132 Appendix A UNL IRB Approval Letter
133 Appendix B UNL IRB Change in Protocol Approval Title Change
134 Appendix C UNL IRB Change in Protocol Approval Condensing Survey Items
135 Appendix D Pre-letter (email) to faculty survey 1 Faculty Member: A few days from now you will receive by email a request to fill out an Internet questionnaire for an important research project being conducted by Carolyn Hardy, Assistant Professor at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. This study is partial fulfillment for a PhD degree from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. IRB approval number 2004-12-137 EX I am writing in advance because many people like to know ahead of time that they will be contacted. The study is an important one that will attempt to determine faculty s technology expectations of students. In other words, what computer skills do faculty members deem important for undergraduate students to possess in order for them to be successful in their post-secondary endeavors. Thank you for your time and consideration. It s only with the generous help of professionals like you that research can be successful. Sincerely, Carolyn Hardy Assistant Professor, Northwest Missouri State University Doctoral candidate, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 1 Adapted from: Dillman, D.A. (2000). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method. (2 nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
136 Appendix E Cover letter (email) 2 Dear Faculty Member, My name is Carolyn Hardy, and I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln majoring in Educational Studies/Instructional Technology. As a requirement for completion of my PhD degree, I am working on a dissertation entitled A Study of Midwest Students Technology Skills. The study will require input from a group of faculty members from four-year public institutions in the state of Missouri through a Web-based survey. I would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to respond to the Web-based survey questionnaire. IRB approval number: 2004-12-137 EX By participating in this research study, it is not anticipated that you will experience any personal risks. In fact, your institution could possibly benefit from the results of the study. Your valuable input in this study will help identify technology skills needed by undergraduate students to be successful in their post-secondary academic endeavors. The results of the study will be beneficial for improving the quality of education offered to undergraduate students and guide institutional leaders and faculty members to better serve the technological needs of undergraduate students. Participation in this research study is voluntary. You are free to decide not to participate in this study or to withdraw at any time without adversely affecting your relationship with the investigators, or University of Nebraska-Lincoln, or your institution. Your decision will not result in any loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. The faculty questionnaire will take from 10-15 minutes to complete. It will consist of computer skills and concept related questions, as well as a few demographic questions. All responses will be confidential and will be used only for this study. The findings of this research may be subject to possible publication in the future. Participant identity and the identity of your institution will be protected in the reporting of results. Your name will not be associated with any results. If the name of your institution appears in the study, I will use a code or pseudonym throughout the reporting of the research results. This study will provide valuable data on what technological skills are needed and/or expected of undergraduate students in order to be academically successful. The study also 2 Adapted from: Dillman, D.A. (2000). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method. (2 nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
involves collecting data from undergraduate students in regards to their technology skills and comparing the results to faculty responses. Please accept my sincere thank you in advance for your cooperation in this study. There is no reward for your effort other than the knowledge that you have helped a graduate student complete her dissertation and that you have contributed to further research in the technological skills of undergraduate students. If you have any questions about this study, please contact Carolyn Hardy at (660) 562-1801 or email chardy@mail.nwmissouri.edu. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant that we have not answered, or to report any concerns about the study, you may contact the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institutional Review Board at (402) 472-6965. Your expediency in returning the Web-based questionnaire will be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in receiving a summary of the results of this study, please contact Carolyn Hardy. The study should be completed by August 2005. By clicking on the link provided and logging into the secure site, you are agreeing to participate in this research study. Here is a link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?a=69098317e94439 Your password is: spring If you have any questions or comments about this study, I would be happy to talk with you. My contact information is below. Thanks again for your valuable input, Carolyn Hardy, Principal Investigator Email: chardy@mail.nwmissouri.edu Phone: (660) 582-2856 Dr. David Brooks, Secondary Investigator Email: dbrooks1@unl.edu Phone: (402) 472-2018 NOTE: If for any reason you prefer not to participate in this study and do not wish to receive further emails from us, please click the link below, and you will be automatically removed from our mailing list. http://www.surveymonkey.com/r.asp?a=69098317e94439 137
138 Appendix F Thank you / reminder (email) 3 Faculty Member: My name is Carolyn Hardy, and I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln majoring in Educational Studies/Instructional Technology. As a requirement for completion of my PhD degree, I am working on a dissertation entitled A Study of Midwest Students Technology Skills. The study will require input from a group of faculty members from four-year public institutions in the state of Missouri through a Web-based survey. I would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to respond to the Web-based survey questionnaire. IRB approval number: 2004-12-137 EX Last week an Internet questionnaire seeking your opinions about student technology skills was emailed to you. If you have already completed and submitted the questionnaire, please accept my sincere thanks. If not, I encourage you to respond and will be especially grateful for your help. It is only by asking experts like you to share their opinions and experiences that we can fully understand and improve educational practices to benefit the future leaders of our society. I am providing the Internet questionnaire link again in this email in case you did not receive a previous email with the Internet questionnaire link or if it was misplaced. If you have already responded, thank you. If for any reason you prefer not to participate in this study, please let me know by responding to this email. By clicking on the link provided and logging into the secure site, you are agreeing to participate in this research study. Here is a link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?a=69098317e94439 Your password is: spring If you have any questions or comments about this study, I would be happy to talk with you. My contact information is below. Thanks again for your valuable input, 3 Adapted from: Dillman, D.A. (2000). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method. (2 nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
139 Carolyn Hardy, Principal Investigator Email: chardy@mail.nwmissouri.edu Phone: (660) 582-2856 Dr. David Brooks, Secondary Investigator Email: dbrooks1@unl.edu Phone: (402) 472-2018 NOTE: If for any reason you prefer not to participate in this study and do not wish to receive further emails from us, please click the link below, and you will be automatically removed from our mailing list. http://www.surveymonkey.com/r.asp?a=69098317e94439
140 Appendix G 2nd reminder / thank you letter (email) 4 Faculty Member: My name is Carolyn Hardy, and I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln majoring in Educational Studies/Instructional Technology. As a requirement for completion of my PhD degree, I am working on a dissertation entitled A Study of Midwest Students Technology Skills. The study will require input from a group of faculty members from four-year public institutions in the state of Missouri through a Web-based survey. I would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to respond to the Web-based survey questionnaire. IRB approval number: 2004-12-137 EX About two weeks ago I sent an email with an Internet questionnaire link asking your opinions about expected technology skills of students. If you have already responded to this questionnaire, thank you very much. I think the results are going to be very useful to the future of institution leaders, faculty members, and students. I am writing again because of the importance that your questionnaire has for helping to get accurate results. It s only be hearing from nearly everyone in the sample that we can be sure that the results are truly representative. If you have not completed the questionnaire, I urge you to do so. Your experiences and expert opinions are very much needed in order to give this research study the data necessary to make accurate and applicable conclusions. This questionnaire was sent to a stratified, random sample of faculty members currently teaching at a four-year public institution in the state of Missouri. The questionnaire will be confidential and individual names will not be connected to the results in any way. Protecting the confidentiality of people s answers is very important to me, as well as the University. If you have not already done so, I hope that you will fill out and return the questionnaire soon. If for any reason you prefer not to answer it, please let me know by responding to this email. By clicking on the link provided and logging into the secure site, you are agreeing to participate in this research study. 4 Adapted from: Dillman, D.A. (2000). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method. (2 nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
141 Here is a link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?a=69098317e94439 Your password is: spring If you have any questions or comments about this study, I would be happy to talk with you. My contact information is below. Thanks again for your valuable input, Carolyn Hardy, Principal Investigator Email: chardy@mail.nwmissouri.edu Phone: (660) 582-2856 Dr. David Brooks, Secondary Investigator Email: dbrooks1@unl.edu Phone: (402) 472-2018 NOTE: If for any reason you prefer not to participate in this study and do not wish to receive further emails from us, please click the link below, and you will be automatically removed from our mailing list. http://www.surveymonkey.com/r.asp?a=69098317e94439
142 Appendix H Final contact (email) 5 Faculty Member: My name is Carolyn Hardy, and I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln majoring in Educational Studies/Instructional Technology. As a requirement for completion of my PhD degree, I am working on a dissertation entitled A Study of Midwest Students Technology Skills. The study will require input from a group of faculty members from four-year public institutions in the state of Missouri through a Web-based survey. I would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to respond to the Web-based survey questionnaire. IRB approval number: 2004-12-137 EX During the last month I have been collecting data on an important research study I am conducting for completion of my dissertation and for improving the quality of education for undergraduate students. The purpose of the study is to help determine the technology skills needed for students to be successful in their academic endeavors. The study is drawing to a close, and this is the last contact that will be made with faculty members from the stratified random sample population. The survey will close May 1, 2005. I am sending this final contact because of our concern that faculty who have not responded may have had different experiences than those who have. Hearing from every faculty member in the sample population will help assure that the survey results are as accurate as possible. I also want to assure you that your response to this study is voluntary, and if you prefer not to respond that s fine. Finally, I appreciate your willingness to consider the request as I conclude this effort to better understand technology skills needed for undergraduate students to be academically successful. By clicking on the link provided and logging into the secure site, you are agreeing to participate in this research study. Here is a link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?a=69098317e94439 Your password is: spring If you have any questions or comments about this study, I would be happy to talk with you. My contact information is below. 5 Adapted from: Dillman, D.A. (2000). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method. (2 nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
143 Thanks again for your valuable input, Carolyn Hardy, Principal Investigator Email: chardy@mail.nwmissouri.edu Phone: (660) 582-2856 Dr. David Brooks, Secondary Investigator Email: dbrooks1@unl.edu Phone: (402) 472-2018 NOTE: If for any reason you prefer not to participate in this study and do not wish to receive further emails from us, please click the link below, and you will be automatically removed from our mailing list. http://www.surveymonkey.com/r.asp?a=69098317e94439
144 Appendix I Screen Shots of Web-based Faculty Survey
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149 Appendix J NWMSU IRB Approval
150 Appendix K INFORMED CONSENT FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Principal Investigator Carolyn Hardy Computer Science/Information Systems Northwest Missouri State University 800 University Drive Maryville, MO 64468 chardy@mail.nwmissouri.edu Secondary Investigator David W. Brooks Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education University of Nebraska-Lincoln 123A Henzlik Hall Lincoln, NE 68588-0355 dbrooks1@unl.edu PROJECT TITLE: A Study of Midwest Students Technology Skills Northwest Missouri State University University of Nebraska Lincoln IRB approval number: 1295 IRB approval number: 2004-12-137 EX As a requirement for completion of my doctoral degree at the University of NebraskaLincoln, I am working on a dissertation entitled A Study of Midwest Students Technology Skills. My data will require input from a group of Northwest freshmen students who have not yet taken a computer literacy course at the college level. The study will provide valuable data on what computer skills undergraduate students possess upon entering college You are invited to participate in this research study that will be conducted during this trimester of 44-130 Computers and Information Technology. By participating in this research study, it is not anticipated that you will experience any personal risks. Your input, however, could greatly benefit my research study and thus benefit Northwest Missouri State University as well as other institutions in the state of Missouri. Your valuable participation in this study will help identify the computer skills which undergraduate students currently have upon entering college, as well as the computer skills that students are lacking. The results of the study will be beneficial for improving the quality of education offered to undergraduate students and can be used to guide institutional leaders and faculty members to better serve the technological needs of undergraduate students. All students in the course will be required to take an assessment to determine your computer skills level upon entering the course. The areas to be covered include word
processing skills, spreadsheet skills, PowerPoint skills, database skills, and basic computer concepts. The assessment will be given the first few weeks of the semester during your regularly scheduled class period and will also include a few demographic questions. Participation in this study involves your permission to use your assessment scores for research purposes. Your participation is voluntary and you may withdraw from participation at any time you wish. Other Northwest faculty members will not know whether or not you chose to participate in the study. Your decision to participate or not to participate will not affect your grade in the course. As a benefit for your participation in this study, you may receive full credit for the course depending on your assessment scores. If you demonstrate proficiency in all areas of the assessment at 80% mastery, you may test out of the course and receive three hours of academic credit for the course. A test out for this course is available if you choose not to participate in this study; however, you must pay a non-refundable test out fee prior to taking the test out. Participation in this study will allow you to take the assessment first, and only pay the test out fee if you demonstrate 80% proficiency in all areas. Results of individual assessments will be kept confidential and will be used only for the purposes of this study. The results of this research may be subject to possible publication in the future, but you can be assured that your identity will be protected. In other words, no individual student name will appear in the findings of this study. You are free to decide not to participate in this study or to withdraw at any time without adversely affecting your relationship with the investigators, or University of Nebraska- Lincoln, or Northwest Missouri State University. Your decision will not result in any loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. If you have any questions during the study, you may contact Carolyn Hardy at phone: (660) 562-1801 or email: chardy@mail.nwmissouri.edu. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant that we have not answered, or to report any concerns about the study, you may contact the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institutional Review Board at (402) 472-6965. This study also involves collecting data from faculty members across a four-state region on what technology skills they deem important for undergraduate students to know. Results of the faculty survey will be compared to the student assessment scores. If you are interested in receiving a summary of the results of this study, please contact the primary investigator, Carolyn Hardy. Expected completion date will be August 2005. Rewards for your effort may include full-credit for the course, the knowledge that you have helped a graduate student complete her dissertation, and that you have contributed to further research in the technological skills of undergraduate students. 151
By signing below, you will indicate that you have read and understood this letter, and have decided to participate in this research project. You will be given a copy of this letter for your records. I have received a copy of this informed consent and have been given the opportunity to ask questions. I understand I will also be given a copy for my records. I hereby consent to allow the researcher to use my data for the research study. 152 Signature of Research Participant Date Please accept my sincere thank you in advance for your participation in this study. Carolyn Hardy, Principal Investigator Dr. David Brooks, Secondary Investigator
153 Appendix L Project Title: A Study of Midwest Students Technology Skills Date: Spring 2005 1. Student Username: S 2. Student ID: 919 3. Gender: Male Female 4. Age: Student Demographic Data 5. Home state: Missouri Iowa Nebraska Kansas Other 6. Number of students in your high school graduating class? 7. Did you take any computer courses in high school? Yes No If yes, how many? 8. List any computer courses taken in high school: 9. What is your College Major?
154 Appendix M Student Assessment Computer Concepts QMark Screen Shots
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157 Appendix N SAM Assessment Skills List Screen capture of Word skills: Proficiency Skills for Student Assessment Word skills to be tested: Getting Started with Word o Open a document Insert and Modify Text o Copy and paste text o Find and replace text o Adjust line spacing o Change font o Check spelling o Bold text Create and Modify Paragraphs o Indent paragraphs
158 o Modify tabs o Add bullets o Add numbering Format Documents o Create a document header o Insert page numbers o Modify page margins o Create tables o Insert a next page section break Manage Documents o Create folders for document storage o Save a document o Use Save As Work with Graphics o Insert Clip Art Creating and Modifying Graphics o Insert graphics in documents o Modify graphics Workgroup Collaboration o Insert hyperlinks o Open Web pages in Word o Convert documents to different formats for transportability Excel Skills to be tested: Working with Cells and Cell Data o Merge Cells o Move cells o Insert columns and rows o Use the fill handle to copy a cell o Edit numbers in cells o Apply number formats (currency and percent) Managing Workbooks o Locate and open existing workbooks o Use Save As to store workbooks to different locations/unique name/alternate file format Formatting and Printing Workbooks o Use the Format Painter o Hide rows and columns o Freeze rows and columns o Modify row height o Modify worksheet orientation o Add headers to worksheets o Change margins in Page Setup
159 o Print a worksheet o Display formula contents Modifying Workbooks o Insert worksheets into a workbook o Reposition worksheets in a workbook o Modify worksheet names Creating and Revising Formulas o Create formulas using the formula bar Creating and Modifying Graphics o Create charts using column chart types o Print a chart Workgroup Collaboration o Add comments attached to worksheet cells Integrating Excel with other Office Programs o Use OLE to embed an Excel chart into a Word document PowerPoint Skills to be tested: Creating Presentations o Create presentations from a blank presentation o Create presentations using Design templates o Change Views o Add slides to presentations o Delete slides from a presentation o Copy a slide from one presentation to another o Add information to the Footer area of Slide Master Inserting and Modifying Text o Add text to slides o Edit text on slides o Format text in slides o Use find and replace o Using the Thesaurus o Promote and Demote text in Outline pane Inserting and Modifying Visual Elements o Create tables on slides o Add Clip Art images to slides o Add charts to slides Modifying Presentation Formats o Apply an animation scheme to a single slide o Apply transition effects to an entire presentation o Change the order of slides in a presentation o Add and modify placeholders Printing Presentations o Print handouts
160 Working with Data from Other Sources o Add sound effects to slides Managing and Delivering Presentations o Run a slide show o Save a presentation as HTML Workgroup Collaboration o Save a presentation as a Web page (using Publish option) Access Skills to be tested: Getting Started with Access o Create a new database o Open an existing database Creating and Using Databases o Edit records from a table using a datasheet o Delete records from a table using a datasheet o Format a table or query datasheet for display Creating and Modifying Tables o Create one or more tables in Design View o Define text fields o Specify the Primary Key o Change the data type Creating and Modifying Queries o Create Select queries using the Simple Query Wizard o Display selected fields in a query o Sort a query on multiple fields in Design View o Add a calculated field to a select query Creating and Modifying Forms o Create forms using the form Wizard o Modify the properties of a form Viewing and Organizing Information o Enter records into a datasheet table o Move a field in a table structure o Add a field to a table structure o Sort records in a database o Filter datasheet by selection Producing Reports o Create a report using Report Wizard o Preview a report Integrating with Other Applications o Import a table from another Access database o Export data from tables Creating and Modifying Tables o Link tables between Access databases