Course Technology Survey Indicates Students See IT Courses as Means to Prepare Them for Their Future Career, Not Just as Academic Requirement

Survey illustrates views on strengths and weaknesses in IT skills

Boston, Mass., April 15, 2008 Course Technology, the worldwide leader in computing education and part of Cengage Learning, released results from its first student survey on IT Courses. The survey examines student views on technology skill levels, motivations when taking IT courses, the ideal IT course, and technology skills that should be required for graduation.

The Course Technology student survey was conducted over a five-week period starting January 22. The survey pool included 651 students enrolled in an IT course at the time of the survey, and the majority of whom currently attend four- or two-year colleges and universities.

According to the survey results, most students consider taking IT courses and feel that improving IT skills will better prepare them for their future career. The majority of students surveyed acknowledged that they should have skills of basic workplace computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets and presentations prior to graduation.

The survey results revealed that the majority of students value practical real-world applications, end of chapter exercises, and careers in technology related materials included in their IT textbooks. Also students surveyed said they would like their IT courses to include more interactive components, such as hands-on exercises, and in-class or online projects.

Key findings of the survey include:

• Ninety-two percent of students said they think IT courses will better prepare them for a career. Nearly half of those surveyed said this is the key motivator for taking the courses.
• Nearly 80 percent of students surveyed said they would like their IT courses to include hands-on projects, and 75 percent of respondents said they would like to do more in-class or online projects in their IT courses.
• Nearly three-fourths of students surveyed considered themselves advanced with email, and most respondents, 51 percent, also considered themselves to be advanced at instant messaging and text messaging. This indicates that the majority of students view themselves savvy for electronic forms of communication.
• Nearly one-third of students surveyed considered themselves beginners with presentations (32 percent) and spreadsheets (29 percent), while nearly all respondents think they should be skilled with these programs upon finishing school.

"These survey findings reinforce many of the sentiments we at Course Technology hear when talking to students,” said Nicole Pinard, Vice President, Course Technology, a part of Cengage Learning. “Students take IT courses to better prepare themselves for a career and they prefer courses that are hands-on and interactive. We are working closely with both students and instructors to provide solutions that address many of the findings from this survey."

If you are interested in seeing the complete results of the Course Technology Student Survey please contact Tomomi Melton at tomomi.melton@cengage.com.

About Cengage Learning and Course Technology Cengage Learning is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers. Course Technology, part of Cengage Learning, is the worldwide leader in computing education, offering more than 1,600 print and innovative technology-based products for business and technology training. For more information, visit: www.course.com or www.cengage.com.