A Research Proposal concerning Computer Operating Systems Education Essay

A Research Proposal concerning Computer Operating Systems Education - Essay Example My interest in this subject started as a realization, servicing computers at The University of La Verne. There seemed to be a great familiarity of an application when a worker was given instructions in a specific subject. When using a new application, the same faculty or staff became disorientated and frustrated. I pondered; could knowledge of Operating Systems help subjects adapt to new programs easier? My observations were that the more experience a customer had using a computer, the easier it was to adapt to new types of work. Of the subjects interviewed, few have taken an actual course on the operating system of their computer. The comfort level of the subjects who had used several operating systems, over a span of years, were very good at applying learned knowledge to new applications. Consider operating a computer is as much of our professional skill set as language or mathematics. Efficacy theory by Albert Butera states ‘Self Efficacy is people’s perception of their ability to plan and take action to reach a particular goal.† Another definition by Compeau and Higgins 1995; Marakas et al. 1998) is Computer self-efficacy (CSE) refers to individuals' judgment of their capabilities to use computers in diverse situations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_efficacy, 2006) I theorize that if a worker has a good basic knowledge of an operating system, he or she will build confidence through positive experiences. This encounter will drive a user to experiment and discover effective ways of using multiple applications.