Relationships Between Japanese University Students’ Interest in Computer Programming, Their Logical Thinking, and IT Literacy

Conference: The Asian Conference on Education (ACE2021)
Title: Relationships Between Japanese University Students’ Interest in Computer Programming, Their Logical Thinking, and IT Literacy
Stream: Higher Education
Presentation Type: Virtual Presentation
Authors:
Harumi Kashiwagi, Kobe University, Japan
Min Kang, Kobe University, Japan
Kazuhiro Ohtsuki, Kobe University, Japan

Abstract:

Increasing emphasis is being placed on strengthening personal ability for computer programming. However, students have different levels of readiness and consciousness to learn programming. When promoting computer education, it is imperative that the curriculum be designed, considering students’ backgrounds and awareness of computer programming. This study examines the relationships between Japanese university students’ interest in computer programming, their logical thinking, and IT literacy. A questionnaire study with 118 Japanese university students from three classes show the following results: (1) students in Engineering have significantly higher interests in computer programming compared to those in Economics and Global Human Sciences; (2) there is a weak relationship between interest in computer programming and personal computer experiences only in the Economics class; (3) there is also a weak relationship between interest in computer programming and logical thinking ability only in the Engineering class. These results suggest that there may be some relationships between students’ interests in computer programming and their major fields of study. The results also suggest that students’ personal computer experiences and their logical thinking may slightly influence interest in computer programming. Although further investigations are needed, the preliminary indicators from this study suggest that students’ fields of study and future career plans must be considered in addition to their personal computer experiences and logical thinking attitudes towards readiness and consciousness when designing and implementing computer education.

Virtual Presentation

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