the information systems analyst national assessment exam: factors for success mark segall...

The Information Systems Analyst The Information Systems Analyst National Assessment Exam: National Assessment Exam:

Factors for SuccessFactors for SuccessMark Segall ([email protected])Mark Segall ([email protected])

Loren Gollhardt ([email protected])Loren Gollhardt ([email protected])Joe Morrell (Joe Morrell ([email protected])[email protected])Computer Information Systems,Computer Information Systems,

Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD)Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD)

ISA Exam PedigreeISA Exam Pedigree

ICCP Education Foundation

Information Systems Analyst Certification Exam

(ISA)

Center for Computing Education Research (CCER)

Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals

(ICCP)

ISA Exam ContentISA Exam Content

• Maps to the IS 2002 model curriculum for undergraduate Information Systems

• Reports on 6 core areas– Analysis and Design– Role of IS in Organizations– Data Management– Networking and Telecommunications– Modern Programming Language– Hardware and Software

ISA Exam MechanicsISA Exam Mechanics

• Student register for exam to receive a password

• Delivered over the internet to a proctored testing site

• Three hour exam with 258 Questions

• Score reported upon completion of exam

• ISA certification: 50% or above

• ISA master certification: 70% or above

ISA Exam FunctionalityISA Exam Functionality

For departments: A third party assessment exam for IS

majors

For students: A possible certification

MSCD Exam SummaryMSCD Exam SummaryCore Area # of Items All Schools MSCD

Modern Programming Language 12 40.9 44.8

Hardware and Software 10 41.8 47.3

Networking and Telecommunications 12 45.1 45.3

Data Management 44 46.0 51.2

Analysis and Design 108 47.5 51.2

Role of IS in Organizations 72 52.0 56.3

Research QuestionResearch Question

What are the characteristics for success on the ISA Exam?

• academic factors

• work experience

• personal factors

• environmental factors



• Academic factors – Cumulative GPA– Major GPA– Subject– Course Number– Credit Hours– Grade– Transfer Credits



• Work experience– Company type– Years of experience in line of work– Job Title– Job Skills– Amount of Work (Full Time, Part Time, None)



• Personal factors– English as a second language (ESL)– Self rated emotional control – Self rated general problem solving ability– Age – Married– Number of minor children living with you– Gender



• Environmental factors– How many hours did you prepare for this test? – How did you feel physically at test time? – Rate your own emotional state at test time. – How many credit hours were you taking the

semester in which you took the test?

Sample CharacteristicsSample Characteristics

• N = 140 students

• Fall 2004 to Spring 2006

• Average ISA score: 49.7 ± 12.2 SD

• Average age: 30.1 ± 8.1 SD

• Male / Female Ratio: 68% / 32%

• ESL: 15.7%


Caucasian 63%

Asian 17%

Hispanic 6%

Black 5%

Other 5%

Non Resident Alien 4%


• Overall GPA: 3.03 ± .52 SD

• Major GPA: 2.97 ± .59 SD

• Credits / semester: 9.9 ± 2.39 SD

• Transferred courses: 16.6 ± 14.4SD– maximum of 73– 74% have transfer courses– 1 to 2 semesters worth of transfer courses


• Survey return rate: 34% (48 out of 140)• Average age

– Completed survey: 30.1 years– Did not complete survey: 30.1 years

• ISA exam score– Completed survey: 53.1 ± 12.7 SD * – Did not complete survey: 48.0 ± 11.7 SD

• GPA– Completed survey: 3.1– Did not complete survey: 3.0


• Work Status– Full time: 69%– Part time: 19%– None: 12%

• Company Type– Information Technology 31– Student worker 19 – Retail 13– Government 8– Banking & Finance 8– Other (7 Industries) 21


• Years of experience– Less than one year 14– 1 – 2 years 19 – 3 – 5 years 21– More than 5 years 42– Not Applicable 4

Results: Personal FactorsResults: Personal Factors

Predictor n Slope R2 Value F- score P-value

Gender 140 -2.2 0.7% 1.0 0.331

Age 140 0.26 3.0% 4.3 0.040*

ESL 140 -12.2 13.3% 21.2 0.000**


Age

ISA

Sco

re

5550454035302520

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Figure 1: Age as a Predictor of ISA Exam ScoreISA Score = 41.81 + 0.2625 Age


English as a Second Language (0 = No, 1 = Yes)

ISA

Sco

re

1.00.80.60.40.20.0

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Figure 2: ESL as a Predictor of ISA Exam ScoreISA Score = 51.63 - 12.20 ESL


• Factors that are not significant– Self rated IS skill level– Self rated emotional control– Self rated problem solving ability– Marital status– # of children

Results: Academic FactorsResults: Academic Factors

Course Title% of LU covered by

Course

CMS 2010 Computer Applications for Business 31

CMS 2110

Business Problem Solving: A Structured Programming Approach 37

CMS 3050

Fundamentals of System Analysis and Design 31

CMS 3060 Database Management Systems 23

CMS 3145

Business Application Development with Visual Basic 41

CMS 3230 Telecommunication Systems 9

CMS 4050 Advanced Systems Analysis and Design 91

Learning Units (LU) covered by the ISA exam: 150



GPA 140 10.7 20.6% 35.8 0.000**

Major GPA 140 9.3 20.0% 34.6 0.000**

CMS 4050Adv. SAD 124 9.5 38.0% 74.9 0.000**

CMS 3230Telecom 134 5.8 18.3% 29.6 0.000**

CMS 2110Bus Prob. Solving 122 6.0 17.3% 25.2 0.000**


CMS 4050 Grade

ISA

Sco

re

4.03.53.02.52.01.51.0

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Figure 3: Grade in Adv. SAD as a Predictor of ISA Exam ScoreISA Score = 20.35 + 9.493 'CMS 4050 Grade'



CMS 3060Database 139 4.1 9.7% 14.7 0.000**CMS 2010Comp App. Bus. 112 3.3 5.0% 5.4 0.018*CMS 3340Statistics 134 3.0 4.4% 6.0 0.015*CMS 3050Fund. SAD 42 2.8 6.1% 2.6 0.115

Programming 138 1.0 0.9% 1.2 0.274

Results: Environmental FactorsResults: Environmental Factors


Physical state 48 1.9 10.8% 5.56 0.023* Emotional State 48 3.0 18.4% 10.4 0.002** Zero hours prep 48 11.0 18.0% 10.1 0.003** 1-5 hours prep 48 -3.9 1.9% 0.87 0.3556+ hours prep 48 -17.0 19.8% 11.3 0.002**

Results: Environmental FactorsResults: Environmental Factors

• Factors that are not significant– Self rated motivation level– Credit hours this semester

Results: Work FactorsResults: Work Factors

• Factors that are not significant– Type of company

• (IT, Student, Retail)

– Work experience • (< 1 year, 1-2 years, 3-5 years, more than 5 years)

– Time working • (Full time, Part time, None)

SummarySummary

• ESL has a substantial negative impact

• Age has weak positive effect

• Academic performance (GPA) is a positive predictor

SummarySummary

• Performance in Advanced Systems Analysis & Design is the best predictor of performance on the ISA Exam

• Telecommunications, Structured Programming / Problem Solving, and Database courses are all substantial predictors

• General courses in Business Information Systems and Business Statistics are weak predictors

ConclusionConclusion

• Academic, personal, and environmental factors have an impact on ISA Exam scores.

• There is a strong relationship between grades in specific courses and performance on the ISA exam.

ConclusionConclusion• These results are from students in just

one CIS Department taking the exam over a period of two years.

• This study should be expanded to all CIS Departments in all institutions using the ISA Assessment Exam.

• This is both an invitation and a challenge for those institutions to join us in this endeavor.

Co AuthorsCo Authors

Loren Gollhardt Joe Morrell

the information systems analyst national assessment exam: factors for success mark segall...

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