NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES
Needs Assessment for the Student Academic Services
At Concordia‟s Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science
Dalia Radwan
Concordia University
ETEC 712
Ann-Louise Davidson
October, 18, 2012
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 1
Table of Contents
Background ................................................................................................................................................. 2
The project ................................................................................................................................................ 2
Data Collection ......................................................................................................................................... 2
Needs Assessment Report ........................................................................................................................... 2 Sponsor‟s Request ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Business Need ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Performance .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Current Performance Scenarios ............................................................................................................................ 3
Desired Performance Scenarios ............................................................................................................................ 4
Tasks in Expert Performance ................................................................................................................ 5
Main Task 1 .......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Main Task 2 .......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Main Task 3 .......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Main Task 4 .......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Main Task 5 .......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Main Task 6 .......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Audience .................................................................................................................................................. 7
Demographics ....................................................................................................................................................... 7
Previous Knowledge to Use Computer technologies ............................................................................................ 8
Issues Affecting Learning and Performance Improvement ................................................................................... 8
Constraints Affecting the Project .............................................................................................................. 8 Business constraints .................................................................................................................................. 8
Product constraints .................................................................................................................................... 8
Requirements............................................................................................................................................... 9 Learning Objectives .................................................................................................................................. 9
Main Objective 1 .................................................................................................................................................. 9
Main Objective 2 .................................................................................................................................................. 9
Main Objective 3 .................................................................................................................................................. 9
Main Objective 4 .................................................................................................................................................. 9
Main Objective 5 ................................................................................................................................................ 10
Main Objective 6 ................................................................................................................................................ 10
Evaluation .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Level 1 .................................................................................................................................................... 11
Level 2 .................................................................................................................................................... 12
Level 3 .................................................................................................................................................... 14
References .................................................................................................................................................. 15 Appendix A ................................................................................................................................................ 17
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 2
Background
The project
Concordia University is a large public university in Quebec, Canada, with a student population
exceeding 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Concordia`s Faculty of Engineering and
Computer Science offers 27 undergraduate-level programs and 36 graduate-level programs, with
a student population of approximately 6,000 students. The University has a Student Information
Management System (SIMS), which is an integrated information system that serves many
departments within the University. SIMS supports different activities, such as handling of the
admission process. It is a secure source with optimum accuracy that cuts the cost of storing hard
copies of applications and student information. Its goal is to provide the University the ability to
manage, store, secure and deliver the right information at anytime, anywhere, at the lowest
reasonable cost. According to Lolli (1991) Student information systems are necessary tools for
successful evaluations of recruitment and retention activities.
Mrs. Mona Himmo, Director of Student Academic Services at Concordia‟s Faculty of
Engineering and Computer Science seeks the design and development of a training workshop for
all Faculty members seeking to admit academically qualified graduate students for research-
based programs.
Data Collection
Data for this report were collected through interviews with the sponsor, Mrs. Mona Himmo, the
director of engineering and computer science student academic services who administers the
admission process since 2007. Two other interviews were conducted with Agi Csordas, a
graduate admission advisor, as well as one of the departments` program assistants who prefers to
stay anonymous. To ensure the reliability of the gathered data, additional interviews with some
Faculty members will be conducted to gather necessary information needed for the training
program.
A survey (Appendix A) was also used to explore the computer proficiency and the personal
demographies of engineering and computer science faculty instructors.
Furthermore, statistical reports from the Student Information Management System were used to
collect information about the demographics of engineering and computer science graduate
applicants, as well as information related to the graduate admission process and activities.
Needs Assessment Report
Sponsor’s Request
Mrs. Mona Himmo, Director of Student Academic Services at Concordia‟s Faculty of
Engineering and Computer Science requested the design and development of a workshop for all
Faculty members seeking to recruit graduate students for research-based programs (Masc. and
PhD.). The purpose of the workshop is to train learners to use the university‟s Student
Information Management System (SIMS) more efficiently in order to raise the academic
standards and drive an improved student profile. Moreover, with the growing international
student segment, it is important that Faculty members acquire some basic rules in foreign
credentials, such as India or Iran, to be able to accurately evaluate international applications.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 3
It is worth mentioning that data extracted from SIMS showed that 40 % of all applicants to
Concordia`s engineering and computer science programs for 2012-13 academic year are from
India.
Business Need
Due to the multitude of applicants for any given admission term, time and efficiency in
processing files is crucial. Thus, any delays encountered as a result of poor performance would
affect the Faculty‟s revenues. One of the central enrollment goals set by universities is to
increase the number of students they enroll while also maintaining or increasing the academic
quality of their student body. Some of the advantages of using SIMS are to segment searches to
target upper profile students, lower data storage costs, offer better student service, and effective
collaboration among faculty and staff. On the other hand, accurate and professional
interpretation of foreign grades is a critical issue within the graduate admission process as
educational and grading systems vary significantly from one country to another.
Consequently, it can be stated that knowledgeable assessment of the credentials of foreign
applicants and efficient and effective use of SIMS for graduate admission will help target upper
profile students and enhance the research quality conducted by the Faculty, which in return will
increase the Faculty and the University revenues.
Performance
The goal of this training program is to prepare professors to utilize SIMS to review and assess
the academic credentials of applicants, as well as to recommend, through SIMS, the admission of
chosen applicants under their supervision into Masc. or PhD. Programs. Learners will also
acquire basic rules that will help them interpret post-secondary educational credentials from
India.
Current Performance Scenarios
Dr. Adams (fictional), Assistant professor and Graduate Program Director
Dr. Adams is teaching at the Faculty for more than ten years, and he is currently supervising
three graduate students. Last June, he accepted the position of a Graduate Program Director
(GPD) for one of the Faculty`s thesis programs. One of Dr. Adams` responsibilities is to evaluate
and approve the admission of graduate students who are recommended by other Faculty
members. Dr. Adams is supposed to use SIMS to review the recommended applicants` academic
credentials, publications, and reference letters. However, he always asks his assistant to print all
the documents so he can evaluate the hard copies as he doesn`t use SIMS. If a student meets the
academic requirements that are set by the University`s academic committee, Dr. Adams approves
his admission. In order for the file to be processed, Dr. Adams is supposed to submit a
recommendation form in the applicant`s file in SIMS, but he also asks his assistant to submit the
recommendation form on his behalf. The assistant doesn`t know which information should be
included in the form so she usually leaves it blank. She feels that she spends too many hours
printing the documents off SIMS, and then storing them, which creates content chaos. She also
sees that too much paper gets wasted every semester.
The admission office gets notified whenever a recommendation form is posted on SIMS. Once
they find that the GPD has recommended a student, they process the admission. But if the form
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 4
is empty, they have to contact the GPD and the department to obtain the missing information,
which should have been noted, related to the supervisor and the amount of any financial support
that he/she may be provide to the student. The admission office realizes that too much time is
being wasted on these recurrent situations.
Dr. Othman (fictional)
Dr. Othman joined Concordia last year. He mentioned that he heard of SIMS, but he never
received any formal training on how to use it and he also doesn`t have time to investigate how it
works due to his heavy course load. Last March, Dr. Othman recruited one graduate student who
contacted him by email. The student was looking for a supervisor and expressed his interest in
Dr. Othman`s research field. At that time, Dr. Othman needed to hire a graduate student to help
him with his research. He had only looked at the student`s CV, no other supporting documents,
before he recommended him. Unfortunately, Dr. Othman later discovered that the student lacks
necessary core courses needed for the research program, but he had already hired him. Dr.
Othman would like to work with more academically qualified graduate students but he doesn`t
know how to find them and he thinks that looking for students requires a lot of time and effort.
Dr. Desjardins (fictional)
Dr. Desjardins is very familiar with SIMS as he always uses it to look for new research
assistants. He realizes that many applicants come from India, but he is unaware of their
educational system and he finds it hard to judge their educational credentials. He stated that he
prefers to recruit North American applicants.
Ms. Agi Csordas, Advisor, Graduate Admissions
Ms. Csordas is responsible for evaluating and admitting graduate applicants into all the course-
based programs offered by the Faculty. She also finalizes thesis-based files once a supervisor and
the respective graduate program director recommend the file on SIMS. She is very concerned
because some professors lock many files on SIMS without recommending them; consequently,
other professors don`t get a chance to review those files and the student end up getting refused
when the admission date has passed.
She also mentioned that some professors leave a note on a student file instead of submitting the
required recommendation form. Because a file is only flagged when a recommendation form has
been submitted, she only discovers those notes when it is time to cancel the files at the end of the
admission cycle.
Desired Performance Scenarios
Dr. Adams
Dr. Adams has been teaching in the Faculty for more than ten years, and he is currently
supervising three graduate students. Last June, he accepted the position of a Graduate Program
Director (GPD) for one of the Faculty`s thesis programs. One of Dr. Adams` responsibilities is to
evaluate and approve the admission of graduate students who are recommended by other Faculty
members. Dr. Adams uses SIMS to review the recommended applicants` academic credentials,
publications, and reference letters. He prefers not to print any hard copies off SIMS because the
records are confidential and printing each applicant`s documents is a waste of the department`s
money and resources. He also requires a complete, online recommendation form from professors
when interested in admitting any student. If a student meets the academic requirements, Dr.
Adams approves his admission. In order for the file to be processed, Dr. Adams submits a
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 5
recommendation form on the applicant`s file on SIMS. He also includes in the form the
supervisor`s name, any financial support provided to the student if available, and any additional
courses that the applicant needs to take concurrently with the graduate program.
The admission office gets notified whenever a recommendation form is posted on SIMS. In turn,
they process the admission and the acceptance letter is issued to the applicant in a timely manner.
Dr. Othman
Dr. Othman joined Concordia last year. He finds that SIMS is a very easy and fast tool to recruit
students. Last March, Dr. Othman recruited one graduate student who contacted him by email.
The student was looking for a supervisor and expressed his interest in Dr. Othman`s research
field. At that time, Dr. Othman also needed to hire a graduate student to help him with a specific
research area. He didn`t only look at the student`s CV that was attached to the student`s email
but he also looked at the student file on SIMS. Before he had recommended him, Dr. Othman
assessed his academic background and performance. When he logged into SIMS, he found a
good reference letter from one of the student`s former professors indicating that he worked and
performed well on Dr. Othman`s research area. This month, Dr. Othman published a paper with
the help of the graduate student and he is satisfied with the student`s academic performance.
However, Dr. Othman would like to work with more strong graduate students and he is planning
to look for some applicants on SIMS by the end of this week.
Dr. Desjardins
Dr. Desjardins is very familiar with SIMS, he always uses it to look for new research assistants.
He realizes that many applicants come from India, but he is unaware of their educational system
and he finds it hard to judge their educational credentials. He stated that he would be very
interested in attending a workshop or reading referenced materials related to India`s educational
system.
Ms. Agi Csordas, Advisor, Graduate Admissions
Ms. Csordas is responsible for evaluating and admitting graduate applicants into all the course-
based programs offered by the Faculty. She also finalizes the admission of thesis-based files
once a supervisor and a respective graduate program director recommend the file on SIMS. She
finds that all applicants have a fair chance to find supervisors as the files are available online to
all professors.
She also mentions that the majority of professors submit the required recommendation form on
applicants‟ files. Because a file is flagged once a recommendation form is submitted, she issues
the admission letter to the students in a timely manner; this way, international students are given
enough time to apply for the required visa before the commencement of their program at
Concordia.
Tasks in Expert Performance
Main Task 1
Identify the steps in the graduate admission process.
o Name the people involved in the admission process.
o List the required academic documents needed to evaluate a student for admission
into thesis-based programs.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 6
o Recognize the Student Information Management System (SIMS) used to handle
the admission process.
List the graduate admission activities supported by SIMS.
Main Task 2
Identify the different accessibility features in SIMS.
o Identify the menu and toolbar commands in SIMS
Recognize the location of each tab
Identify the purpose of each tab
o Examine how to view documents stored in SIMS.
Locate the different academic documents stored in SIMS.
o Examine how it is easy to communicate to students through SIMS.
o Determine how it is possible to access information anytime anywhere.
o State whom to contact if you are having any technical problem with SIMS.
Main Task 3
Search for applicants in SIMS
o Recognize the different types of search
Identify how to search for students using their last institution.
Identify how to search for students using their research interests.
Identify how to search for applications using degree type.
Identify how to search for applications using a Concordia ID number.
Identify how to search for applications using an application number.
Main Task 4
Assess the educational credentials of applicants.
o Assess applicants based on their previous education, grades, publications, and
reference letters.
Review each document separately or interpret the overall assessment form.
Name the required admission documents that should be evaluated.
o Locate admission related documents in SIMS.
Given a student record, identify the applicant`s academic
background.
Given a student record, identify the applicant‟s academic
performance.
Read the reference letters.
Identify whether a student is currently registered in courses at Concordia.
Locate Concordia`s academic record of the applicant.
Main Task 5
Recommend graduate students under your supervision
o Select and reserve chosen applications in your SIMS inbox.
o Review and compare between their credentials.
o Select one of the applications to recommend.
Locate the recommendation form in the student application in SIMS.
Determine whether a student has been recommended by another professor.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 7
Identify the information that should be included in the recommendation
form.
Complete the form with the required information.
Locate the student assessment form in SIMS to identify the student`s
financial support needs.
Write the amount of the provided financial support, if available.
Click on the submit tab to submit the recommendation form in SIMS.
o Release the applications from your inbox
Explain the importance of releasing the applications.
Main Task 6
Assess post-secondary credentials from India
o Explain the difference between universities, colleges, and autonomous colleges
o Inspect whether the university is accredited
Examine whether a university is established by Central or a State
Government act.
Examine whether a university is listed by the Department of higher
education.
Examine whether a college is affiliated to an accredited university
Examine whether the institution is recognized by the All India Council for
Technical Education.
o Distinguish between consolidated and detailed mark sheets.
o Identify the different grading scales used in India.
o Identify the minimum acceptable academic requirements from India.
Audience
A survey was conducted to measure two of the learners` key variables: 1) personal
demographics, and 2) computer proficiency. The first section of the survey contained four
variables: gender, academic position, number of courses taught, and teaching experience. The
second section had three variables: technology integration in teaching, personal use of
computers, and technology related experience.
Given the required project completion time, information on how often professors use SIMS to
recruit graduate students cannot be gathered at this time. However, relative computer
technologies experience can be used to establish a link between previous and future experience
that will help in designing a more meaningful learning experience.
Demographics
The target population of this training program is professors teaching at Concordia University‟s
Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science. There are currently 172 full-time faculty
members who are at different stages of their careers: assistant professors, associate professors,
professors, and research chairs. From a total target population of 172 faculty instructors, there
are 3 Canada research chairs, 19 Concordia research chairs, and one industrial chair. Among the
172 instructors, 148 are male and 24 are female.
Only 50 professors responded to the survey, from the 50 respondents, approximately eighty-four
(84%) of the instructors were male, the larger segment of the population is faculty tenured,
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 8
number of courses each instructor teaches per year ranges from one to five courses, and teaching
experience also ranges from one to fifty-seven years.
Previous Knowledge of Computer Technologies
Sixty-four (64%) of instructors reported being at “advanced” or “expert” level of proficiency in
regards to computer technologies. On the other hand, ninety-four percent (94%) reported using
computers for personal uses as “frequently”, “almost always”, or “all the time”. Eighty-two
percent (82%) of faculty instructors integrates computer technologies in teaching “Frequently”,
“almost always” or “all the time”.
Issues Affecting Learning and Performance Improvement
Work Environment
Limited reinforcement by higher administration on the importance of using the available
resources offered by the University, such as SIMS, could be one of the issues affecting the
desired performance.
In addition, the lack of a defined and documented work process related to graduate admissions
could also raise performance challenges. Although data related to admission standards and
requirements are available, ways to access them are not advertised to the academic community.
Finally, because of lack of training available to Faculty members, this workshop should be
offered periodically, not only once, to reinforce the idea of using SIMS and accommodate a
larger number of professors.
Learners
One the issues that may face the project in the future is achieving and maintaining a desired level
of engagement and commitment from the learners to use SIMS instead of asking for help from
the program assistants. Generally, professors are used to getting help from the support staff for
any administrative task. It would be difficult to motivate professors to use SIMS and give up the
help they receive without providing an alternative incentive.
Another challenge would be conducting the workshop at a time convenient to a large number of
professors who are always busy and teach at different hours.
Constraints Affecting the Project
Business constraints
Any materials related to foreign credentials must be approved by the School of Graduate
Studies before it gets distributed to Faculty members.
Periodical update of these materials is required and the School of Graduate Studies must
also approve any changes.
Product constraints
In the next one or two years, SIMS will be replaced by another product and therefore the
course structure will be changed.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 9
Requirements
Learning Objectives
Upon completing the 30-min training program, learners will be able to use SIMS to review and
assess the academic credentials of applicants and recommend the admission of chosen applicants
under their supervision into one of the Masc. or PhD. Programs offered by Concordia`s Faculty
of Engineering and Computer Science. Learners will also be able to interpret international
credentials from India.
Main Objective 1
Given instructions, Faculty members will be able to identify the steps required to admit
graduate students into Masc. and PhD. programs.
o Explain the order of the graduate admission process.
o Name the people involved in the admission process.
o Recognize the Student Information Management System (SIMS) used to handle
the admission process.
List the graduate admission activities supported by SIMS.
Main Objective 2
With the availability of a computer per learner, and given SIMS website, identify the
different accessibility features in SIMS
o Identify the menu and toolbar commands in SIMS
Recognize the location of each tab
Identify the purpose of each tab
o Examine how to view documents stored in SIMS.
Locate the different academic documents stored in SIMS.
o Examine how it is easy to communicate to students through SIMS.
o Determine how it is possible to access information anytime anywhere.
o State whom to contact if you are having any technical problem with SIMS.
Main Objective 3
With the help of SIMS advanced search page, learners will be able to search for
applicants using five different search options
o Recognize the different types of search
Identify how to search for students using their last institution.
Identify how to search for students using their research interests.
Identify how to search for applications using degree type.
Identify how to search for applications using a Concordia ID number.
Identify how to search for applications using an application number.
Main Objective 4
With the aid of the graduate admissions qualifications list and the referenced graduate
admission requirements guideline, assess the educational credentials of applicants
according to the preset requirements.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 10
o Assess applicants based on their previous education, grades, publications, and
reference letters.
Review each document separately or interpret the overall assessment form.
Name the required admission documents that should be evaluated.
o Locate admission related documents in SIMS.
Given a student record, identify the applicant`s academic
background.
Given a student record, identify the applicant‟s academic
performance.
Read the reference letters.
Identify whether a student is currently registered in courses at Concordia.
Locate Concordia`s academic record of the applicant.
Main Objective 5
Recommend graduate students under your supervision
o Select and reserve chosen applications in your SIMS inbox.
o Review and compare between their credentials.
o Select one of the applications to recommend.
Locate the recommendation form in the student application in SIMS.
Determine whether a student has been recommended by another professor.
Identify the information that should be included in the recommendation
form.
Complete the form with the required information.
Locate the student assessment form in SIMS to identify the student`s
financial support needs.
Write the amount of the provided financial support, if available.
Click on the submit tab to submit the recommendation form in SIMS.
o Release the applications from your inbox
Explain the importance of releasing the applications.
Main Objective 6
With the aid of referenced materials, learners will be able to assess post-secondary
credentials from India
o Explain the difference between universities, colleges, and autonomous colleges
o Inspect whether the university is accredited
Examine whether a university is established by Central or a State
Government act.
Examine whether a university is listed by the Department of higher
education.
Examine whether a college is affiliated to an accredited university
Examine whether the institution is recognized by the All India Council for
Technical Education.
o Distinguish between consolidated and detailed mark sheets.
o Identify the different grading scales used in India.
o Identify the minimum acceptable academic requirements from India.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 11
Evaluation
Level 1
Please make time to give your valuable feedback. Thank you!
1-Strongly disagree 2-Disagree 3-Neither agree nor disagree 4-Agree 5-Strongly Agree
1. Attending the workshop was good use of my time
1 2 3 4 5 Strongly disagree Neutral Strongly Agree
2- The facilitator helped me understand the material sufficiently
1 2 3 4 5 Strongly disagree Neutral Strongly Agree
3- The information covered in this workshop is:
1) New to me
2) Deepened earlier understanding
3) Provided nice reminder
4) I already use it regularly
5) Most people know this
4. What parts of the workshop were most meaningful to you?
5. What parts of the workshop were the least helpful to you?
6. Would you recommend this workshop to other Faculty members?
1) Yes 2) No
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 12
Level 2
1. Name three people involved in the admission process in your Faculty.
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
2. Which of the following academic activities are supported by SIMS?
a) Handling inquiries from prospective students
b) Handling the admissions process
c) Handling records of examinations, assessments, marks, grades and academic
progression
d) Recording communications with students
e) All the above
3. Match the following links with their locations in SIMS:
a) Admission application Documents a) Student info
b) A student‟s Concordia record b) Document viewer
c) Recommendation Form c) Student Profile
d) A student email address d) Graduate Assessment Page
4. If you are having any technical difficulties with SIMS, you should contact:
a) The department administrator
b) The office assistant
c) The graduate program director
d) IITS service desk
5. Using the following snapshot from SIMS student search page, circle the search field
related to the research area of the applicant:
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 13
6. Which admission documents you should evaluate before recommending any student into
the Faculty‟s Masc. and PhD. programs?
a) Reference letters
b) Detailed mark sheets
c) Publications (if available)
d) All the above
7. You have decided to recommend a student under your supervision. Indicate briefly what
information you should include in the Recommendation Form.
8. Which of the following is the minimum acceptable scale and division from India for
admission into Concordia‟s Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science Masc.
programs?
Grade Scale Division U.S. Grade
Equivalent
A+ 91 - 100 Distinction A+
A 81 -
90.99 Distinction A
A-
A-
B+ 61 -
80.99 First Class B+
B 51 -
60.99
Second
Class B
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 14
Level 3
Determining the extent to which professors applied the learning back on the job and whether
they actually use the information can be measured in different ways.
Firstly, it can be measured or monitored through SIMS using statistical reports. Thus, any
subjective judgment of the observer or interviewer can be avoided. SIMS can be used to 1)
generate the number of recommendation forms submitted by each professor, and 2) evaluate the
basis of admission and the academic quality of students whom were admitted. Afterwards, the
number and academic standards of accepted students into thesis-based programs for 2012-13
academic year can be compared to those of the accepted students for 2013-14 academic year.
This comparison can be made six months after the training program to allow enough time
between two admission cycles.
Secondly, a survey will be sent to the program assistants, three months after the training
program, to ask them the following:
Survey for program assistants:
How many times did you submit a recommendation form on behalf of a professor?
______________________________________________________________________________
How many times did you submit a recommendation form on behalf of the Graduate Program
Director?
______________________________________________________________________________
How many times were you requested to print documents off SIMS for professors in order to
evaluate applicants for admission?
______________________________________________________________________________
Survey for learners:
How many times do you log in to SIMS per month?
______________________________________________________________________________
Do you use SIMS to recruit students?
______________________________________________________________________________
Do you use the training course materials to help you evaluate the educational credentials of
students?
______________________________________________________________________________
Finally, three months after the training program, an interview will be conducted with Ms. Agi
Csordas to find out if she still faces the same problems stated in her previous interview. The
following are the interview questions:
1. How many calls did you make to ask professors to release files?
2. How many calls did you make to ask GPDs to recommend certain files?
3. How many calls do you receive from professors asking how to recommend students in
SIMS?
4. Do you think that some professors‟ performance changed after the training program?
5. What are the academic qualities of the newly admitted students compared to those from
last semester?
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 15
References
Phillips, K. (2008). ASTD 2008 International Conference & Exposition. Retrieved from ASTD:
http://astd2008.astd.org/PDF/Speaker%20Handouts/ice08%20handout%20SU217.pdf
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 16
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 17
Appendix A
Technology Implementation Questionnaire
This questionnaire is part of a study being conducted by Dalia Radwan, a graduate student at
Concordia University‟s Department of Educational Technology in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The purpose of this study is to explore the type of technology used in teaching engineering and
computer science courses. This includes desktop and laptop computers, software, radio,
television, cellular phones, video conferencing, digital video, simulations, connections to the
Internet, or any technology implemented in teaching activities that are intended to fulfill
information processing and communications functions.
INSTRUCTIONS
This questionnaire has two sections. Please complete all the questions and mark your answers on
the questionnaire sheets.
The estimated time to complete this questionnaire is approximately 10 minutes.
Your assistance in completing this questionnaire is highly appreciated.
SECTION I - Your Background
In the following section, please circle the most appropriate answer
1. Your gender
A) Female
B) Male
2. Years of teaching completed (If this is your first year, write „0‟)
----------------------------
3. Current academic position (choose only one)
A) Tenured
B) Tenure-Track
C) Part-time instructor
D) Limited term appointment
E) Extended term appointment
D) Other ----- please specify
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 18
4. Number of courses that you taught in the last academic year (Please write a whole number)
----------------------------
SECTION II –Your Experience with Computer Technologies
5. Please indicate how often you integrate computer technologies in your teaching activities.
A) Never
B) Rarely
C) Occasionally
D) Frequently
E) Almost Always
F) All the Time
6. On average, how many hours per week do you spend using a computer for personal use
outside of teaching activities?
A) Never
B) Rarely
C) Occasionally
D) Frequently
E) Almost Always
F) All the Time
7. What is your experience with computer technologies intended to fulfill information
processing and communications functions in teaching? (Choose only one and circle it)
A. Unfamiliar
I have no experience with computer technologies.
B. Newcomer
I have attempted to use computer technologies in my classroom, but I still require help on a
regular basis.
C. Beginner
I am able to perform basic functions in a limited number of computer applications.
D. Average
I demonstrate a general competency in a number of computer applications.
E. Advanced
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE STUDENT ACADEMIC SERVICES 19
I have acquired the ability to competently use a broad spectrum of computer technologies.
F. Expert
I am extremely proficient in using a wide variety of computer technologies.
Thank you for your participation!
