The Chronicle of Higher Education: Students May Not Be as Software-Savvy as They Think, Study Says

July 20, 2009

Students May Not Be as Software-Savvy as They Think, Study Says

When it comes to basic computer applications, even members of the millennial generation may not know as much as they think they do.

A study by North Carolina Central University found that most students overestimated their skill levels when they were asked how they perceived their ability to complete certain tasks and then tested on those tasks.

Researchers surveyed 171 undergraduates, the majority of whom believed they had either an average or high skill level in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. The students were then tested on three different skill levels — basic, moderate, and advanced — in each of those applications.

Students correctly perceived their skill level only in PowerPoint, the study said, with 81 percent of students who thought they had at least an average skill level actually performing that way.

When using Microsoft Word, 75 percent of students perceived a high skill level, and could on average perform 12 out of the 13 basic tasks, like changing the font and making text bold or italic. But these students could perform only five out of the 10 moderately difficult tasks, like performing word counts or justifying paragraphs, and none of the advanced tasks, which included copying and pasting items from the clipboard, according to the study.

The study said students had the worst perception of their skill at using Microsoft Excel. About 69 percent of students thought they had at least an average skill level, but could not perform most of the basic, moderate, or advanced tasks, which included actions that ranged from from copying cells to creating formulas.

Researchers wrote that the “requirements of the business job market and students’ knowledge, experience, and self-efficacy of business computer applications is continually changing,” and recommended more assessment of undergraduates’ computer-skill levels. Otherwise, the study said, students will likely enter the market unprepared. —Erica R. Hendry

Free Pastry at Starbucks Tomorrow (7/21/09)

New Jobs and internships on LionSHARE, career counseling, tele-seminars at CCE, and grad school events

New jobs and events are being added daily to LionSHARE and career counselors are available to work with you via phone or in person throughout the summer.  We also have tele-seminar workshops to support your searches. Take advantage of these resources no matter where you are!

LionSHARE

There are currently over 250 active job opportunities in LionSHARE!  Some examples include:

Full-Time

Analyst in Natural Resources Policy, Congressional Research Service.  Job ID 23856
Sales and Marketing Professional, Prime Advisors Inc.  Job ID 23786
Paralegal, Lankler Siffert & Wohl LLP.  Job ID 23699
Software Engineer, Coatue Management LLC.  Job ID 23463
Energy Auditor, Association for Energy Affordability. Job ID 20353
Associate/Senior Associate, RCLCO. Job ID 23742
Finance Associate, The New Teacher Project. Job ID 23773
Analyst/Associate, JP Morgan Chase.  Job ID 23787

Internships

Associate Syndication Intern, CNBC. Job ID 23878
Sustainable Development Intern, Development Foundation Worldwide. Job ID 23256
Publishing Intern, Elsevier. Job ID 23690
New Media Production & Administration Intern, American Management Association. Job ID 23721
Analyst for Capital Markets Group, Emigrant Bank. Job ID 23730
Architecture Operation Intern, Societe Generale. Job ID 23755
Journalism Intern for Human Rights NGO, ORAM – Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration. Job ID 23775

*Log on to your LionSHARE account for more information and to apply to these positions. Also:

• Make sure your profile is complete and up to date so you can be notified of any relevant job and employer information.
• Opt in to be part of resume books. See the Resource Library on the homepage of your LionSHARE account for details.
• Create a Job Search Agent in LionSHARE to be notified of all new job postings.  See the LionSHARE Tutorial for details.
• Fall On-Campus Recruiting Job Opportunities are beginning to be posted.  Keep your eyes on the “On-Campus Recruiting” tab in your account! If you don’t see the “On-Campus Recruiting” tab, go to OCR Access.
• Fall Employer Information Sessions are being scheduled to begin September 8^th.  Keep your evening calendars free!

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Career Counseling

By phone or in person – Call 212-854-5609 to schedule

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Tele-Seminar Workshop Series

July 15: Career Search Secrets: 7 Absolute Musts for Finding and Landing Your Dream Job
August 25: Open Career Counseling Call
Details regarding all of these events and job search resources at CCE Web Site.

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Free Graduate School Information Events

July 14: Kaplan Presents “Back To School Night”

Manhattan Village Kaplan Center, 16 Cooper Square, 6:30pm
Kaplan’s “Back to School Night” is an opportunity for you to assess your preparedness for graduate school and get practical advice about the entire admissions process. Get a first-hand look at the GMAT, LSAT, MCAT or GRE.  Seats are limited. To register click here or call 1-800-KAP-TEST.

July 23^: Business School Insider

Grand Hyatt New York, Park Avenue at Grand Central, 6:30pm-9:30pm
MBA Networking Fair: 6:30-9:30pm; MBA Admissions Panel: 7:30-8:30pm; GMAT Workshop: 8:30-9:00pm.  Click HERE to register for the Business School Insider or call 1-800-KAPTEST.

Enjoy the summer and please remember we’re here to support you as students and alumni!

http://www.careereducation.columbia.edu/