Keyboarding - Introduction

Introduction

Purpose

Guidelines for keyboarding at the Middle Level (grades 6, 7, 8, and 9) is a program designed to provide students with touch keyboarding and information processing skills. Keyboarding at the Middle Level aims to:

develop an awareness and understanding of the value and importance of touch keyboarding.
develop an awareness and understanding of the impact this skill may have on productivity in school, personal, and future work environments.
provide the opportunity for all students to acquire and apply the personal life skill of touch keyboarding.
provide the opportunity for students to use the computer effectively and efficiently to process information.
provide students with knowledge of word processing and formatting applications and demonstrations of how the computer, the keyboard, and integrated software can be used as powerful tools in life-long learning.
develop the ability to apply touch keyboarding and formatting skills to written communications while developing the vocabulary to communicate with peers, teachers, and the community concerning touch keyboarding and formatting.
develop work habits, attitudes, communication, problem solving, and independent thinking skills that will enhance school, personal, and future work experiences.

Foundational Objectives

To familiarize students with keyboard layout, including alphabetic, numeric, symbol, special purpose, and function keys.
To equip students with the skills necessary to keyboard the alphabetic and numeric keys by touch, and to use the designated finger of the correct hand to key the symbol keys.
To develop and maintain proper keyboarding technique.
To integrate touch keyboarding into other subject areas in which keyboards/computers can be used.
To facilitate and develop students' abilities to identify opportunities to integrate touch keyboarding and information processing skills.
To develop and enhance proofreading and editing skills.
To develop and enhance the ability to compose at the keyboard.
To develop and enhance the communication, critical thinking, organizational, time management, and decision-making skills that are necessary for effective keyboarding and information processing.
To develop work habits and attitudes appropriate to both school and the community.
To develop and enhance students' knowledge of the importance of an ergonomic work environment.

Benefits for the Student

Whether at school or at home, computers will continue to play a vital role in the lives of students in the Middle Level grades. One study focussing on computer use in the school system estimated that students would spend more than 400 hours on microcomputers before they reached the ninth grade (Kidney, 1985). Until voice input is perfected, the keyboard will remain the most common input device. The child who can keyboard by touch is able to enter data using all ten fingers. This means that students are free to concentrate on composing text or copying material rather than focussing attention to their fingers moving across the keyboard. Losing one's place in the copy material is eliminated when touch keyboarding skills are in place. Being able to keyboard by touch allows the students to concentrate on their work resulting in success and enjoyment in the task.

While composing, the writer is free to look at the display screen while the work is being created. The writer is able to proofread while creating. The ability to keyboard by touch offers a life-long advantage to students whether they are engaged in composing a personal story at the computer or functioning as professionals in the work force. They can use the keyboard efficiently to process work.

The alternative to touch keyboarding is the use of the "hunt and peck" keyboarding method where children develop their own random and incorrect finger patterns for accessing the keys of the keyboard. Creative ideas are lost as students "hunt and peck" in search of the correct letter on the keyboard. Frustration abounds for students who wish to enter their research report into the computer, but do not have the touch keyboarding skills required to accomplish the task with proficiency.

As keyboarding is a cumulative skill, what can be effectively accomplished at one level is heavily dependent upon what has been refined at a previous level. The bad habits associated with the "hunt and peck" method of keyboarding become ingrained making it very difficult for students to develop competency in touch keyboarding when they do reach their first formal keyboarding course. Students need to gain experience with the proper keyboarding techniques and processes prior to their using a keyboard to process a significant amount of information.

Touch keyboarding and word processing skills facilitate skill development in writing, spelling, and grammar. The development of these processes can be extended to all areas of the curriculum. Teaching word processing at the Middle Level enables students to improve written communication skills and to use writing activities to improve thinking. Using a word processor gives students the facility to easily revise and reformat their writing. It is a tool that facilitates the writing process. Students who are reluctant to correct and rewrite their handwritten work are often more willing to do so when their writing is in an electronic form. The word processor can provide an incentive for writing, editing, re-writing, and publishing student work.

A six month study of writing performance compared pencil-and-paper production with lab-based word processing for children in grades five to eight. In this study, Morton, Lindsay, and Roche (1989) found word processing increased the number of drafts, story units, and overall output for all students. In terms of revisions, word processing increased spelling, paragraphing, and formatting revisions. In addition, word processing simplified the storing, editing, and revising of text, leaving students free for higher order processing.

In another study, Owston (1990) assessed the impact of word processing on the writing of 111 Canadian eighth-grade students that were experienced in working with computers for a number of tasks including writing. This study found that when eighth grade students were given two similar writing tasks--one on the computer and the other off the computer, they produced better quality work on the computer as judged by trained raters. The work produced on the computer received significantly higher ratings in overall competency and mechanics. Students produced significantly longer pieces of writing when using the computer. Students were much more inclined to revise and edit their work on computers compared to their handwritten work. In addition, after following a large number of studies of computer writing, Hawisher and Selfe (1989) found that students typically demonstrated positive attitudes toward writing using computers.

General Keyboarding Recommendations

Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment recognizes the need for quality instruction of keyboarding and information processing skills in the Middle Level. The following recommendations should be considered:

Provide instruction in using touch keyboarding skills in the Middle Level so that students can transfer their keyboarding and information processing skills to other areas of study, thereby making efficient use of computers in all subject areas.
Instruction in touch keyboarding skills should take place before students are expected to make extensive use of the keyboard in language arts, science, mathematics, or any other area of study.
Instruction in touch keyboarding should be provided by a qualified keyboarding instructor.
The skill of touch keyboarding should be integrated across the entire curriculum and be applied whenever students are required to use or have access to a computer/typewriter. Because the skill is to be used in all subject areas, it is recommended that the time required to teach touch keyboarding be taken from all areas of study.
Adequate practice time should be available to students to make them comfortable with all aspects of touch keyboarding before integration of the skill is implemented across the curriculum.
During keyboarding instruction, activities should be varied and changed frequently.
The keyboarding teacher should have formal training in the methodology of teaching the subject. Whenever possible, business educators should be utilized in the introduction of keyboarding at the Middle Level.
Proper technique is vital to future success in touch keyboarding. Good keyboarding technique is the foundation for future development in keyboarding speed and accuracy. Technique should be constantly monitored during all phases of the Middle Level keyboarding program and whenever the skill is used in other areas of study. It is strongly suggested that the teacher circulate within the classroom when students are keyboarding, reinforcing good technique and suggesting modifications when necessary.
It is recommended that the teacher emphasize technique first, then speed development, and finally accuracy of copy.
Once the formal lessons in touch keyboarding have been completed, time should be allocated several times a week for students to practice and/or apply their touch keyboarding skill so that their skill may be reinforced and maintained.
While it is hoped that students will have acquired the skill of touch keyboarding at the Elementary Level, not all learners will have had the opportunity to do so. Thus the Adaptive Dimension should be used to accommodate student differences.
It is suggested that proper formatting of reports and personal correspondence be introduced at the Middle Level so that students can integrate touch keyboarding and information processing skills into both school and personal endeavours.
Although the technology available to each school will vary, students should be encouraged to make use of all the features provided by their computer hardware and software. For example, if graphics may be imported into a word processing application, students may use this feature when preparing a title page to accompany a report.

The Keyboarding Teacher

Ideally, touch keyboarding should be taught by specialists in the field, namely business educators, with assistance as required from the classroom teacher who is the specialist in educating children in grades 6 through 9 (Schrader, 1987; Kidney, 1985). A merging of expertise would result in a team teaching situation that would be beneficial to all concerned. A business educator assigned to a secondary school could travel to a Middle Level school for part of the school day. This team teaching situation could be seen as a permanent arrangement or it could be viewed as a partnership, allowing the classroom teacher to gradually become knowledgeable and comfortable in his/her role as keyboarding instructor.

When a teaching partnership is not feasible, it is suggested that Middle Level educators assigned to instruct their students in the skill of touch keyboarding receive training in the methods and techniques of teaching the subject. Middle Level educators should also have the opportunity to learn the skill of touch keyboarding. These goals may be accomplished through professional development in the form of in-service sessions or peer coaching activities. Business educators could be the instructors/coaches for such professional development efforts. Hopefully, future teacher training programs will offer education in the skill and methodology of teaching touch keyboarding, thus preparing beginning teachers for their role as keyboarding instructors.

Depending upon the staff component in each individual school, the business educator may be available to instruct Middle Level students in touch keyboarding. For example, in K-12 schools, the specialist may be available to instruct in the Middle Level. An itinerant or travelling Business Education teacher could serve as the keyboarding instructor for several schools.

Keyboarding software packages may be used as a resource to reinforce and practise the skill of touch keyboarding, as software packages can maintain student interest and may be particularly suitable for independent practice or remedial work. If a software package is used, it is strongly recommended that a qualified keyboarding instructor be present during its use to assist students with their keyboarding technique.

Placement/Length of Course

Formal keyboarding instruction can begin at any Middle Level grade -- from six through nine. However, it is strongly recommended that students be given the opportunity to learn and practise touch keyboarding skills before they use the keyboard for extensive input in the other areas of the curriculum.

Flexibility is the key to the successful implementation of the recommendations in this document. Some learners will reach the Middle Level with little or no previous keyboarding experience. Learners who have had the benefit of touch keyboarding instruction at the Elementary Level may already be equipped with expertise in the skill of touch keyboarding and may require a further challenge. Some schools and districts will be able to provide a computer for each learner in the class, while others may provide a few computers in each classroom. In an attempt to meet the needs of the learners in each school or district, a modular format is offered to provide more flexibility in implementing these guidelines.

Just as the placement of the course should be flexible enough to meet the needs and resources of each individual school, the length of the course should be just as pliant. Because keyboarding is a cumulative skill, the ideal situation would be to offer keyboarding daily or every second day. Depending upon timetable and equipment restrictions, instruction periods may be from 30 minutes to one hour in length.

Depending upon the modules chosen for the Middle Level keyboarding program, a minimum of 50 hours of instruction is suggested at the Middle Level. Each school or each school division may offer the modules in any combination to suit its needs. For example, 50 hours of keyboarding and word processing may be combined with 50 hours of computer literacy to offer a 100-hour program.

Equipment

At the present time, computer hardware (disk drives, video display terminals, central processing units, printers, and keyboards) available in Saskatchewan schools is not standardized, either by platform (brand) or by the number of stations. For example, one group of grade seven students may have two computers available to them for a three-month period, while another group may have access to a computer lab that provides one computer for each child to use three times a week over a period of months.

The role and use of computers as a learning, living, and working tool is expanding. The future use and availability of computers in our Middle Level schools will also grow. The guidelines provided in this document are prepared with the future in mind. Depending upon available resources at the time, some schools will be in a position to choose to adhere strictly to the guidelines given below, while others will find it necessary to adapt the guidelines to suit their needs. The following recommendations are offered.

If purchasing new equipment, schools are encouraged to purchase computers rather than typewriters, as the former have a much broader use and can be used in virtually all subject areas. Although electronic or electric typewriters would serve the students adequately in learning keyboarding skill, computers and accompanying software are required to fulfil the word processing component suggested in Middle Level keyboarding. In addition, students who reach Middle Level already equipped with keyboarding and word processing skills will require a computer and accompanying software for the project work and/or the desk top publishing component offered. The possibility of using the computer to access distant learning opportunities means that the acquisition of hardware should follow guidelines established by the Multimedia Learning Unit of Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment.
Whenever possible, each learner should have access to his/her own computer and keyboard, although sharing of keyboards or scheduling for smaller groups of students may be necessary. Laminated paper keyboards and/or "standalone" keyboards (those not connected to a computer) may also be used to assist the learner in the location and identification of keys and the reinforcement of keyboarding skill. Naturally, the learning of touch keyboarding will be much more relevant if students are equipped with computers in addition to keyboards.
Placement of the keyboards will be determined by the location of power outlets. In order to allow the students a clear view of the teacher, Dennee (1989) suggests a "chevron style" of room arrangement in which the microcomputers are arranged in a "V" shape, with the instructor located at the point of the "V." It may be necessary to place a smaller "V" inside the larger one. In this pattern, the teacher has a good view of the student, is able to communicate through eye contact, and can monitor progress and technique, while the student can see the teacher's demonstrations and the whiteboard or chalkboard illustrations more readily. The arrangement of work stations in a "V" will also allow the teacher to monitor "eyes on copy" at a glance.
A master power switch, surge protectors, and power strips are suggested. White boards, air-conditioning, and a tiled floor may also be considered if computers are being installed in a classroom.
Chairs and table tops should be the correct height for Middle Level students. As a general guide, it is recommended that students' forearms be parallel with the slant of the keyboard. With the wide range of developing physical sizes of young students, adjustable furniture is advisable.
Checklist for Assessing Keyboarding Furniture and Equipment outlines some basic considerations for selecting furniture and equipment for keyboarding.

Using Keyboarding with Other Areas of Study

Once the skill of touch keyboarding is attained, it will be extended to word processing and possibly other software applications. The efficiency and productivity that the students experience from having touch keyboarding skills should be appreciated as students use their skills for their personal or school projects. Teachers are encouraged to help students practise the use of their skills in a variety of applications.

Although the skill of touch keyboarding on the computer can be used in virtually all subject areas, it is most often applied across the curriculum in the area of written communications. The following are a few suggestions to apply touch keyboarding and information processing skills to Middle Level curricula. Other suggestions for projects and activities are found in Appendix A.

In English Language Arts, the computer can be used to facilitate the writing process. Students may compose, edit, and revise any number of meaningful forms of communication. Poems, stories, essays and letters may be prepared around themes. For example, students may compose a poem about survival on the streets or prepare a story about survival in the wilderness. Journal writing could be saved and recalled for additions when needed.
In Mathematics, students may word process their research report on topics such as famous mathematicians or the use of measurement tools in the world around us. Graphics may be designed using the computer and added to the title page or other pages of the document. Students could compose a letter to an individual, asking how mathematics is used in a particular career area.
In Science, signs, posters, and display information for Science Fair projects may be designed and processed using word processing and graphics software. A script for a television commercial promoting the advantages of buying an energy-efficient house could be word processed and then role played.
In Social Studies, students could compose, format, and send a letter to request information on the history of the settlement of a western Canadian community. Information received from the requests could be processed into a booklet that could be reproduced and distributed. Students may use the computer to create an invitation requesting individuals to come to the classroom and discuss the roles and responsibilities within their respective organizations/institutions.
In Arts Education, students may word process a review of a choreographer's work or illustrate a research report on the impact of European contact on the Aboriginal Peoples of Saskatchewan. A log of gender representations in the mass media noting sexism and stereotyping may be kept and updated on the computer. Students may use a graphics application to help design a logo for a new product.
In Health Education, students could prepare a brochure summarizing information they collect on cereals and their nutritional value. The computer could be used to design cartoons illustrating various assertiveness skills. Opinion poll questionnaires and results on seat belt use may be prepared using the word processor.
In Physical Education, students may prepare their action plan for physical fitness or physical activity using the computer. A speech discussing the changes made to their day-to-day fitness plans may be composed, edited, and revised on the computer and then presented to the class. Levels of personal fitness or skill development could be graphed over time.
In Career Guidance, students may compose and format letters to various cooperatives requesting specific information about careers and employment opportunities in that sector. Students may word process their autobiography outlining the significant events that have influenced their personal lives.