  Technology
• IS 2002.1 Fundamentals of Information Systems
• IS 2002.3 Information Systems Theory and
  Practice
• IS 2002.4 Information Technology Hardware and
  System Software

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Various Voices Heard

• Administration wants core IS courses reduced
• Students say they already know topics
  (spreadsheet and database)
• Students say IS concepts not meaningful to them
• Some CIS faculty say Get rid of IS concepts in
  course
• Some CIS faculty say Get rid of Software
  component in course
• Some professors (other departments) say students
  dont need IS concepts
• Other Departments expect their students to know
  Excel and Access

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What to do?
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• Do students know as much as they think they do?

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Assessment Test

• Excel Spreadsheet
• Enter data in cells
• Write Simple formulas
• Insert Rows/Columns
• Format data
• Access Database
• Add fields
• Input data
• Create query
• Create form (using wizard)
• Create report (using wizard)

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Exam Details

• Was to be done during first week of course
• Was to be completed during class time
• Was to be administered to all 350 students
  enrolled in CI310
• Spreadsheet and Database were to be emailed as
  attachments for evaluation

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Grading Rubric

• Excel Satisfactory
• No major mistakes with anything
• Access Satisfactory
• No major mistakes with adding fields, input data
  and query
• Could have mistakes with either form or report
  creation, but not both

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Curriculum Changes

• Take CI212 out of core (CI310 only IS course in
  core)
• Do not take software out of CI310 (students would
  not get Excel and Access otherwise)
• Excel and Access strengthened in CI310
• Create two new versions of CI310 (one for Nursing
  and one for Business)
• Limited discussion of IS concepts in CI310 (CIS
  majors will pick up some skipped topics in other
  IS courses)

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Evaluation Continues
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Thank You