bentson@sri-unix (10/24/82)
Here at Colorado State University (which isn't nearly
as high tech as I'd like, but it's aware of the future)
someone has been working with Bell Labs in using a variant
of writer's workbench to be used in some sections of an
English composition course that is required throughout the
university. The surprising thing with this effort is that
it is being driven by the English Dept! They have hired
some help from the University Computer Center staff and the
C.S. Dept. has offered words of encouragement, but it's the
non-computer types that are motivating it all!
The reports given have claimed no savings in labor, in
fact they admit that the program involves more faculty time
using the computer. But they're still delighted because
they feel that the student is being advised of writing style
(via style, spell, etc.) that normally would be glossed over
when using only a human grader. As it is, the human can
concentrate on higher levels of style, knowing that the com-
puter will catch the simple stuff.
One problem with this system is that, for lack of
resources, some sections of the composition course cannot
use the computer. There just aren't enough keyboards avail-
able for all incoming freshmen. If each student had a ter-
minal, or better yet, personal workstation, this problem
would disappear.
Our university's president has proposed that all gra-
duating students be "computer literate". I suspect that
this term will come to mean "able to use a computer as a
tool in some field of study" or "being aware of capabilities
and limitations of computers, and being able to use comput-
ers properly." This is distinct from "being able to produce
programs on a computer." If this is an accurate definition,
then we're being shown the way to implement such a goal by
supposedly non-technical people.
I have worried about the intrusion of technology into
the lives of non-technical people, sometimes with a twinge
of guilt. But before we bemoan the requirement that a stu-
dent acquire a personal computer, we should examine the
impact of this rule. I know any number of students would
delight in using a word processing system the preparation of
term papers. Almost every student in the Colleges of
Natural Science and Engineering will use a computer for a
significant part of his/her studies. The surprise is that
the "poets" are very willing to use whatever power a computer
can provide.
(As a flame retardant, I too see little need for a Fine
Arts student to use a computer. But then perhaps they could
show us something!)
Randy Bentson
Colo State U - Comp Sci
ucbvax!hplabs!csu-cs!bentson