Volume 6

Volume 6, Number 23

February 27, 2008

thumb
13 pages647 K bytes

Information and Communication Technology Literacy Issues in Higher Education


Li-Jen Shannon
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX 77341 USA

Abstract: This paper presents a comparative quantitative study to analyze how prepared the Millennial Generation (MG) of university students is for their information and communication technology (ICT) literacy levels regarding specific skill areas at one of state supported universities in Texas. The MG is defined to be those people who were born after 1980. To measure technological preparedness, a self-report questionnaire was distributed before and after the MG completed the introductory computer courses. The questionnaire included the college students’ demographic information, their prior experience with computers, and their ICT literacy levels. The significance of this study was a result of the recent legislation influencing Texas universities to cut introductory computer courses. This study revealed that there was a significant difference within ethnicity and gender’s ICT literacy levels. Furthermore, by analyzing the MGs’ perceptions of their ICT literacy levels, the results provided valuable information regarding how to address the needs of the MG students and how to best design the curriculum and instruction in higher education in order to prepare the MG for a technology-driven world.

Keywords: Accreditation Issues, Millennial Generation, Information and Computer Technology, Higher Education, Computer Literacy Education, Technology Changes

Download this issue:   ISEDJ.6(23).Shannon.pdf   (Adobe PDF, 13 pages, 647 K bytes)

Preview the contents:   Shannon.c.txt   (ASCII txt, 29 K bytes)


Recommended Citation: Shannon (2008). Information and Communication Technology Literacy Issues in Higher Education. Information Systems Education Journal, 6 (23). http://isedj.org/6/23/. ISSN: 1545-679X. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of ISECON 2007: §3112. ISSN: 1542-7382.)