Performance Based Testing: Can a Web-Based, Simulated Environment Assessment Tool Measure Student Ability in Application Software Programs?

摘要

The College of Business Administration (CBA) offers a comprehensive business computer literacy and application software skills course. This MIS 110 course is required for our Business Administration (BBA) degree. The course covers hardware, the information processing cycle, ethical computing practices, and problem solving using popular business application software. The applications covered include Excel, Access, Word, and PowerPoint. Eighty percent of the course is focused on using the computer as a tool to solve business problems. Developing intermediate-level application software skills is an important course goal for two reasons. First, the course is a prerequisite for other upper-division BBA required courses. As computing topics and software usage in these other courses becomes more extensive and required tasks more complex; a higher prerequisite knowledge and problem-solving skill level is mandatory for success. Second, CBA faculty members believe that businesses hiring BBA graduates place high value on computing skills proficiency.