Computer Anxiety and Different Types of Computer Courses

This study was undertaken for two purposes: 1) to describe differences in anxiety in students voluntarily entering two different types of computer courses; and 2) to assess the changes in anxiety level attributed to each course. Undergraduate college students had registered for two introductory computer courses. One was a problem solving and programming course; the other was a tools software applications (non-programming) course. Students completed a pretest and posttest for computer anxiety. Results indicated that initial anxiety levels were not significantly different, and that the reduction in computer anxiety was significantly greater for students in the tools software applications course than for students in the problem solving and programming course. Although the “tool use” course proved more effective in reducing computer anxiety, results showed that large numbers of subjects in both conditions exhibited no reduction in anxiety as a result of the courses.