Computer Literacy

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Computer Literacy

• What will this mean in 2005?
• Helen Wolfe, Professor of CIS, Post University

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What do we mean by computer literacy?

• If you are computer literate are you fluent?

• If you are fluent are you literate?

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Both information literacy and FIT are essential
to use information technology effectively

• Literacy and FITness are interrelated but
  distinct
• Computer Science and Telecommunication Board,
  1999
• National Research Council

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According to the National Research Council

• Being Fluent with Information Technology
• Encompasses
• Intellectual Capabilities
• Information Technology Concepts
• Information Technology Skills

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Information literacy focusA set of intellectual
capabilities, conceptual knowledge, and
contemporary skills associated with information
technology

• Deals with content and communication finding,
  organizing and analyzing information -research,
  assessment and evaluation
• Takes the form of text images, video,
  simulations, multimedia, interactivity
• Purpose art, news, entertainment, education,
  research, business, commerce, politics

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The National Academy of EngineeringTechnically
Speaking, 2002

• The technology literate citizen
• Has knowledge everyday pervasiveness, use,
  tradeoffs between costs and benefits
• Understands benefits and risks, seeks information
  about new technologies, participates in (ways of
  thinking and acting)
• Can apply capabilities

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Intellectual Capabilities

• Able to apply productively to work and everyday
  lives in complex situations understanding
  consequences
• Understands when IT assists or impedes
• Adapts to changes and advancements
• Involves communications, information processing,
  and problem solving

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Referencing the Computer Science and
Telecommunications Board

• One who is fluent with technology (FIT)
• Engages in sustained reasoning defines,
  clarifies, revises, tests etc. using programs,
  design tools, visualization and modeling
  environments, web resources
• Manages complexity involving a number of tasks as
  problem clarification, solution formulation,
  design, implementation,, testing, evaluating the
  outcome
• Plans, designs, integrates, responds to the
  unexpected, diagnoses (debugs)
• Manages resources memory, storage, bandwidth,
  time effective benchmarks
• Understands the linkages and interdependencies
  word size, modem speed, dedicated lines, cable or
  DSL connections
  
  

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Intellectual capabilities for FIT
continuedTesting a solution

• Understands design meets user needs.
• Tests a solution
• Comprehends the connections between iterative
  design, testing, implementation
• Organizes and navigates information structures
  and evaluates information

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FITness

• Manage faulty solutions
• Ability to find and evaluate information
• Reading a manual
• Using online help
• Applying Boolean logic
• Evaluating sources and information- valid,
  relevant, timely, complete, accurate. appropriate

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• Collaborate work in groups to complete a
  complex project
• Communicate at appropriate levels
• Convey proper information to right audiences
  experts, novices, providing documentation

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FITness

• Expect the unexpected understanding the whole
  picture, additional needs, changes, add-ons,
  budgetary changes
• Anticipate changing technologies
• Think about IT abstractly related to culture,
  policies, embedded procedures, hierarchy, power
  structure
• Becoming independent lifelong learners so can
  adapt to new technologies
• Becoming adept at applying technology to
  personally relevant tasks

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Conceptual Foundations of IT Contributing to FIT

• The programming sequence programming
  fundamentals/structures , algorithmic thinking
• Basics of Information systems hardware,
  software, people, processes, networks,
  data/information, interfaces, storage, security,
  privacy
• Digital representation
• Information organization forms, structure
• Databases, Boolean logic and search engines

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FIT Technology Skills

• Connecting the parts of a PC and its major
  peripherals learning about cables, ports
• Using basic operating system features
• Using a word processor to create a text document
• Using software for graphics, art work,
  illustrations presentation software
• Connecting to a network
• Using the Internet to find information
  browsers, search engines, how to query and
  evaluate results

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FIT technology skills continued

• Using a computer to communicate with others
• Using a spreadsheet to model
• Using a database system to set up and access
  useful information
• Using instructional materials - manuals and
  online help for features and new applications.

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Is the distinction between fluency and
literacy real or a problem for virtual
reality?What else? Privacy and Data
Mining?Photographic truth? Issues for informed
citizens?As educators what is our mission?
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Upon successful completionof a course in
computer literacy

• What should a student be able to do?

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Competencies to be Learned?

• Upon successful completion, the student will be
  able to
• Define computer and its role in converting data
  into information
• Describe computer categories and their roles
• Identify input, processing, storage, output
  hardware and peripherals
• Explain the difference between system and
  application software

• - Identify interface elements prompts, menus,
  graphical objects, commands
• - Use documentation resources manuals,
  tutorials, and online help
• - Understand the computer market by analyzing
  computer advertisements for price, technical
  specifications, and performance

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More competencies

• Define computer compatibility
• Select the best application software for a task
• Understand physical and logical storage
• Format a disk Why?
• Create valid file and folder names

• Understand architecture ROM, RAM, virtual
  memory, cache, CMOS, factors effecting CPU
  performance, expansion boards, busses
  transporting bits and bytes. Word size
• Apply telecommunication technology for research
  and communicating email, FTP, Telnet, search
  engines, Boolean Logic

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Activities Supporting Outcomes

• Tutorials
• Cases
• Projects

• Write an essay using Boolean logic to find
  sources online and format, edit, insert a
  picture
• Design a computer configuration using online
  sites such as Dell or Gateway and create a
  spreadsheet to compare bundled systems

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Activities

• Create a spreadsheet for data presentation,
  decision support, and graphing e.g. a budget
• Create a Power Point presentation
• Create an effective web page for web publication

• Create a chart using Paint
• Identify issues relating to computer crime,
  security, and privacy and present findings in a
  table
• Discuss ethical computer use

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More Activities

• Create a slide show about a hobby or special
  interest
• Design a sign for a local event using the Paint
  accessory
• Any more suggestions?
• Lets divide into groups and discuss revising
  outcomes and suggest additional activities to
  support accomplishing these.