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ERIC Number: EJ1144674
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Jul
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1545-679X
EISSN: N/A
The Personality of a Computing Major: It Makes a Difference
Reynolds, John H.; Adams, D. Robert; Ferguson, Roger C.; Leidig, Paul M.
Information Systems Education Journal, v15 n4 p69-74 Jul 2017
For the past several years, there has been an increase in the number of job opportunities in the computing field. As a result, many schools and universities are facing a significant increase in the number of students seeking to major in one of several computing disciplines. This increase in the numbers and variety of majors in the computing field poses challenges for higher education institutions in the areas of advising, retention, scheduling, and enrollment management. This paper builds upon prior research documenting the association of personality type and affinity for a computing career, and proposes using personality testing early in a student's university experience by including it as one factor in the advising process. This study employs the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as a tool to help students select an appropriate computing major better suited for their given personality. This initial exploratory study shows that there is a significant difference in personalities among computing majors, specifically in the area of introversion versus extroversion, and intuition versus sensing. Testing students early, before starting a specific major, allows institutions to provide better advising to students as they choose their major, with the goal of increasing retention, degree satisfaction and completion of the degree.
Information Systems and Computing Academic Professionals. Box 488, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480. e-mail: publisher@isedj.org; Web site: http://isedj.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Myers Briggs Type Indicator
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A