Proposal on Student Computer Anxiety Background of the Problem In a

. . . statistics is an area of instruction that is now essential for all students. [However] too few of today's students are exposed to statistics and the courses to which they are exposed are often not appropriate to the student's context. This report recommends that. . .statistical instruction be significantly revised. . . (p.1)

According to Moore and Witmer (1991), two primary factors have contributed to the poor condition of statistical education at many colleges. First, statistical experts are under-represented among mathematical faculty. Indeed, the authors state that approximately half of all math departments at liberal arts colleges have no faculty members with advanced degrees in statistics.

Second, Moore and Witmer (1991) point out that most colleges are dominated by a focus on core mathematics rather than upon either statistical science or applied mathematics, and they do not seem to fully appreciate the fundamental differences between statistics and core mathematics. These differences, the authors state, are that: (1) core mathematics and statistics differ in their objects f study (core mathematics focuses on the abstracts of space while statistics focuses on data); and (2) core mathematics and statistics differ in their methods (core mathematics focuses on deduction while statistical thinking focuses on a dialogue between mod

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erences in both stat learning and CAI (Ware & Chastain, 1989), this variable also will be examined to see if it is associated with significant differences in statistical learning and in levels of computerphobia. Research Questions The research problem may be conceptualized as an attempt to answer the following questions: (1) Are students' posttest levels of computer anxiety (taken at the end of the statistics course) significantly different than their pretest levels of computer anxiety (taken at the beginning of the statistics course); and do these levels significantly differ as a function of gender differences?] (2) Do students' final exam scores significantly differ as a function of differences in their initial levels of computer anxiety? (3) Do students' final exam scores significantly differ as a function of gender differences? Hypotheses Based on the fact that the existing literature supports the use of CAI as instrumental in increasing academic achievement in general and statistical knowledge in particular, the following hypotheses are formulated for testing: Research Hypothesis 1 - Posttest levels of computer anxiety (taken at the end of the statistics course) will be observed to be significantly less than prete
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Approximate Word count = 2069
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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