The computer background of incoming freshman: looking for emerging trends

摘要

As part of a longitudinal study begun in 1985, incoming Bentley College freshmen were asked to complete questionnaires about their pre-college computer experience. Although nearly all students came from high schools with computers and more than 80% of them had studied BASIC, just under half had used a word processor. Even fewer (less than 20%) had used either a spreadsheet or a database management system, though the actual percentage has risen over the three years for which data exist. The increase in the number of schools teaching Pascal noticed between 1984 and 1985 persisted in 1986. However, though nearly 46% of the schools from which 1986 graduates came taught Pascal, only half that percentage actually studied the language. Almost half the students used computers outside school during their high school years, but most of that use involved playing games.