![International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962
Volume-10, Issue-6 (December 2020)
www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.10.6.12
86 This Work is under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
productive in society (Childers, 2003). Another argument
Childers (2003) makes is that computer literacy, as the one
provided by ICDL, is similar to driving a car which some
choose to learn the basics for, others do not have interest in
learning it while others get in depth knowledge about using
and driving it. Thus, it was noticed that the participants in
the ICDL modules chose what interested them the most and
what they needed to get the knowledge in to learn at their
own pace and to be more computer-literate. Considering
Bahrain Polytechnic’s mission and vision, computer
literacy could be counted as a measurement to how its
graduates adopt and adapt new technologies to be global
employees in terms of computer proficiency. Technologies
alter the form of knowledge and productivity that are
essential to societies and having computer-literate staff is a
universal necessity which reflects the goal of running ICDL
courses in the context of this paper.
V. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This study is limited to students, tutors, and allied
staff at Bahrain Polytechnic who are registered in the ICDL
system. Thus, all candidates who are not officially
registered in the system are excluded from this study. The
gathered information covers the period from 2010 to 2013
in which ICDL courses were offered and available to
deliver the modules of the program. One of the main
limitations of this study is the restriction of the chosen
method. Content analysis is not serving when there is a
need to evaluate user opinion, satisfaction, or need.
Therefore, the focus of the information gathered from the
case study is adopted as a second method to enrich the
content with more information about the program and its
context.
VI. CONCLUSION
The contribution of the present study is to provide
an overall perception about computer literacy implementing
ICDL at the higher education sector in the Kingdom of
Bahrain. Participants’ interest in developing computer
skills. Bahrain Polytechnic shows huge potential through
the development and implementation of e-learning in
teaching and learning as well as the staff professional
development programs. However, some of the applications
as ICDL are only provided to registered participants. This
opens new perspectives to find and adopt more effective
and cost-free tools to enhance the implementation of
computer literacy in teaching and learning.
REFERENCES
[1] Al-adwan, A. & Smedley, J. (2012). Implementing e-
learning in the Jordanian higher education system: Factors
affecting impact. International Journal of Education and
Development Using Information and Communication
Technology, 8, 125-135.
[2] Boddy, C. R. (2016). Sample size for qualitative
research. Qualitative Market Research: An International
Journal, 19(4), 426–432. DOI:10.1108/qmr-06-2016-0053.
[3] Childers, S. (2003). Computer literacy: Necessity or
buzzword?. Available at:
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=
1096&context=libraryscience.
[4] Ellram, L. M. & Tate, W. L. (2016). The use of
secondary data in purchasing and supply management
(P/SM) research. Journal of Purchasing and Supply
Management, 22(4), 250–254.
DOI: 10.1016/j.pursup.2016.08.005
[5] Grant, D., Malloy, A., & Murphy, M. (2009). A
comparison of student perceptions of their computer skills
to their actual abilities. Journal of Information Technology
Education, 8, 141–160.
[6] Jayasuriya, R. & Chapman, R. (1997). Computerized
information systems in community nursing: Factors related
to computer skills and computer training. Informatics in
Healthcare Australia, 6(5), 191-196.
[7] Johnston, M. (2017). Secondary data analysis: A
method of which the time has come. Qualitative and
Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 3(3), 619-626. Available
at:
http://www.qqml-
journal.net/index.php/qqml/article/view/169.
[8] Kör, H., Erbay, H., Engin, M., & Dünder, E. (2017). An
examination of the correlation between science and
technology attitudes scale, frequency of smartphone usage
scale and lifelong learning scale scores using the structural
equation model. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 16(1),
86.
[9] Wong, K., Neves, A., & Negreiros, J. (2017). Computer
literacy teaching using peer learning and under the
confucian heritage cultural settings of Macao, China.
International Association for Development of the
Information Society.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ijemr2020100612-210213073116/85/Exploring-the-Level-of-Computer-Literacy-for-Candidates-in-Higher-Education-ICDL-Programme-at-Bahrain-Polytechnic-6-320.jpg)
Exploring the Level of Computer Literacy for Candidates in Higher Education: ICDL Programme at Bahrain Polytechnic
- 1. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962 Volume-10, Issue-6 (December 2020) www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.10.6.12 81 This Work is under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Exploring the Level of Computer Literacy for Candidates in Higher Education: ICDL Programme at Bahrain Polytechnic Hana Alqaidoom1 , Fatima Wali2 and George K. Toworfe3 1 PhD Research Scholar, Department of Information Technology, Kulliyyah of Information and Communication Technology, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA 2 Assistant Professor, Department of English, School of Foundation, Bahrain Polytechnic, KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN 3 Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, School of Foundation, Bahrain Polytechnic, KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN 1 Corresponding Author: hanaa.alqaidoom@gmail.com ABSTRACT Bahrain Polytechnic is a Higher Education technical institution established in 2008 (by Royal Decree No. 65 for the year 2008). Its main mission is to supply the Bahraini economy with a skilled Bahraini labour force aiming to contribute to economic growth and diversification. The Polytechnic ensures that its values of excellence, learning and innovation are achieved by designing curricula that meet international standards as well as national and individual needs through continuous consultations with the industries and international education institutions. The development of computer and technological literacy is a significant predictor for success in the workplace and is also one of the key skills that the polytechnic provides through its programmes to students and faculty. This paper explores how computer literacy and skills are acquired by educators and students through International Computer Driving License (ICDL) tools employed at Bahrain Polytechnic. The study also considers the challenges that hinder learners from completing the requirements of ICDL. If adequate numbers of faculty and students have already learned basic computer skills, then the question facing the polytechnic is if computer literacy should continue to be taught at all levels. To answer this question, ICDL tests were administered to ascertain the computer literacy level of existing faculty and students. The results of the tests will determine which ICDL tests students and faculty should be placed on in order to address their computer literacy needs. Keywords-- International Computer Driving License (ICDL), Higher Education, Computer Literacy I. INTRODUCTION Computer literacy is the base for lifelong learning (Köretal., 2017). The advancement in the field of computing leads to the idea of computer literacy. The computer literacy level expected to be mastered depends on the desired level of mastery in all the sectors in a society. In order to build a computer literate society, students’ computing skills should be reinforced to from an early age. The higher education sector has witnessed massive investment in recent years which was initiated by the Ministry of Education’s Schools of the Future in Bahrain aiming to equip Bahraini students with the appropriate computer skills and encouraging them to learn through e- learning tools. Bahrain Polytechnic supported this initiative by establishing Moodle courses to run its curricula as well as running International Computer Driving License (ICDL) courses for both staff and students. Wong, Neves and Negreiros (2017) state that computer literacy comprises a wide range of knowledge such as how to use word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and database software as well as including Internet and online activities. Currently, information technology proficiency seems to be essential in today’s competitive workplace (Grant, Malloy & Murphy, 2009). Computer literacy enables skills acquisition (Jayasuriya & Chapman, 1997). Al-Adwan and Smedley (2012) stated that students with richer computer experiences demonstrated better learning attitudes and better achievement. II. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A case study research method is adopted to answer the research questions. Quantitative approach is used in a form of content analysis which was performed on ICDL tests’ results for staff and students. Then statistical analysis was conducted on ICDL tests data to highlight the importance of ICDL programme in upskilling staff and students in ICT and to identify their current level of computer literacy. Research Design This study follows a descriptive research design in which quantitative and qualitative approaches are used to gather information. The core data was collected from the recorded results of candidates’ tests in the ICDL system in which a content analysis method is adopted to identify the main theme and trend underlying the results. While, on the other hand, qualitative information is obtained from the case study qualitative approach. Sample of Study Two marked sampling techniques were used for both quantitative and qualitative data. Firstly, sampling
- 2. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962 Volume-10, Issue-6 (December 2020) www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.10.6.12 82 This Work is under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. based on a secondary dataset was obtained from the ICDL tests. Nowadays, it becomes easy to access, collect, archive, and compile data due to the advancement in technology (Johnston, 2017). Therefore, utilizing existing data becomes more prevalent. Ellram, & Tate (2016) define secondary data as “quantitative or qualitative data that has been collected by someone other than the researcher(s) for a different purpose than its intended use in research”. The secondary data collected present major advantages, according to Ellram, & Tate (2016), secondary data save a great deal of time and human effort. Though most of the collected data need to be cleaned and formatted. From the larger population of ICDL data, only data from “Bahrain Polytechnic ICDL Center” in Bahrain were explored within the period from 2010 to 2013. Therefore, the sample includes datasets of all tests conducted to complete ICDL program that consists of 7 modules which both students and staff at Bahrain Polytechnic have attempted. Thus, the sample comprises all registered candidates (students and staff) in ICDL system of Bahrain Polytechnic during the above-mentioned period. Secondly, a sample size of three interviewees was selected for the interviews. The small sample size was commonly due to the small number of certified trainers and experts in ICDL available at Bahrain Polytechnic. Currently, there are only three available experts in campus who can be interviewed. With this small sample size for the interview, Boddy, (2016) clarified that the issue of what represents a suitable sample size in qualitative research is only really answerable within the context of the research being conducted. Indeed, the context of this research is exploring the importance of ICDL within “Bahrain Polytechnic” scope and includes only candidates who are registered in the ICDL program in a three-year period. ICDL center at Bahrain Polytechnic is relatively small with only one coordinator and 2 certified trainers. Data Collection The table below (Table 1) shows a sample of the raw data that was collected in this study. The table shows all the parameters considered during the data collection. These included the centre where the assessment was taken, the IT lab in which assessment was conducted, Core Syllabus (which was 5), the Course Modules, the dates on which Assessment were taken, duration of the assessment (that is the time taken for the assessment to be completed), the score obtained on the assessment and the Language in which the assessment was conducted. Data Analysis The data was analysed by means of Descriptive Statistics (in Excel) to indicate the measures of central tendency and spread. The mean, median, mode, standard deviation and range were obtained. Table 1: Sample of raw data showing all the parameters (like modules, duration and scores) involved Centre Lab Product Module Test date Durati on Sco re Langu age Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 2 - Usingthe Computer and Managing Files 06-Jun- 2013 00:45:0 0 81 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 1 - Concepts of Information and Communication Technology 26-May- 2013 00:43:0 0 81 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 3 - Word Processing 28-Jun- 2011 00:44:5 2 86 English 3 3 Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 2 - Using the Computer and Managing Files 11-Jun- 2012 00:45:0 0 89 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 4 - Spreadsheets 05-Jun- 2012 00:45:0 0 75 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 6 - Presentation 03-Feb- 2011 00:45:0 0 78 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 3 - Word Processing 25-Jan- 2011 00:45:0 0 81 English
- 3. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962 Volume-10, Issue-6 (December 2020) www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.10.6.12 83 This Work is under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Table 2: Descriptive Statistical data showing the measures of central tendency and measures of spread obtained after assessment of all the 7 Modules Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 Module 5 Module 6 Module 7 Mean 87.47253886 87.440000000 87.45482546 87.45773196 87.50417000 87.4725957 87.51419558 Standard Error 0.217468886 0.216003338 0.216028155 0.216853855 0.217819 0.21699051 0.21858312 Median 89 89 89 89 89 89 89 Mode 89 89 89 89 89 89 89 Standard Deviation 6.755551 6.7447021 6.7430169 6.75387494 6.748883 6.747672 6.7407292 Sample Variance 45.63747124 45.49100616 45.4547917 45.61482664 45.54743 45.5320805 45.43742985 Kurtosis -0.96095825 -0.965788433 -0.96094233 -0.96684345 -0.95731 - 0.96492285 - 0.953323406 Skewness -0.14552412 -0.134133211 -0.13923443 -0.14008662 -0.14978 -0.1404117 -0.15148644 4 4 Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 5 - Using Databases 21-May- 2013 00:32:0 0 78 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 6 - Presentation 28-Mar- 2013 00:37:0 0 89 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 3 - Word Processing 21-Mar- 2013 00:33:0 0 92 English 3 3 Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 3 - Word Processing 25-Jan- 2011 00:42:2 7 75 English 1 1 Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 4 - Spreadsheets 27-Mar- 2013 00:29:0 0 97 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 2 - Using the Computer and Managing Files 24-Mar- 2013 00:27:0 0 97 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 5 - Using Databases 21-Mar- 2013 00:35:0 0 86 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module7 - Web Browsing and Communication 23-May- 2012 00:29:0 0 86 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 1 - Concepts of Information and Communication Technology 17-May- 2012 00:27:0 0 78 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 6 - Presentation 26-Mar- 2012 00:33:0 0 97 English Bahrain Polytech nic LabBP1 020 Core Syllabus 5 Module 3 - Word Processing 14-Mar- 2012 00:36:0 0 97 English
- 4. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962 Volume-10, Issue-6 (December 2020) www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.10.6.12 84 This Work is under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Range 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 Minimum 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 Maximum 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Sum 84411 85254 85181 84834 84004 84586 83226 Count 976 976 976 976 976 976 976 Figure 1: Shows the relationship between the Modules assessed and the means scores (in %) obtained on the modules assessed. Figure 2: Figure shows the relationship between the Modules assessed and the time it takes (duration) to complete an assessment.
- 5. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962 Volume-10, Issue-6 (December 2020) www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.10.6.12 85 This Work is under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. . Figure 3: Shows the relationship between the duration (in minutes) of an assessment of a Module and the Mean Scores (%) obtained in that module. III. FINDINGS The Measures of Central Tendency and the Measures of Variation obtained after analysing the raw data by means of descriptive statistical analysis, indicated a mean score between 87.4% and 87.5%, on all the 7 modules. The modal score was 89% and the standard deviation ranged between 6.74 and 6.75. This clearly indicated that among all the 7 modules there were no significant differences among the mean scores obtained. A plot of the Mean score and the Modules (Fig. 1) indicates a significant increase in the Mean scores obtained by the students for each of the 7 modules. The line of best fit shows a positive linear correlation between the Course Modules and the Average scores obtained by the students. The correlation coefficient R2 is 0.5129, indicating a significantly positive and linear correlation. Figure 2 seeks to explore whether there is a relationship between the Duration of the assessment and the Modules assessed. The relationship between the length of time spent in completing the assessment and the Modules depicts a growth curve which shows a sharp increase from Modules 1 to 3 and then plateaus for Modules 4 to 7. It appears students spent a shorter time (on average) when completing assessments on Module 1. The times they spent subsequently on Modules 2 and 3 assessments increased sharply, showing a logarithmic rise (Fig2). However, between Modules 4 and 7, students appeared to have spent almost the same time in completing the assessments. The overall average test scores for all the Modules appear to fall between 87.4% and 87.6 %, regardless of how long it took (duration) for an assessment of a Module to be completed. The duration here, refers to the mean length of time (on average) it took for an assessment of a module to be completed by all students. It is evident from this data (Fig 3) that the duration or how long it took for assessment of a Module to be completed had no high significant impact on the scores obtained on the assessments, although there were very slight significant differences (to the order of 0.01). IV. DISCUSSION The findings of the study show that the use of International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) modules for both staff and students could be beneficial depending on what each participant needed to develop in. The inevitable, a knowledge-based economy, is what the Polytechnic aimed to achieve through changing and adapting a more computer- based educational curriculum. The findings further showed that the participants achieved different scores in each module and they also spent different durations completing the tests. Implementing ICDL tests could open a new outlook to the education sector and establish a computer literate society as found in Elobaid and Elobaid (2014). The concept of computer literacy has existed for a long time and an early argument was that it creates a good citizen who is
- 6. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962 Volume-10, Issue-6 (December 2020) www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.10.6.12 86 This Work is under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. productive in society (Childers, 2003). Another argument Childers (2003) makes is that computer literacy, as the one provided by ICDL, is similar to driving a car which some choose to learn the basics for, others do not have interest in learning it while others get in depth knowledge about using and driving it. Thus, it was noticed that the participants in the ICDL modules chose what interested them the most and what they needed to get the knowledge in to learn at their own pace and to be more computer-literate. Considering Bahrain Polytechnic’s mission and vision, computer literacy could be counted as a measurement to how its graduates adopt and adapt new technologies to be global employees in terms of computer proficiency. Technologies alter the form of knowledge and productivity that are essential to societies and having computer-literate staff is a universal necessity which reflects the goal of running ICDL courses in the context of this paper. V. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This study is limited to students, tutors, and allied staff at Bahrain Polytechnic who are registered in the ICDL system. Thus, all candidates who are not officially registered in the system are excluded from this study. The gathered information covers the period from 2010 to 2013 in which ICDL courses were offered and available to deliver the modules of the program. One of the main limitations of this study is the restriction of the chosen method. Content analysis is not serving when there is a need to evaluate user opinion, satisfaction, or need. Therefore, the focus of the information gathered from the case study is adopted as a second method to enrich the content with more information about the program and its context. VI. CONCLUSION The contribution of the present study is to provide an overall perception about computer literacy implementing ICDL at the higher education sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Participants’ interest in developing computer skills. Bahrain Polytechnic shows huge potential through the development and implementation of e-learning in teaching and learning as well as the staff professional development programs. However, some of the applications as ICDL are only provided to registered participants. This opens new perspectives to find and adopt more effective and cost-free tools to enhance the implementation of computer literacy in teaching and learning. REFERENCES [1] Al-adwan, A. & Smedley, J. (2012). Implementing e- learning in the Jordanian higher education system: Factors affecting impact. International Journal of Education and Development Using Information and Communication Technology, 8, 125-135. [2] Boddy, C. R. (2016). Sample size for qualitative research. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 19(4), 426–432. DOI:10.1108/qmr-06-2016-0053. [3] Childers, S. (2003). Computer literacy: Necessity or buzzword?. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article= 1096&context=libraryscience. [4] Ellram, L. M. & Tate, W. L. (2016). The use of secondary data in purchasing and supply management (P/SM) research. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 22(4), 250–254. DOI: 10.1016/j.pursup.2016.08.005 [5] Grant, D., Malloy, A., & Murphy, M. (2009). A comparison of student perceptions of their computer skills to their actual abilities. Journal of Information Technology Education, 8, 141–160. [6] Jayasuriya, R. & Chapman, R. (1997). Computerized information systems in community nursing: Factors related to computer skills and computer training. Informatics in Healthcare Australia, 6(5), 191-196. [7] Johnston, M. (2017). Secondary data analysis: A method of which the time has come. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 3(3), 619-626. Available at: http://www.qqml- journal.net/index.php/qqml/article/view/169. [8] Kör, H., Erbay, H., Engin, M., & Dünder, E. (2017). An examination of the correlation between science and technology attitudes scale, frequency of smartphone usage scale and lifelong learning scale scores using the structural equation model. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 16(1), 86. [9] Wong, K., Neves, A., & Negreiros, J. (2017). Computer literacy teaching using peer learning and under the confucian heritage cultural settings of Macao, China. International Association for Development of the Information Society.