Computer applications in higher education: A case study of students' experiences and perceptions.

摘要

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the educational experiences with computers of nine female international graduate students at Ball State University. Their experiences with computers before they came to the United States, their current use of computers during their study at Ball State University, challenges faced related to the use of computers during their graduate study in the United States, and the support received from the university to help them overcome these barriers were described. Descriptions of ways computers supplemented and enriched the experiences of female international graduate students in the completion of their graduate work at Ball State University were reported.; Participants of the present study were nine female international graduate students from Ball State University. They were identified through cooperation with the Center For International Programs, which provided a list of names and e-mail addresses of female international graduate students who were enrolled in graduate studies at Ball State University. Nine female international graduate students were selected from the list.; The researcher interviewed each participant for two hours on one occasion. Following each interview participants were asked to complete a brief questionnaire to identify age, country of origin, academic program, and length of time spent in the United States. The following conclusions were established based upon this research study: (1) most participants did not use computer applications on a daily basis during their undergraduate study in their native countries; (2) all participants used computer applications on a daily basis during their study at BSU; (3) some participants faced two important academic adjustments at the same time, the adjustment to the English language and the adjustment to the use of computer; (4) most participants received support from friends regarding the use of computers; (5) most participants faced problems regarding their typing skills; (6) using the library web site was a challenge for most participants; (7) all participants believed that the use of computers enriched their experiences during their study at BSU; and (8) all participants used the Self-Learning Theory to improve their computer skills.