CSA 148: Business Computing

CSA 148 is a new computer skills course taken by students--primarily first-years and sophomores--planning to enter the Farmer School of Business. The purpose of the ACT IV project was to help develop an assignment that not only reinforced the computer skills developed in the class, but also required students to utilize critical thinking in the completion of the project.

The assignment that was developed through this project consisted of three components: 1) a computer skills oriented activity, 2) data analysis, using Access and Excel, and development of a formal report, and 3) reflection on the work.

The second component of the assignment was designed specifically to assess critical thinking. Students were required to analyze data and provide a summary of their analysis that included support for their conclusion. Students were asked to consider the information required, to determine how to extract the necessary data from the database, to use spreadsheet software to manipulate the data for analysis, to develop appropriate tables, graphs and charts that help communicate their findings, and then to write a formal communication that summarizes their analysis and conclusion.

Students generally made effective use of the Access and Excel tools and were able to communicate their analyses. However, there was variability across the students as to how well the data supported their conclusion and how well their ideas were articulated. From a critical thinking perspective, it appears that students made little effort to explore the data in order to see if their analysis and conclusions were justified. Students also had difficulty in interpreting the question and developing an analysis that was relevant.

The information from this project will be used in two ways. First is to further enhance this assignment in order to encourage critical thinking. One idea provided by another professor was to review the students' information and then submit "clarifying questions" to the student that would require them to further analyze the data in order to develop a response. The second suggestion was to see if earlier assignments might incorporate more critical thinking elements in order to provide students with additional opportunities to develop their critical thinking capabilities.

Learning Outcomes for Assignment

Assignment and Rubric