The effects of microcomputer word processing on the business writing communication skills of college secretarial students
Abstract
The main purpose was to identify effects of microcomputer word processing programs use. It also investigated whether use of microcomputer word processing programs helped students improve their self-concept. Aspirations, intentionality, and motivation were also investigated. Descriptors most used for describing motivation for the experimental group were understand, use, interested, hopeful, enjoy, and face. The control group used descriptors such as nervous, skillful, easy, and complicated. Fifty percent of descriptors used by the control group were expressed in a negative manner. For expressing self-esteem, descriptors most used by the experimental group were praise, happy, special, glad, sure, pleased, and proud. For the control group descriptors most used were prepared, good, and happy, expressing 52% of them in a negative way. For describing intentionality, descriptors most used by the experimental group were face, learn, better, continue, know, optimistic, and persevere. For the control group descriptors most used were look forward, apply, acquire, available, keep, and secured. Forty-eight percent were expressed in a negative way. For describing empathy, descriptors most used by the experimental group were work, learn, like, and help. For the control group descriptors most used were learn, help, work, and like. Only 25% were expressed in a negative way. For describing aspirations, descriptors most used by the experimental group were more, know, learn, dream, and try. For the control group descriptors most used were try, learn, more, useful, and work. Fifty-one percent were expressed in a negative way. Some patterns of thinking and/or descriptors used by the control group were about the same as those used by the experimental group. Nevertheless, many times they were expressed in a negative way, such as "I'm not very happy doing this," or "I don't feel competent." There was a distinct difference between the experimental and the control group with regard to the total number of occurrences. There was no significant difference between the means of posttest scores on the written assignments of the experimental group subjects using technical equipment and the control group subjects using other programs. There was an increase in the students' self-esteem when they learned to use microcomputer word processing programs. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)
Subject Area
Language arts|Business education
Recommended Citation
Marquez, Candida Colon, "The effects of microcomputer word processing on the business writing communication skills of college secretarial students" (1991). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9136345.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9136345
