Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 18. Overall self-assessment ratings
Skill
Assessed
Self-assessment Proficiency Rating
Exp.
Adv.
Int.
Some
Beg.
Overall
Computing
Proficiency
2.2%
20.7% 45.3% 25.0% 6.7%
E-mail
Proficiency
10.6% 31.1% 40.4% 13.6% 4.3%
WWW
Proficiency
6.7%
30.3% 42.1% 15.7% 5.3%
Word
Processing
Proficiency
5.3%
36.2%
41.7%
14%
2.8%
Spreadsheet
Proficiency
.6%
6.5%
23%
29.9%
40%
Database
Proficiency
.4%
2.2%
12%
22.6%
62.8%
Presentation
Software
Proficiency
1.4%
7.7%
14.8%
19.9%
56.1%
Table 19. Research summary
Overall
Assessment
(Phase I,
Part 1)
Detailed
Assessment
(Phase I,
Part 2)
Actual
Skills
(Phase
II)
Excel
30.1%
60.4%
15%
Access
14.6%
36.8%
17.9%
PowerPoint
23.9%
50.4%
21.8%
For all of the applications, the students rated their capabilities to perform the specific
tasks significantly higher than they rated their overall skill levels. The actual skill performance
was more closely aligned with their overall assessment for Access and PowerPoint but was
15% less for Excel. This situation presents an interesting dilemma in developing teaching
approaches and designing curriculum. When students already think they know the material,
they may become disengaged from the course. This presents a challenge for instructors to
motivate the students, as well as to effectively explain to the students that they really do not
know the concepts or skills.
