Use and Documentation of Electronic Information: A Survey of Eastern Regional Technology Education Collegiate Association Students

Abstract

This study uses a descriptive research approach to obtain information concerning students’ use and documentation of electronic information. The design for the study was the One-Short Case Study, because a single group of student conference-attendees was studied once, subsequent to their use of the Internet (Campbell & Stanley, 1963). A survey instrument was developed specifically for this study. Some items on the survey were taken from two instruments: the use of computers for workforce development (Ndahi & Gupta, 2000) and meeting the digital literacy needs of a growing workforce (Gupta & Ndahi, 2002). Questions were modified to suit the purpose of this study. A 4-point Likert-type scale was used for determining the level of agreement or disagreement with statements, with 1 = Strongly Agree, 2 = Agree, 3 = Disagree, and 4 = Strongly Disagree. Additional open-ended questions elicited further opinions. The instrument was evaluated for face and content validity by a panel of experts made up of four instructors who teach computer courses and are experienced in research. The panel reviewed the questions on the instrument to determine if they accurately sought information to answer the research questions. After the panel’s review, the survey was pilot tested with a group of 10 students who answered all the questions and also identified any question or statement that was misleading. Overall, the instructions and questions were clear to the students. The population for this study was selected from technology education students attending the 2002 Technology Education Collegiate Association’s (TECA) Eastern Regional Conference in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The institutions represented at the conference were Central Connecticut University, Georgia Southern University, Clemson University, Fairmont State College, The College of New Jersey, Old Dominion University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, North Carolina A&T University, Virginia State University, Millersville University, and California University of Pennsylvania. Approximately 220 students attended the conference. The procedure for selecting subjects for the study was the purposive sampling method (Borg & Gall, 1989). Students were approached by volunteer students administering the surveys during the awards luncheon and asked if they would participate. Only students who agreed were given a survey to complete. A total of 156 surveys were distributed and 130 were collected, representing an 83.3% return. Two questionnaires were not complete and therefore not analyzed.