Greenville Technical College Assessing and Developing Student Computing Technology Skills September 19, 2012 Dr. Lenna Young, Mark Krawczyk, and Mary Locke Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department

Background Spring 2010, CPT 101 study results  37% of students did not successfully complete  Students entering with basic computing technology skills were more likely to successfully complete Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department Final Grade Number of Students (Percent of Sample) Average Score on Study Pilot Assessment A88 (34%)82.1 B45 (17%)75.4 C30 (12%)75.1 D13 (5%)76.3 F30 (12%)74.1 Withdrew prior to end of semester53 (20%)69.1

Problems to address  It’s generally assumed that all students have the necessary computer/information literacy skills to successfully access and complete the required course work to meet the learning objectives for courses offered by GTC  Computer/information literacy is required in all developmental and associate degree courses for students to successfully complet Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department

Preliminary Method of Inquiry  Interviewed departmental reps across campus asking about the computer and technology skills and knowledge required of students in their classes  15 individual and/or large group interviews conducted between 10/8/10 and 12/14/10  Meet with representatives from other colleges to determine what they do to address students with inadequate computing and technology skills  Spartanburg Community College – 9/24/10  Piedmont Technical College – 10/07/10  Trident Technical College – 11/29-11/30/10  Invited representatives and/or attended conference of publishers and other vendors to examine platforms and/or placement tests  McGraw-Hill (Sim Net)  Pearson (MyIT Lab)  First Advantage (Placement Tool)  Cengage (SAM) Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department

Preliminary Method of Inquiry (cont’d) Examined alternative texts and teaching materials – Pearson (2 conferences and multiple visits) – McGraw-Hill (1 conference and multiple visits and telephone conferences) – Cengage (1 conference and multiple visits) Collected student and faculty input – Met with CTP 101 full-time and adjunct faculty – Initiated Friday CPT 101 Student Clinics – Reviewed past students issues Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department

Preliminary Inquiry – Finding #1 Students generally lack basic CPT and/or LMS skills upon entry into general education and core courses  Overwhelming consensus about the lack of basic computing skills especially file management  Prevalent call for students to have basic Word and PowerPoint skills with many calling for basic Excel Implication: Instructors are spending inordinate amounts of class time teaching basic skills versus course content. Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department

Preliminary Inquiry – Finding #2 CPT 101 is seldom a pre-requisite for general education or core courses – Clear indication of need for students to have basic skills but search of catalog found few instances of CPT 101 as pre-requisite course – Could what some interpret as a need for “developmental CPT 101” actually be a need for basic CPT skills as a pre-requisite? Implication: There is evidence to support a basic “developmental CPT 101” course, but sequencing of it and/or CPT 101 must be considered in students’ programs of study. Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department

Preliminary Inquiry – Finding #3 Lack of basic computing skills affect learning in face-to-face as well as on-line learning – Repetitious reports of details across interviews of students unable to adequately navigate and access on-line materials Implication: Student readiness for on-line learning should be included in any consideration of “CPT 101 placement testing” and/or “developmental CPT 101” coursework. Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department

Preliminary Inquiry – Finding #4 Departments have varying and specific computer technology and information literacy needs – Decisions made regarding “CPT 101” need a wide range of input Implication: Revised CPT 101 course outcomes need cross-campus department head review. Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department

GTC’s College-wide General Education learning outcome -For information technology and technological literacy, students will demonstrate competency in using computer technology within a field of study -Limited assessment data available to measure CPT 101 against “within a field of study” Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department Additional Consideration

Content of CPT 101 – Does this one-size fit all course meet the college’s goal of preparing students for the computer technology skills they need within their field of study? Placement into CPT 101 – What options are available for determining whether students have the prerequisite computer technology skills needed to be successful in CPT 101? Need for “Developmental CPT 101” – If students do not have the prerequisite skills, how do we help them? Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department Preliminary Inquiry – Summary of Results

Launched pilot interactive assessment to help identify students with inadequate computing technology skills -# of newly enrolled students completed interactive assessment prior to Fall # of students enrolled in Fall 2012 CPT 101 also completing interactive assessment Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department Current Status of Work

Launched developmental computing technology skills course (COL 107) for students with inadequate skills -Course content developed to reflect feedback from 2010 inquiries of instructors across campus -# of sections currently underway with # students enrolled Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department Current Status of Work - continued

Analysis of interactive assessment results -Item analysis of questions -Analysis of results to begin establishing reliability, validity, and to determine cut score Analysis of COL 107 effectiveness -Use of interactive assessment as a pre- and post-test -Qualitative data from students Continued work to support College-wide learning outcome -Role of COL 107 -Involvement of departments across campus Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department Next Steps

Business and Public Service Division Computer Skills & Applications Department Questions, comments, and feedback are most welcome!!! Thank you for attending, Mary, Mark, and Lenna