Computer literacy

Computer literacy is the ability to use computers and related technology efficiently, with a range of skills covering levels from elementary use to programming and advanced problem solving.[1][2] By another measure, computer literacy requires some understanding of computer programming and how computers work.[3]

In the United States

Primary and secondary education

In the United States, students are introduced to tablet computers in preschool or kindergarten. Tablet computers are preferred for their small size and touchscreens.[4] The touch user interface of a tablet computer is more accessible to the under-developed motor skills of young children.[5] Early childhood educators use student-centered instruction to guide the young student through various activities on the tablet computer.[6] Often this includes web browsing and the use of applications, familiarizing the young student with a basic level of computer proficiency.[5]

Teaching computer literacy to students in secondary school may improve their thinking skills and employability, but most teachers lack the understanding and classroom time to teach computer programming.[7]

Nataraj (2014) found that many college freshmen in the United States had insufficient computer skills. After freshmen completed a computer literacy course, there was a significant improvement in their understanding of the course material.[8]

Digital divide

In the US job market, computer illiteracy severely limits employment options.[9]

Non-profit organizations such as Per Scholas attempt to reduce the divide by offering free and low-cost computers to children and their families in underserved communities in South Bronx, New York, Miami, Florida, and in Columbus, Ohio.[10]

See also

Initiatives

References

  1. ↑ "Computerized Manufacturing Automation: Employment, Education, and the Workplace" (PDF) (OTA CIT-235). National Technical Information Service. April 1984: 234.
  2. ↑ Haigh, Robert W. (March–April 1985). "Planning for Computer Literacy". The Journal of Higher Education. 56 (2): 161–171. JSTOR 1981664. doi:10.2307/1981664.
  3. ↑ Tobin, Catherine D. (February 1983). "Developing Computer Literacy". The Arithmetic Teacher. 30 (6): 22–23, 60. JSTOR 41190615.
  4. ↑ Neumann, Michelle M.; Neumann, David L. (4 September 2013). "Touch Screen Tablets and Emergent Literacy". Early Childhood Education Journal. 42 (4): 231. doi:10.1007/s10643-013-0608-3.
  5. 1 2 Blackwell, Courtney K.; Lauricella, Alexis R.; Wartella, Ellen (1 July 2016). "The Influence of TPACK Contextual Factors on Early Childhood Educators’ Tablet Computer Use". Computers & Education. 98: 57–69. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2016.02.010.
  6. ↑ Beschorner, Beth; Hutchison, Amy (2013). "iPads as a Literacy Teaching Tool in Early Childhood" (PDF). International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology. 1 (1): 16–24.
  7. ↑ Hannum, Wallace (February–March 1992). "Reconsidering Computer Literacy: A Critique of Current Efforts". The High School Journal. 74 (3): 152–159. JSTOR 40364597.
  8. ↑ Nataraj, Sam (2014). "The Need for an Introductory Computer Literacy Course at the University Level" (PDF). International Journal of Business Management & Economic Research. 5 (4): 71–3.
  9. ↑ Wyatt, Edward (18 August 2013). "Most of U.S. Is Wired, but Millions Aren’t Plugged In". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  10. ↑ "Per Scholas; Affordable Technology Finally Available to Bronx Residents". Pediatrics Week: 42. 27 August 2011.
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