The relationship between performance in a computer literacy course and students' prior achievement and knowledge

The proliferation of microcomputers since the early 1980s brought with it a high demand for computer literacy education in all academic disciplines as well as in the work place. Instructors of computer literacy are sometimes ineffective because they face a diversity of background among students. Based on data collected from 140 business students, we examined the relationship between performance in a computer literacy course and the students' prior achievement and knowledge. The results suggest that the students' SAT scores, high school rank, computer usage at work, and prior knowledge of programming may be used for grouping students so as to better tailor the content and pace of the computer literacy course to the students' needs.