| This quantitative research study was designed and conducted to gain an understanding of the current levels of basic computer literacy skills of the Naval Engineering Apprentices entering the Basic Engineering Common Core (BECC) course, the current levels of naval engineering knowledge of the Apprentices entering BECC, if there was a benefit to achieving basic computer literacy skills prior to entering the BECC course, if there was a particular Grasha-Reichmann Student Learning Style that was best suited for e-learning as a Naval Engineering Apprentice in the BECC course, and if there was a relationship between learning style, computer literacy level, and success in the BECC course. One hundred and twenty-one Naval Engineering Apprentices entering the BECC course participated in the study. A General Computer Operations---Self-Assessment (General computer operations: Self-assessment, 2006) and the Computer and Internet---Self-Assessment (Computer an Internet: Self-assessment, 2006), adapted from a Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and University of Minnesota Distance Learning Initiative, was used to determine the baseline basic computer literacy skills of the Apprentices. The Grasha-Reichmann Student Learning Style Scale (GRSLSS) was administered to determine the preferred learning style of the Apprentices. Findings revealed that there was no correlation (Phillips, 1997) between learning style, computer literacy level and success in the BECC course. The study used a regression equation constructed as such; Grade Point Average (GPA) = a + b(Learning Style) + b(Computer Literacy Score) + b(Overall Computer Literacy) (C. K. Waugh, personal communications, May 31, 2007) to determine if there was a correlation between GPA, learning style, and computer literacy. With this regression model, only 1.6% of the variance in GPA was explained by the 3 variables. This is a very small number. In other words, none of these variables appear to be related to GPA. The study also ran a correlation matrix to see how each variable was related to the others. Not surprisingly, only General Computer Operations---Self-Assessment scores ( General computer operations: Self-assessment, 2006) and Computer and Internet---Self-Assessment scores (Computer and Internet: Self-assessment, 2006), were correlated with a medium degree of positive correlation (r = .562) (Phillips, 1997). So, this is added evidence that learning style and computer literacy are poor predictors of GPA. |
