Nature or Nurture: A Case Study of ICT Competency

As higher education institutions move to include more technology and blended learning they must ensure that the student populace can fully participate and engage. This case study reports the findings from a ten year investigation of new students attending Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), evaluating their Information and Communications Technology (ICT) competency. The study examines ICT competence in relation to using ICT for basic academic purposes. Further analysis was undertaken to provide information that was specific to age and gender and ICT competence. The information was gathered before or during the first week of their programmes. Following the recommendations of the Dearing Report (1997), GCU instigated a baseline level of ICT competence that was required by all graduates in the form of a non-credit bearing module. The areas identified as being required were as follows: Computer Basics; Email; Word Processing 1 (basic) and 2 (advanced); Searching for Information; Basic Spreadsheets and Integration of ICT Applications. However, by 2006 this provision was reviewed and the requirement for the ICT baseline questioned as a growing body of literature emerged, portraying a stereotypical view of young people born in the 80's who had grown up in a technological rich and intense environment. These cohorts were believed to have the prerequisite skills required to engage with technology and the ICT baseline compulsory requirement was removed. The module, however, was retained for any student who wished to undertake it. The analysis examined students' perception of their competence, if they were not competent in an area they were considered to have a training requirement. The findings indicated that the requirement for ICT Skills training had remained consistent over the areas outlined and the ten year period of the study. The only area displaying a marked decrease year on year was the use of Email. However, when the results were analysed in terms of age the picture presented was quite different, revealing that the younger the student, the more inclined they were to self-evaluate as being competent. The results in relation to gender analysis indicated that women self-evaluated as being less adept than their male counterparts, for all areas irrespective of age. In view of these findings, higher education institutions must consider strategies in terms of supporting student with ICT deficiencies. The increasing use of technology within higher education and the uptake of blended learning techniques make understanding student needs in terms of ICT training vital.