Roberta M. Roth

The Relationship of Computer Experience and Computer Self-Efficacy to Performance in Introductory Computer Literacy Courses

AbstractThis study was designed to identify the relationships that exist among computer experience, computer self-efficacy, and computer-dependent performance in an introductory computer literacy course. Measures of computer experience and computer self-efficacy were assessed prior to student participation in the course, and their relationship to subsequent course performance was analyzed. Results suggest that it is the relevance, rather than quantity, of computer experience students bring to class that is most predictive of performance. Accordingly, only computer self-efficacy was found to be significantly related to computer-dependent course performance. Implications for educators charged with assessing the computer literacy of students entering college are discussed.

A workshop approach to acquiring knowledge from single and multiple experts

This paper reports on the results of a study that incorporated a workshop session as a means of eliciting knowledge from an expert group in the economic development domain of targeted industry analysis. In this study, however, the problem domain was not focused on directly. Rather, the general systems principle of embedding the focal problem in an appropriate supersystem was followed, resulting in an emphasis on barriers to economic growth instead of targeted industry analysis.

Decision Support for Crisis Incidents

Crisis incidents occur in both business and public domains. This article focuses on non-routine incidents and explores uses of technologies for supporting crisis management tasks. A Crisis Incident Spiral of Decision Support helps identify useful decision support and information technologies. Additionally, a Crisis Incident Process/Decision Support Matrix categorizes processes of crisis planning, response and management with decision support technologies. Ideally, the matrix helps organize and stimulate thinking about novel DSS applications. Not all crises are of equal magnitude and different computerized decision support is needed in different types of crisis incidents.