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Pretest Results
Pretest Results
Testing pretest questions in the summer session. Responses provided valuable insights that informed my lectures. Many are aware of certain technical concepts but, based on observation, aren't able to put them into practice.
These results were compiled from two CSIT 101 sections: W08 Asynchronous and W65 Remote Synchronous
Unit 0: Orientation & Introduction to Information Systems
Unit 0: Orientation & Introduction to Information Systems
Questions and Summary of 41 Responses
Questions and Summary of 41 Responses
1. When you take a photo on your phone, what type of file is generated?
Mostly uncertain answers ("I think it's .jpg but not 100% sure"). A few guessed PDF instead of JPEG/HEIC.
2. Have you ever used a Learning Management System before this class? What was it called, and what did you use it for?
Most students arrive with some LMS experience (Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace, Schoology), but roughly 1 in 5 have never used one at all.
3. What is a signature file, and do you currently have one for your emails?
Signature files were the least-understood concept in the pretest. Several students confused it with an email storage folder rather than an auto-appended text block with name/contact info.
4. Have you ever organized your email inbox? If so, how?
Email organization habits split roughly down the middle: about half report some system (folders, flags, deleting junk), half have never organized an inbox at all.
5. What is the difference between CC and BCC in an email? Do you know what they stand for?
CC reasonably well understood; BCC much weaker, with some outright guesses (one student guessed "Baltimore Community College").
Unit 1: Digital Literacy & Foundations
Unit 1: Digital Literacy & Foundations
Questions and Summary of 37 Responses
Questions and Summary of 37 Responses
1. What is a digital footprint, and do you know what yours looks like?
Most students can describe the concept reasonably well (their online trail, social media, search history), but far fewer could describe their own with any specificity. Most answers to the self-assessment part were "not sure" or "no idea," even when the definition itself was solid.
2. Can you name the 5 basic components found in every computer?
This was the roughest question in the unit. Very few could name all 5. Most named 1-3 (commonly CPU, RAM, motherboard), and a notable chunk confused peripherals (keyboard, mouse, webcam) with internal components.
3. Do you know the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web?
Only about a third of students could correctly explain the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web, most either thought the two terms were interchangeable or weren't sure at all.
4. What is a file extension, and can you list three?
Roughly half could correctly name three real extensions (.pdf, .docx, .jpg were the most common). A meaningful group confused a file extension with an attachment rather than a file-type identifier.
5. Have you ever used an AI tool like ChatGPT or Copilot?
Unit 2: Office & Business Applications
Unit 2: Office & Business Applications
Questions and Summary of 35 Responses
Questions and Summary of 35 Responses
1. Do you know the difference between saving a file and exporting a file?
Strong showing here this semester! Most students correctly distinguished saving (keeping the file editable, in its original format) from exporting (creating a converted copy, often for sharing). Very few were unsure.
2. Have you ever automated a table of contents in Microsoft Word?
This was the weakest skill in the unit.
3. Is there a difference between the online version of Microsoft Office and the full desktop app?
Most students correctly sensed there's a difference, though explanations varied in accuracy and several conflated "fewer features" with "worse quality" rather than naming specific trade-offs (offline access, advanced formatting, etc.). Based on observation, they don't know when they are in the app versus online.
4. Have you ever used cloud storage like OneDrive or Google Drive?
5. What is a file extension, and why does it matter?
Better understanding after brief intro in previous unit. Now, most correctly identified the concept (the letters after the filename period that tell the computer/program what to open). A few holdouts confused it with sharing or folder organization rather than file type.
Unit 3: Ethical Use of Social & Digital Media
Unit 3: Ethical Use of Social & Digital Media
Questions and Summary of 33 Responses
Questions and Summary of 33 Responses
1. What does AUP stand for, and does your school or workplace have one? (chart above)
Even among students who guessed "yes, my school has one," most couldn't name what the acronym stands for.
2. If you create some unique work, like an image or a poem, do you own the copyright to that work? (chart above)
A genuine 50/50 split: half the class already understands copyright is automatic upon creation, but the other half believes you have to actively "register," "file," or "copyright" something before you own it. Worth correcting directly, since it's a common real-world misconception, not just a class quiz gap.
3. Can you name the 5 types of digital media?
Similar to the "5 computer components" question in Unit 1, very few named all 5 cleanly (text, image, audio, video, animation/interactive). Most listed 2-3, and many substituted specific platforms (Netflix, TikTok, Spotify) for the category itself.
4. What is plagiarism, and does it apply to images and videos or just text?
Nearly universal understanding here. Almost every student correctly said plagiarism isn't limited to text and extends to images, video, and other media. One of the strongest showings of the unit.
5. What does accessibility mean in a digital context?
Most students had a reasonable general sense (making content usable for everyone, including people with disabilities), though specifics like screen readers, captions, and alt text were rarely mentioned.
Unit 4: Privacy & Cybersecurity
Unit 4: Privacy & Cybersecurity
Questions and Summary of 33 Responses
Questions and Summary of 33 Responses
1. Do you know what phishing is? Have you ever received a phishing email? (chart above)
Most students who answered could describe phishing accurately (fake trusted sender, tricking you into giving up information), but roughly a third had genuinely never heard the term or couldn't say whether they'd been targeted!
2. What is a VPN, and do you use one?
Definitions ranged widely from solid ("encrypts your connection, hides your IP") to vague ("something to do with the internet"). A recurring pattern: several students associate VPNs specifically with bypassing school/work network restrictions or geo-blocked streaming, rather than understanding the broader privacy/security use case.
3. Is it possible to hack humans?
A genuine split: most students land on "yes" once they connect it to social engineering or manipulation, but several initially reject the premise because "humans aren't technology." This is a good framing question to revisit once social engineering is formally introduced.
4. Have you ever read a privacy policy before agreeing to it?
Practically nobody reads one in full. The honest answers cluster around skimming or clicking through. About a third admit to skipping entirely.
5. What would you do if your personal data was stolen online?
Most students had a reasonable instinct (change passwords, contact the bank, freeze credit), but the specifics were thin. A few mentioned two-factor authentication or credit bureau freezes unprompted, and several had no plan at all ("I have no clue," "idk what to do").
Unit 5: Emerging & Global Technology
Unit 5: Emerging & Global Technology
Questions and Summary of 33 Responses
Questions and Summary of 33 Responses
1. When was the last time you used the library? What for?
A good number of students had used a library (physical or CCBC's online databases) within the current or previous semester, mostly for research and quiet study space. A smaller group hadn't set foot in one since childhood or high school.
2. Do you know what the digital divide is referring to?
Most students had never encountered the term, though interestingly, several who said "no" then guessed a reasonably accurate definition anyway.
3. What does the word "demographics" mean? Can you give an example?
Solidly understood overall, and age, race, gender, and income were the most common correct examples. A few outliers confused it with personal identifying information (name, SSN) rather than population characteristics.
4. What is the first thing that pops into your head when you hear "emerging technology"?
AI dominated the responses by a wide margin, with VR and self-driving cars as distant runners-up. .
5. What technology do you think was emerging technology 100 years ago?
Mostly on target, with radio, cars, airplanes, telephones, and early television came up repeatedly, all of which were reasonably accurate for the 1920s. A handful of anachronistic guesses (washing machines, the internet) suggest some students are estimating rather than reasoning from a timeline.
Unit 6: Data & Databases
Unit 6: Data & Databases
Questions and Summary of 31 Responses
Questions and Summary of 31 Responses
1. What is the difference between data and information?
Most students correctly framed data as raw/unorganized and information as data that's been processed or given context, even without formal instruction. This concept aligns well with students' existing intuition.
2. Have you ever searched for something online and filtered or sorted the results? Give an example.
Almost everyone described filtering by price, size, date, or rating when shopping online or researching. This is a great framing hook: students are already doing database-style operations (filtering, sorting), they just don't have the formal vocabulary for it yet.
3. What does the word "query" mean to you?
Split between two reasonable camps: those who connected it to databases/search ("a request for specific information"), and those with a looser, correct-but-informal sense ("a question," "to inquire"). A few had no association at all.
4. Can you think of any apps or websites with "database" in their name? (chart above)
87% said no. Of those who said yes, IMDb was essentially the only answer anyone could think of.
5. Think of data you've seen a table before, how were the columns organized?
Most students correctly described column organization by category/field (name, date, price, etc.) rather than confusing it with rows.
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