Evaluating a personal computer requirement in a technical and liberal arts environment

A review is presented of recent work on understanding the educational and social significance of computers in campus life. Emphasis is placed on a study investigating precollege computer ownership as potentially relevant to the formation of attitudes toward computing. A common set of survey items developed by the Stevens Institute of Technology and Drew University faculties were administered to freshman classes at both institutions in 1985 and again in 1986. The findings for the 1985 survey at both institutions and the 1986 survey at Stevens are reported. Marked differences between the responses concerning computer usage from the two populations are noted. It was concluded that precollege experience with computers was significantly related to precollege ownership at both Stevens and Drew. Students who owned a microcomputer before coming to college reported using microcomputers more frequently at home, at other people's homes, and in school in grades 9-12 that those who did not own a microcomputer prior to college. This led to the use of precollege ownership of computers as a proxy for precollege experience. Microcomputer ownership was also found to be significantly related to both self-rated proficiency and assessment of support services in 1985.<
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