Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
report ways in which CIS is being promoted in high schools and discuss the merits of authentic
learning environments, particularly problem-based learning.
METHODOLOGY
Hypotheses
The first hypothesis tested was the same as the one tested by Mawhinney, et al. (1985).
It compared the current students' perceptions of IS position characteristics against the
characteristics of their desired position upon graduation. Stated in null form, the hypothesis
tested was:
H
1
:
Students perceive no difference between the work style of the typical IS graduate and
their own expected starting position's work style.
The second hypothesis tested compared the responses from the current students
against the responses from the original study. This two-part hypothesis compares their own
expected starting position's work style and compares their perceptions of the work style of
IS graduates. Stated in null form, the hypotheses tested were:
H
2a
:
The two groups of students had the same expectations for the work style of their own
starting positions.
H
2b
:
The two groups of students had the same perceptions of the work style of the typical
IS graduate.
Subjects
The subjects were students from fifteen sections of our entry-level computing course.
Five hundred and nineteen usable responses were received. Like the original study, our
sample came from a course that is taught from a common syllabus and is a combination of
hands-on computing labs and hardware, software and personal computing concepts. This
course is required of all business majors and is often the first exposure they have to CIS.
Some institutional differences between the two groups of students should be noted.
The original study took place in a private college with traditional full-time residential students
who were required to take the course as first semester freshmen. The current study took place
in a public college with a large portion of non-traditional commuter students. Students have
some flexibility concerning when they take the course, though it is the prerequisite for all IS
courses.
Instrument and Procedure
We utilized the original questionnaire that appeared in Mawhinney, et al. (1985) with
some minor adaptations to our institution. The questionnaire is shown in the Appendix and
consisted of 18 items. The first nine items assessed perceptions of the background and work
styles of a CIS graduate of the program. Questions 10 - 18 asked the same questions from the
perspective of the student's own background and work-style preferences. A five point Likert
scale consisting of Strongly Agree, Agree, Undecided, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree was
used for the responses. They were converted to a numeric scale for scoring (strongly disagree
equaled one and strongly agree equaled five).
