A survey on computer literacy among entry-level undergraduate students of South Eastern University of Sri Lanka

Abstract

The demand for computer literates is increasing at a rapid pace. Possessing of computer skills is an important asset for university students; having a good computer knowledge improves the quality of their study programs. For this research, the information was collected through a survey to assess the computer knowledge of 300 entering freshmen in three faculties (FAC, FIA, FMC,) of South Eastern University of Sri Lanka. Descriptive analysis was used to identify the patterns of computer usage among the undergraduate students. It is found that among the student sample, majority of students have used a computer (92%) and/or internet (72%). Moreover, 63% are computer aware while only 38% are computer literate. It must be noted that males, in general, outperformed females in computer awareness, computer literacy and Internet usage. Based on the study, the usage of Internet depends on variables such as monthly family income level, methods of obtaining computer knowledge, and lo cations of using a computer. In summary, the computer literacy and skills of university students are not satisfactory.