Online Students' Technology Skills and Attitudes toward Online Instruction

Learner analysis and needs assessments are basic elements of all instructional design models and are of concern to those designing distance education courses. This investigation surveyed 249 geographically dispersed online students' computer skills and attitudes toward Internet-delivered instruction. Results were assessed by demographics. Results revealed higher self-reported computer skills for participants with greater computer use and exposure, however, a number of skills commonly incorporated into Internet-aided instruction were rated lower. Attitudes toward Internet-aided instruction were generally positive, with the most favorable reported by older students, graduate students, and females. Implications for Internet-aided course design are presented.