Abstract no. 176: Computer Attitudes of Saudi Postgraduate Students Manal O Alothman and Judy Robertson* School of Math and Computer Sciences, Heriot Watt University Computer technology has become an important element in our day to day life. Therefore, the educational and social importance of determining conditions that facilitate the development and productivity of computer literate people cannot be underestimated. The purpose of carrying out this research was to investigate and examine the attitudes of Saudi Arabia PhD students, studying in the United Kingdom, towards computer usage in Saudi Arabia and in UK for research or other purposes. The study aimed to investigate the associations between knowledge of English language, gender, computer confidence, experience, encouragement to use computer, and general attitudes towards making use of computers in a postgraduate student‘s life. A qualitative study was conducted to collect details about students‘ attitudes to computers and the factors that affect them. An interview was carried out with 14 PhD students (7 of each gender) in different fields of study. The results show that all students have strong positive attitudes towards computers, especially when they move to the UK for studying. Also, the study observed that there are gender differences in computer experience: female students spend more time with computers than males, females are prevented by their parents from using computers or the internet and that males feel that computers are easy to use and comfortable, while females express anxiety and fear towards using them.
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