allenm@ittvax.UUCP (Allen Matsumoto) (11/16/84)
What is "computer literacy"? Many universities have wrestled with the problem of defining "computer literacy", and developed requirements and courses teaching (variously defined) familiarity with computers. The courses seem to cover things like: - Computers and society. The effects of computerization on society generally. - Computer applications. Examples of uses of computers. Packaged software and systems. - Programming language(s). Beginning course in a language, or one of a choice of languages. For a university I am affiliated with, I would like to find out what other schools have decided. Please send me mail (decvax!ittvax!allenm) about how "computer literacy" is defined and satisfied at schools you know. I'm interested in a general, university-wide requirement for a liberal education. The old notion of an "educated person" updated to the computer age is more or less what I mean. NOTE: I'm not addressing the net audience as computer scientists, but as (former) students and educators. I'm explicitly not asking about a computer science major. Any information about computer literacy will be appreciated. Specific types of questions I have are: Goals of the computer literacy requirement. For example, the traditional liberal arts goal of becoming an educated person included learning a foreign language in order to understand a foreign culture, and perhaps other cultures in general. A universal mathematics requirement was to learn logical thought. Specific goals such as conversa- tional ability in a language or computational skill were requirements for specific courses of study, not general requirements. Faculty computer literacy. What should faculty (all or what part) know about computers? Do faculty use computers administratively (grades?), for word processing, in courses? How do faculty obtain courseware? Means of satisfying the requirement. What testing is possi- ble to assess a student's computer literacy? What courses are offered or required? Are courses offered or are students expected to have a level of computer literacy for their "regular" courses? Resources dedicated to computer literacy. How much computer resources and faculty resources are needed to cover it? Do students teach themselves, or take 1 hour courses, or 3 hour courses, or what? How much equipment is available for general computer literacy? Please send me whatever you have on hand. I'll expect well- researched, thoroughly documented, empirically supported studies, preferably supported by a theory of cognition which supplies the theoretical basis for your conclusions. (Just kidding, folks! I don't expect anyone to spend any real time at this. Of course, I'll take what I can get.) Many thanks, Allen Matsumoto ITT Adv. Tech. Center, Stratford, CT 06497 203-385-7218 (decvax!ittvax!allenm) -- Allen Matsumoto ITT Adv. Tech. Center, Stratford, CT 06497 203-385-7218 (decvax!ittvax!allenm)