Instructional Strategies of Teaching Keyboarding was taught at the State University of West Georgia during the Winter Quarter, 1998, as an on-line course. Twenty-four graduate students were enrolled in the course that was scheduled to meet for 10 class periods from 5:00 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Monday evenings. Three of these classes were held on campus at the university; the remaining seven classes were conducted on the Internet, with students and the instructor "attending class" from a home computer at a remote site.

To present and discuss strategies of teaching keyboarding, the instructor identified 38 volunteers (keyboarding experts) from 27 different states to exchange teaching methodologies with the students.  Students were assigned a prescribed number of questions to ask each of the experts, and then e-mailed their questions to each of their assigned three or four keyboarding experts.  The experts e-mailed their responses to the students, and some of the experts participated on-line during class session "chat rooms" that were conducted on the Internet.  Students reacted to the experts' responses, providing additional input for a total of 86 questions that were asked of the 38 keyboarding experts.

The questions asked of all keyboarding experts, the experts' responses, and the students' reactions appear on the pages of this document. Some of the responses were typed by the students, some were captured using a screen-capture program, some were scanned into the document with an OCR reader. Thus, it is possible that a few typographical errors remain in the final copy that was submitted to the instructor. It was not the intent of the students nor the instructor to edit this document in an attempt to find and correct all errors in these 100+ pages; but, rather, to provide these teaching strategies for keyboarding instructors who could use the expertise of the many keyboarding experts that volunteered their time and effort to provide the students with this valuable teaching resource.

To the extent possible, the names of all keyboarding experts were removed from the individual responses that were submitted.  The experts who participated, however, are identified on page 2 of this document.  The instructor and students wish to express their sincere appreciation to the 38 teachers who volunteered their time and expertise in this "keyboarding adventure."

It is the hope of the instructor and the students that this material will prove invaluable to keyboarding instructors across the nation to help them (and especially to help beginning teachers) gain new ideas to improve their classroom teaching strategies.  Any comments or suggestions you have can be sent to Dr. Jack E. Johnson at hotshotz@avana.net or jjohnson@westga.edu.

Gail Chambers Shelby State, Tennessee
Judy Chiri Aurora, Colorado
Ann Cooper Central Carolina Technical College
Tena Crews Ball State University, Indiana
Diane Durkee Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Book Co., Ohio
Julianne Eklund Minot State University, North Dakota
Sharon Fisher-Larson Elgin Community College, Illinois
Jean Gordon First Colonial High School, Virginia
Lillian Greathouse Eastern Illinois State University
Cindy Greene Centennial High School, Georgia
Billie Harrin University of Montana
Jack Henson Morehead State University, Kentucky
Andrea Holmes Renton Technical College, Washington
Jack Imdieke Wayne State College, Nebraska
Randy Joyner East Carolina University
Wayne Klemin Central Washington University
Jim LaBarre University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire
Steve Lewis Middle Tennessee State University
Mindy McCannon Georgia College
Rosemary McCauley Montclair State College, New Jersey
Randy McElvey Valdosta State University, Georgia
Melanie Meche University of Southwest Louisiana
Wayne Moore Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Anne Morgan Davis County Schools, Iowa
Scot Ober Ball State University, Indiana
Bill Patton University of Montana
Devern Perry Brigham Young University, Utah
Lila Prigge University of North Dakota
Roger Rankin Idaho State University
Arlene Rice Los Angeles City College
Terry Roach Arkansas State University
Domonic Salce Gilbert Junior High School, Arizona
Gary Schepf Nimitz High School, Texas
Kimberly Schultz Central Decatur High School, Iowa
Jean Swanson Southwest Missouri State University
Susan Switzer Central Michigan State University
Donna Toole Shelby State, Tennessee
Nancy Zeliff Northwest Missouri State University

The following 86 questions were asked of the experts. The questions were categorized into 10 areas identified below. Those questions preceded with an asterisk were asked of several keyboarding experts.

Area 1: Evaluation Questions Page 7
Should a technique grade be given throughout the entire semester or just through the alphabet units? Why or why not?
How should students be evaluated while learning the keyboard?
*25. How many errors should be allowed when a student starts typing 1-minute timed writings? How many errors should be allowed in a 3-minute timed writing? In a 5-minute timed writing?
Do you average technique grades or take the highest with improvement?
We use the highest 3-minute grading scale the entire semester and take the highest grades (5), then average them for their timed writing portion. Do you see anything wrong with this practice?
*39. What are the weights and categories that you use for grading in a first semester keyboarding course?
*47. What weight do you give to typing technique, timings, document processing, tests, etc. to determine the final grade in a beginning keyboarding class?
Should keyboarding grades be based on a bell curve or average of peer grades? For example, the average speed of a typical class is 40 wpm for Unit 1 test. Can I base Sarah's and Johnny's grades on the average grade by adding or subtracting from their grades based on the average scores?
How do you determine the speed which students should be typing during the course of a semester? How do you determine what is an A, B, C, etc.?

Area 2: Teaching Keyboarding in the Middle School Page 26
 In our school district, middle school business courses devote only four weeks to teaching keyboarding.  Given this amount of time, what specific area(s) of keyboarding skill(s) should be developed?
*60. What purposes and goals should keyboarding have in middle school given the course only lasts 45 days and word processing, spreadsheets, and other skills must be taught as well?
*61. Should beginning keyboarding be taught in the elementary grades, in middle school, or in high school?
*81. Our school system is proposing to teach beginning keyboarding in the elementary grades.  If this is done, who should teach the course and what training should they have.  What role can high school business teacher play in this arrangement?
If keyboarding is taught in the elementary grades, what keyboarding-related skills should we teach at the high school level?
 

Area 2: Teaching Keyboarding to Ninth Graders Page 33

How much word processing should be taught in a beginning ninth grade keyboarding class?
How long should a ninth grade keyboarding class run on 90 minute periods.  Should it be 6 weeks, 9 weeks, or 1 semester?
*20.  If you had to teach a 9-week course of keyboarding (with 90-minute class periods) to ninth grade students, what would you cover?

Area 3: Teaching Production in Keyboarding Page 36
*6. What should be measured in a production test? How often should you test a student's production skills?
 Should letterhead paper be used when printing business letters and forms to further enhance the student's understanding of formatting?  Why?  Why not?
How long should a production test last (number of minutes)?

Area 4: Teaching Skillbuilding in Keyboarding Page 40
How many alphabetic letters should be introduced in each lesson?
Is there a set pattern as to the introduction of new keys?
*16. How much time should be spent in presenting the alphabetic keyboard?
How much time should be spent on skill building between the completion ADVANCE of the letter keyboard and the introduction of the number keys?
Should students be allowed to practice on, or at least view, a copy that will be timed for a grade?
Should teachers emphasize improving straight-copy skills or document processing skills?  Why?
How much daily/weekly time should be given to skillbuilding after the keyboard is learned?

Area 5: Teaching Software/Technology in Keyboarding Page 46
How long should a ninth-grade beginning keyboard class run on 90 minute periods.  Should it be 6 weeks, 9 weeks, or 1 semester?
 Is it better to use individualized instruction software that allows students to progress at their own pace, or should beginning keyboarding students be kept together until the keyboard has been completely covered?
Is there evidence indicating that the ergonomically designed keyboard improves performance?
*42. What do you predict the impact of voice input technology will be on keyboard usage and instruction?
Do you prefer using industry standard software such as Microsoft Word or WordPerfect for preparing production activities  ( i.e. letters, tables, reports, and memos) in keyboarding, or would you recommend a student typing program such as those prepared by text book publishers?  Why?
With the case of error correction and the automatic spelling correction features on software programs, do you believe students should have the freedom of backspacing during timed writings? Why or why not?

Many printers are unable to properly set up envelops.  What is the best teaching technique for introducing and explaining envelops?
With spell check and grammar check available, should teachers emphasize proofreading documents before printing?  Why or why not?
Do you think that keyboarding software will ever take the place of an instructor/facilitator?
With today's software packages for keyboarding instruction, do you feel that we are moving more toward the role of facilitators and self-taught keyboarding classes?  Is this a positive or negative trend?
As voice recognition software continues to improve, will keyboarding become less necessary? How will the role of keyboarding change?
With many of the new multimedia workstations including a CD-ROM, how do you feel about allowing students to listen to their own CD's with headphones while typing?
Do you feel that computer software helps or hinders and individual's ability to improve keyboarding skills?  Why?
If you are using a publisher's keyboarding software program (i.e. Glencoe, Southwestern, or Paradigm), would you suggest that students move at their own speed through the program, or would you suggest that they move through the program together?  Or would you use the program as a reinforcement after using the textbook/teacher method?
*80. What advancements in technology are going to have the greatest impact on teaching keyboarding in the next two or three years?

Area 6: Teaching Special Needs in Keyboarding Page 58
*21. What type of modifications should be made for teaching keyboarding to special needs students?
If a student is physically challenged and can only use one hand, how many words a minute should that student be required to type in comparison to a student who is not physically challenged?

Area 7: Teaching Speed and Accuracy in Keyboarding Page 61
*8. Upon completing a beginning keyboarding class, how many wpm should the average student be able to type?  Have you found that the average is consistent from class to class?  What errors do you consistently see and what recommendations do you make to the students to correct them.
Are employers interested more in keyboarding speed and accuracy or with the computer knowledge of its employees?
 In timed writings, should an instructor evaluate and grade both speed and accuracy?
*29. During a nine-week keyboarding course, what should be the timed writing goal for the course?
*50. Can a timed writing that is repeated be an accurate predictor of a student's skill in keyboarding?  How often can a timed writing be repeated before it no longer represents a student's true skill?
*57. What should be stressed moreÑspeed or accuracy?  Why?
When teaching beginning typists, should speed or accuracy be emphasized first?  Why?

*66. What are some effective techniques or practices for improving accuracy?
*67. What are some effective techniques or practices for improving speed?
What is the optimum length for a timed writing?
How often each week should you give timed writing tests?

Area 8: Teaching Strategies/Philosophy of Keyboarding Page 82
What is the most difficult keyboarding application for students to master?
Should students be allowed to work at their own pace with assignment sheets or stay together as a class?
*22. At what grade level should keyboarding instruction be introduced?
When should an instructor begin timed writings with students?
Is their evidence to indicate that playing music during keyboarding can improve performance?
What should be the maximum class size in an introduction to keyboarding course?
Should students all stay on the same lessons, even if some are more advanced?
What are your thoughts on allowing students to correct errors on 3' and 5 timings?
*41. Do you feel that having students graph gross words on 30" and I' speed and accuracy drills is an effective motivation strategy?
How important is speed and accuracy as opposed to grammar, punctuation, spelling, formatting, and other non-keyboarding skills?  Where should we spend more class time?
*49. What method of teaching number typing do you suggest?
 Should students be allowed to take a mini-break from keying after a designated period of time?  If so, what would you recommend in terms of time and activity?
At what point for a beginning typist should speed be introduced and emphasized?
*62. What are the top three things (key elements) that a beginning typist must do consistently to become a good typist?
Given only 10 minutes each day for 45 days a year to teach typing, using no typing books (just Mavis Beacon), what different strategies should be used to teach keyboarding?
Do you feel that teaching word processing skills in keyboarding hinders a student's ability to build keyboarding skills? Why or why not?
Our keyboarding class has one semester of keyboarding using one textbook and a second semester of word processing using another textbook. (a) Do you think this is a good arrangement, or would it be better to have one textbook that integrated the two? (b) If we have to use both textbooks, should we integrate the two or stick to one semester of each?

Area 9: Teaching Technique in Keyboarding Page 99
Do you have any suggestions on teaching and having students maintain good technique?
Should students use a cover shield to reinforce home-key technique?
Should wrist supports be used in keyboarding?
*34. What is the best way to evaluate technique?  How often do you grade technique?
Do you find it helpful to cover student's hands while teaching new keys to prevent them from watching their hands and the keyboard?  Why or why not?
How much should technique count the first half of a one-semester keyboarding course?
*86. How do you break the habit of looking at the keys when typing?

 Evaluation

Question #15: Should a technique grade be given throughout the entire semester or just through the alphabet units? Why or why not?

ADVANCE Expert's Response: My suggestion would be to grade technique by observation only during the alphabet units. At the college level we don't grade technique, but I realize at the elementary or high school level you have to have something in your grade book.

Student's Reaction: I totally disagree with this experts's advice and philosophy concerning this question. She states that at the college level she doesn't grade technique. This might be okay at this level (I can not judge since I have never taught at that level). However, I am concerned about her statement that at the elementary and high school level only gives a technique grade just to have a grade. This doesn't seem to agree with what I have learned about good typing methodology. The technique grade is vital to the success of a beginning typist. It is also important to the advanced typist who want to continually improve in speed or accuracy. I would include a technique grade all year if just to remind the students of its importance. The percentage grade the last half of the semester might be very low compared to the first half, but I would still give a grade.

Question #15: Should a technique grade be given throughout the entire semester or just through the alphabet units? Why or why not?         I

Expert's Response: Our technique grade does not specifically cover the alphabet or numbers.
It includes the following: POSTURE--feet on the floor, back straight and against the chair back, fingers curved over the keys, wrists held off the keyboard, eyes on copy. KEYBOARD-- keyboard pulled to edge of desk, fingers on "home row," using correct fingers on up and down reaches, right little finger used for enter key, and little finger of correct hand on shift key. We usually don't grade for technique until after students have learned the entire keyboard. Generally,
we give three technique grades and usually students are evaluated during the last 2-3 weeks of a semester. I do believe that technique is very important. It is probably what keeps students from being successful. If they paid more attention to their technique and worried less about their speed, they probably would do better!
 

Student's Reaction: This expert states exactly what I believe constitutes good keyboarding technique. However, she doesn't really address the reason for not grading technique the first half of the semester. I believe she contradicts her statement that technique is important by not really grading that way. She even states that students are unsuccessful because of poor technique. I firmly believe that technique should be graded during the entire semester. However, the weight would be drastically different after the alphabetic unit. For example, let the technique grade the first 6 weeks be 70 percent and the last 6 weeks be 20 percent.

Question #17. How should students be evaluated while learning the keyboard?

Expert's Response: During the first few weeks of a keyboarding class, students should be made to feel confident that they can learn to type. They should know exactly what is expected of them at the beginning of each class. Constant encouragement and guidance from the teacher will provide the feedback needed to progress successively. During the initial weeks of learning to type, students need to be taught correct keyboarding techniques--eyes on copy, feet on floor, back straight in chair, and fingers curved over home keys. Teaching correct techniques and evaluating the use of  those techniques are very important especially during the learning of the keyboard letter keys. A technique evaluation may be done on any technique a teacher wants students to practice. To evaluate how well a student is performing a certain technique, the teacher may choose to give a "Technique Timing." A "Technique Timing" is a timing for a brief period--15", 30", 1 min.   The student is directed to concentrate on ONLY ONE technique for that specific period of time--15", 30",  1 min. The teacher may grade (evaluate) students individually on their performance of a specific technique. Technique timings are NEVER graded for speed and/or accuracy.  A letter grade can be assigned to the technique evaluation if the teacher wishes.

Question #17:  How should students be evaluated while learning the keyboard?

Expert's Response: Evaluation for grading purposes while learning the keyboard should be very limited; however, evaluation should be constant.  The student's technique, posture, and touch keying should be observed frequently and feedback provided.  I try to allow my students adequate time to learn the keyboard before I grade them on speed and accuracy, but I evaluate throughout the process.

Student's Reaction:  I have never taught keyboarding, but I do completely agree with the expert.  I think that evaluation should be constant.  I believe that frequent and constant evaluation will help ease the tension some students feel when being evaluated.  It seems to me that the only things that could be reasonably evaluated while still learning the keyboard are things like technique, posture, key stroking, etc.

Question #17: How should students be evaluated while learning the keyboard?
Expert's Response: This is difficult sometimes.  I used to evaluate them in two ways.  1 Ð let the students type as fast as they could and not worry about mistakes and see how many words they could get and then have them type as slow as possible and they could not make any mistakes.  If they made a mistake they had to stop typing and whoever was the last one typing won.  I guess these were actually more drills than evaluation, but it is important that they get in the frame of mind of no mistakes or fast.  One or the other to begin with and then you can put them together later after all of the keyboard is learned.

Student's Reaction: I don't think this response contains an answer to the question, so I'll give you my opinion.  While learning the keyboard, students should be evaluated on their technique first and foremost.  During the first three or four weeks this would be the only skill grade given.  Other grades could come from quizzes over general information such as paper size, punctuation, spacing, computer vocabulary, and other similar material.  From the fourth to sixth week, evaluation can be done on speed and basic production.  Once the entire keyboard is learned, evaluation should begin quickly in these other areas.  This helps the students maintain interest in the course by providing additional feedback on their progress.

Question #17: How should students be evaluated while learning the keyboard?

Expert's Response: Most research indicates that students should not be graded while learning the keyboard.  However, we know that's not realistic.  Therefore, since there are no production activities to evaluate, students can be evaluated on their ability to type using correct techniques.  Straight copy skills could also be evaluated.  Students should be able to meet the speed and accuracy goals for the grading period.  In addition, students could be given an objective test which may include questions about what they have learned so far.

Student's Reaction: I agree with the expert's response.  In my opinion, student should also be informally evaluated on a daily basis by the instructor.  This daily feedback would provide motivation to the students.  Also, the instructor would be aware of  who needs more attention.  I like the idea of giving an objective test on what the student has learned so far.

Question #17: How should students be evaluated while learning the keyboard?
Expert's Response: We do not grade on technique at the college level, we do observe and offer suggestions to improve technique and use a software that comes with our textbook, College Keyboarding for Windows by South Western which stresses correct technique.  Our timed writing software called Micropace Plus, which corresponds with the textbook also points out keystrokes which may be causing the student problems.  If you have to give a grade, it will have to be based on observation or drills completed or work completed.

Student's Reaction: I would agree on grading on observation and drills, but at this age of students, I would have to come up with a technique grade.  Students should still be able to change some of their bad habits and learn proper techniques.

Question #17: How should students be evaluated while learning the keyboard?

Expert's Response: I always evaluated my students work by either putting a plus or minus on the papers they handed inÑpractice work.  In my grade book a plus was one point and a minus was zero.  I also commented on technique.  I believe that formative evaluation is very important and gives students an incentive to improve.

Student's Reaction: I grade sole on technique until the keyboard is completely introduced.

Question #17: How should students be evaluated while learning the keyboard?

Expert's Response: I evaluate my students by observing their technique during the keyboard learning time period.  But I do not use this for a grade.  It is for feedback purposes only.  In college we only have to come up with an end of the semester grade so I am not worried with grade reporting at the end of a 6 or 9 week period.

Student's Reaction: I think observing their technique is a good form of evaluation.  In addition to observing them, stressing proper technique will also help the students in the early stages.

Question 25. How many errors should be allowed when a student starts typing 1-minute timed writings? How many errors should be allowed in a 3-minute timed writing?  In a 5-minute timed writing?
 

Expert's Response: When students are typing one-minute timed writings, the teacher should not concern the student with accuracy or speed until students have been introduced to the entire letter keyboard--usually about lesson 12-15.  When the teacher does begin scoring speed and accuracy on one-minute timed writings allow two errors per minute. For a three-minute timed writing allow five errors in the entire timed writing or 1.7 errors per minute. When students develop their skills enough to type five-minute timed writings, they should be fairly proficient typists.  Therefore, allowing only ONE error a minute is a reasonable standard.

Student's Reaction: I agree that a maximum of two errors per minute should be allowed on a 1-minute timed writing. Students should be even more accurate with longer timed writings. I agree a maximum of five errors should be permitted on a 3-minute timed writing.  A teacher should encourage accuracy. Pacing should be easier to achieve the time increases, and errors should decrease. I agree students should have no more than one error per minute on a 5-minute timed writing.

Question #25:  How many errors should be allowed when a student starts typing 1-minute timed writings?  How many errors should be allowed in a 3-minute timed writing?  In a 5-minute timed writing?

Expert's Response: On one-minute timings, I generally allow 2 errors in the beginning then down to one.  Eventually, I allow 3 errors on a 3-minute and 5 errors on a 5-minute timing.

Student's Reaction:  Well, as I stated above, I have never taught keyboarding.  Therefore, I have no experience as an instructor on which to base my opinion.  However, the pattern of allowing one error per minute of timed writing does seem fair to me.  Besides, I think I remember Dr. Johnson saying that one error per minute was his allotment for errors when giving timed writings.  Sounds good to me.

Question #25: How many errors should be allowed when a student starts typing 1-minute timed writings? How many errors should be allowed in a 3-minute timed writing?

Expert's Response: Most research shows that approximately 1 error per minute is "normal."
Therefore, on a 1-minute timing, students would be allowed 1 error; on a 2-minute timing 2 errors; and so forth.  However, you should also take into account their speed.  For instance, a student who is typing 30 words a minute with 1 error on a 1-minute timing should not receive the same grade as a student typing 18 words a minute with 1 error on the same timing.

Student's Reaction: The research that I have read states the same information as that of the expert's. Since I have yet to teach keyboarding, I can only go on the research results of others.  I do agree that speed should be taken into account.
 

Question #25: How many errors should be allowed when a student starts typing 1-minute timed writings?  How many errors should be allowed in a 3-minute timed writing?  In a 5-minute timed writing?

Expert's Response: I always followed the one error per minute rule and I would usually record only those timings.  However, if this was too harsh for some students who really tried and had anxiety attacks under pressure, I would use the scores from the computer typing tutor programs. The tutors I used gave the GWPM and NWPM.  I would also list on my grading sheets or in my grade book under my one, three, and five minute categories the total number of words and errorsÑ23/2 or 28/6Ñso I could identify how well they were actually doing on timed writings.  It made it much easier to give the summative grade.  I do not do well under pressure, therefore, I always look for what is best for the student.

Student's Reaction: I agree.  While I allow more errors in middle school, I would base grading on one error per minute for high school students.  I would use the best 3-5 timings per grading period for determining a speed grade.

Question #25: How many errors should be allowed when a student starts typing 1-minute timed writings?  How many errors should be allowed in a 3-minute timed writing?  In a 5-minute timed writing?

Expert's Response: I was never particularly concerned with errors on timed writings during the first quarter of typing.  I generally used the textbooks recommended errors of about two errors per minute.  I have always spent more time and energy working on technique.  I always graded the first quarter of typing primarily on technique.  With all of the word processing and error correction capability I'm not convinced that we have to worry about accuracy to the same extent as before.
 

Student's Reaction: I have very mixed feeling about errors on timed writings because of the situation with the computer labs at Parkview.  In some of the labs where keyboarding is taught, there is no keyboarding software and no way of turning off the error correction capability.  In other labs we have the software that will allow us to turn off the backspace and delete keys.  I have taught keyboarding in both kinds of labs.  I prefer to have the keyboarding software that does not allow error correction so that the students can see the kinds of errors they are making and practice to eliminate these errors.  On the other hand, in the labs where students can correct errors on timings, the grades and the speeds are significantly higher.  This shows that the students are recognizing when they make errors and are getting very proficient at making fast corrections.  What is the goal?  Do we want students who never make errors because they can diagnose problems and practice to eliminate the making of the errors, or do we want students who can quickly produce error-free documents because they recognize errors and can efficiently correct them?  I think it must be a combination of both.

At Parkview we allow two errors per minute on 3-minute timings.  We only grade 3-minute timings, and we do not accept timings with more than six errors.  This is true for the entire 18-week semester.  This is very difficult for some students--especially those who cannot make corrections during the timing.  I do not "allow" students to correct during timings, but it is impossible to stop everyone when you have 28 in a class.  I have many who consistently turn in error-free, 3-minute timings.

I agree with the expert that technique is more important during the first weeks of keyboarding regardless of the speed and accuracy level reached by the student.  At Parkview we believe this so strongly that 80 percent of a student's grade for the first six weeks is based on technique.

Question #37: Do you average technique grades or take the highest with improvement?

Expert's Response: I do not believe in averaging grades.  I feel it penalizes the student.  Instead, I expect the students to achieve a specific level at least twice or maybe three times before recording the grade.  I use the same procedure for both speed and accuracy.

Student's Reaction: Unlike the expert,  I do believe in averaging the best outcome  of the different areas of technique.  For example, I would average the best workstation grade, the best position on the keyboard grade, and the best keystroking grade. I think all are equally important.  It would be more appropriate for me to rate the students as oppose to giving them a grade.   However, I understand that grades must be given.  I would not average for speed and accuracy as the expert stated in his response.

Question #38: We use the highest 3 minute grading scale the entire semester and take the highest grades (5), then average them for their timed writing portion.  Do you see anything wrong with that?

Expert's Response: I do not believe in averaging typewriting grades.  I believe that you should give students credit for what they have achieved.  I would perhaps expect the students to achieve a specific level twice or even three times before I would count it as a valid achievement level.  In averaging, you actually are not giving the students credit or their latest achievement level.
 

Student's Reaction: I think this is a philosophical issue.  The expert's position certainly has merit. but what happens if a student does not produce a second or third timing at a given level?  I personally have no problem with averaging the highest two, three, or four highest timed writing scores to determine the timed writing grade average.  I usually require a minimum number of timed writings to be submitted (5); then I take the highest three and average them together.

Question #39: What are the weights and categories that you use for grading in a first semester keyboarding course?

Expert's Response: In my Beginning Keyboarding class the students use the South-Western typing book.  This book has a keyboarding program that comes with the book.  I use this program for the teaching of the keyboard alphabetic and numeric and I also use the numeric keypad part of the program to teach the numeric keypad, which I feel is very important for them to learn.  Some students in my class can already type when entering the class; some have never touched a computer. The class is designed for those who have never typed, so those that have typed are always finished with the material way ahead, and those that haven't are usually discouraged if they are sitting by a 45 wpm person.

I do not cover all the material in the software.  I have the students use chapters 1-13 (which covers all of the alphabetic keyboard) at two lessons/class period.  I do not have them complete the section called "textbook keying" in each chapter.  They strictly use the drills and new key lessons.  I then skip to lessons 18 - 30 (which cover the numbers and the symbols) again, they do not do the textbook keying, only the lesson material and the drill material.

After the students complete these lessons they go to the section of the program where they learn the numeric keypad operation. This consists of 4 lessons.

I record all of the lessons to be sure that the students complete all the material, but I am not overly concerned with the speed or the accuracy.  The program does give speed timings for each lesson which show up on the printed lesson summary, and the students like to take these several times on their own.  The lesson will not let the student go on if too many errors have been made.

I have found that, in general, students seem to do better with speed and accuracy since I have switched to the software as opposed to using the book.
 

I do not "grade" any of this learning work.  Some students naturally have a better memory for association than others, which is a great part of learning to type.  I found in the past when I was teaching from the book and had a little better control over where we were from day to day than I do now, that many students became discouraged if I assigned a "grade" for their progress at the beginning.  I always tell the class that when they finish the program lessons that they should be typing about 24 wpm.  I actually feel that they should be typing about 30-32 and most of them do.  It does give the few slow typists a little hope, and for those that are typing 30 or so they think they are great, which is good. For those who are typing 20-25 it is still more than they knew when they started.

After the lessons on the keyboard I change over to WordPerfect 6.1 to teach the formatting.  Naturally the first material is on margins, centering, etc.  Then I teach the letter styles.  After the letter styles section I give a test.  I usually teach the block and modified block at the same time, use the textbook as a guide, refer to other textbook explanations about letter styles so they won't think that our textbook is a god, etc.  At the end of the letter styles section I review, check their practice letters (classwork and homework that they keep in a ring binder so I don't have a thousand papers to carry home) and then I test.

The first test includes one short invitation that is centered on all lines and three short-to-average letters in a variety of styles.  I grade a little differently than most other teachers.  Many typing teachers take off so many points for an error and count the words, etc.  The way I look at it there are three things that you are looking for in a typed piece of work--1.  Speed, 2. Format, and 3. Accuracy.  If you think about it, there are a lot of things going on besides just typing when giving production problems deciding the format, saving and printing the file, accurate typing, etc.  This is how I determine the grade on the work.  I look at the centering problem and 3 letters that I think they should be able to type in 40-45 minutes.  I assign the letters and give all the instructions. They are allowed to use their books for any reference that they want, they are supposed to use the spell check, and they may print out their work, check it, edit it, and can reprint if they choose.

(None of us are perfect typists, and now that we have grammar check and spell check my thought is that the work, however little the student is able to do, should be pretty good, and, if a student is a good typist, then he/she should have plenty of time to run the spell check and the grammar check. To me, this should be part of what we need to be teaching in typing in today's classroom.  It is a tool, why not use it?  It isn't like it is going to go away. I love spell check.)
 

My grading is divided into three parts. The first part is speedÐhow many letters did you do?  I expect them to be able to type the centering problem and at least one letter.  If a student types only the centering problem generally he/she has not come to class and isn't going to pass anyway.  This usually gets a D for speed and for the test.  (If the work is not centered, poorly typed and the student obviously doesn't have a clue, the paper gets an F.)

Most beginning students can type the centering problem and at least 2 of the letters.  This is how my grading runs.  The centering problem and one letter gets a C for speed.  The centering problem and 2 letters gets a B for speed and the centering problem and 3 letters gets an A for speed.

Then I look at the format.  If there is one formatting error on the page the paper does not pass.  For instance, if the letter for modified block has the signature lines back at the left margin then that paper does not count.  So conceivably, a student who has typed the centering problem and all three letters would have an A for speed but could get an F for formatting. (Wrong margins, wrong spacing, no date, wrong letter style for a particular letter, not centered horizontally AND vertically on the centering problem, etc. [I can give you more info if you want it.]) If a student types the centering problem and only 2 of the letters and all formatting is correct he/she will get an A for formatting.  I consider that all of the formatting was done correctly and the student should receive excellent recognition for what was done.

Then I look for accuracy.  One typo on a page automatically disqualifies the page.  Now, you have to decide what is a typo and what is formatting (such as the two-letter state abbreviation, etc.).  If all typing is accurate and at least 2 papers were complete then the student gets an A for accuracy.

Now let's say that I have three grades for the test paperÐSpeed (A) Formatting (F) and Accuracy (B).  I average these grades and give the student that grade for the test.  After having taught typing for about 20 years I find that this gives the grade that I would have given the student anyway and the student seems to understand better where his/her shortcomings are.  Some students seem to think that if they finish all the work that is all that matters.  Some feel that if they are accurate that they should have an A.  This way they see all the three necessary parts of a finished document and where they need to improve to make it better.
 

For reports (manuscripts) I have students type practice assignments in class, then they have to read 4 articles on business (ethics, desktop publishing, international business and multimedia presentations) and type summaries as one-page reports with a reference.  They are terrible at this.  Even at the university, most don't understand what they read, can't summarize what they have read, aren't accurate in formatting or typing and that's with the book open and two weeks notice that the assignment is due AND time in class to type it.  Simply amazing.  I give a single grade on this project.  Those who make a B or C are usually at the top of the class.  Most make a D or F.

Tables in WordPerfect (or Word) are a piece of cake.  I usually spend about 4 days on this and then give a test.  I use the same grading as for the letters speed/format/accuracy.  I give four tables, some small, some large, some with shading some without, all have to be centered horizontally and vertically, some have numbers, some have text, some have both,  some have different justification in columns, etc.  Almost all students make an A on this test. (It sort of balances off the reports.)

These are the tests during the semester.  Then for the final exam I use the full 2 Ú hours and give a three part testÐone on letters, one on reports, one on tables.  The test on letters is 4 lettersÐshort and average length.  Same grading as before speed/format/accuracy.  The report test is one report with a reference section and one reference.  Students are required to format for unbound and left bound and print each one.  The tables test is like the first tables test that they have already hadÐfour tables.

I grade the final just like the others speed/format/accuracy (how many/ how well/ how accurate).  I do tell students that if they make an A on all three parts of the finalÐletters, reports, tablesÐthat they will make an A in the course. I explain to them that typing is a skill that they will become progressively better at as they use it, just like any other skill.  Therefore, if they make an A on all three parts of the final I would consider them an A typist.  (They don't ever make As.)  If a student starts out as an A student from the beginning and messes up on parts of the final, I usually don't penalize him/her for that unless he/she makes B's on all three parts.

At the university these students have so much stuff in their wagons that I don't see how many of them ever pass, much less make As on finals.  During final week they are moving out of dorms, have sick children and are just trying to take the final to get it over with, having to take time off from work because the final is never at regular class times.  I'm really a sap about that kind of stuff.  I do (I think I do anyway) make them feel that I am on their side as far as their grades go.  Everyone goes into my final feeling that they have a chance to make an A in my class.  For the most part, if they started out slow and inaccurate, they stay that way, but I always try to make them feel that they can do it if they just try a little harder and that they have a chance to make a great grade in typing.
 

After you have taught typing for a while you will see that you can pretty well judge a student's ability as far as whether he/she is an excellent typist (A) a better-than-average typist (B) and average typist (C) a below-average typist (D) or a failure (F).  Any teacher who tells you different just doesn't want to say it.  Look at it this wayÐif you look at a student's typing ability ask yourself thisÐ"Would I want this person typing my personal work?"  then you will know whether they are an A, B, C, or D student.

Many teachers use the method that if there is one error on the paper then the paper is an F. Then at the end of the term the student gets a grade from out of the clear blue sky, because they have so many F's they don't see how they are passing.  I used to grade some of my classes like that.  Now, however, students take my class as an elective to learn to type.  They are somewhat motivatedÐthey think that keyboarding is going to be an easy grade.  Many are weak students who have not succeeded at lecture-type courses or are in developmental classes and don't qualify for anything else. Many don't come out of my class as great typists.  However, about 80% come out of my class being average typists who can type about 28 - 45 words a minute if they have never had typing.  They are using it for personal use, and I can't see why I should discourage them from feeling success by putting only an F on every paper that they turn in to me (which I could easily do).   This way I can put a passing grade on the parts of their work that they are successful with, even if the final grade on a paper only comes to a C or D.

I did grade differently when the keyboarding courses were part of the secretarial curriculum. In that case I felt that those students should have been near-perfect, but it is different now.  As I look at my classes now, I still can tell which students are going to make an A, B, C, etc., but I find that this method of grading that I use now is almost always in correlation with the type of work that the student is doing.  In the past when I used other methods of grading, I was not as satisfied that the grading method gave enough credit to students for the work that they were doing and sometimes did not penalize them when there was a need to.

I have a colleague of mine that is going to try to use my method of grading this semester, I will let you know how she likes it.

I don't know how I would teach typing in a high-school situation.  I am spoiled by students who mostly come to learn, even if they do lose track of that about Ú way into the semester.  I don't have problems like what to do with someone who can finish the assigned work earlyÐthey just leave the class.  You will not have that freedom.
 

Hopefully this has answered question #1.  Being the blabber mouth that I am I feel stressed by my slow typing speed in being able to explain what I do in class. Maybe it is time for me to buy one of those voice typing systems.  Then this whole question would be moot wouldn't it?  Ah-h-h-h technology.  What I wouldn't give to be where we are today and to be your age to see what technology has in store for the next 30 years in the classroom.  Hopefully after 5 or 6 more I will be basking in the Florida sun whenever I want, and I won't have to learn WordPerfect 25.

Student's Reaction: Wow!  The expert certainly gave me some ideas and had great things to say in her answering this particular question.  I agree and disagree with some of her points.  For instance, I disagree with disqualifying a students work strictly on the basis of one error.  I think this is just a bit too picky for me.  Part of teaching a skill is to increase the students self-esteem as they learn.  By giving students failing grades on papers because of one error, I won't be helping self-esteem.  I also feel students need to know a portion of what they prepared was correct and worth their time.  By completing a paper and receiving credit for the work completed, as well as being graded for errors, students work harder to achieve that 'A' paper.  My overall goal for students is that they become proficient, not perfect, at production and keyboarding.  I want my students to use their skills in the future and to be comfortable with computers in general.

Keying near perfect at the 9th-10th grade level is possible, but unlikely.  In order to be fair our department has devised a method for grading that works for us and benefits our students.  Students receive their overall grade based on three areas: 50% for daily work, 40% for test grades, and 10% for timed writings.

Daily work grades consist of class work completed on the computer averaged with a technique grade.  Tests grades come from objective evaluations the first nine weeks and formatting evaluations given the second nine weeks.  Formatting evaluations are tests where students are encouraged to use resources such as their books and notes from class.  Students are graded on timed writings near the end of both nine week periods

I like the expert's ideas and categories for grading papers or documents.  Her dividing of assignments based on speed or the number completed in a specific period of time is something I will try.  I feel this fits best when I am grading students on a semester test.  I plan to try her scale this semester and see how my students fair.  On the high school level our grading is slightly different from that which the expert uses.  Our 'A' is a score of 90-100%, our 'B' is 80-89%, our 'C' is 70-79%, and anything below a 70% is considered failing.  The expert seemed like a very nice person.  I enjoyed sharing ideas with her and see seemed to have the same "talk-a-tive" personality I have.

Question #39: What are the weights and categories that you use for grading in a first semester keyboarding course?

ADVANCE Expert's Response: Here are the categories and weights for my first-semester keyboarding class:
Timed Writings          30 percent
Production Tests         20 percent
Classwork                   20 percent
Homework                  20 percent
Final Exam                 10 percent

The final exam is a combination of production work as well as some question/answer items.

Student's Reaction: My first question is where is the technique grade? Does he not grade their technique at all? I am surprised not to find it listed. My only guess is that this scale is for college students, and he feels they don't need to be graded on technique. Maybe college students are expected to be so far along that good technique has already been established. Can a beginning college student be that much different than an average high school student in a beginning typing class? I guess you can tell I disagree with this grading scale.

I think the following would be a much better scale for a first-semester keyboarding class:

Technique                  70 percent
Timed Writings          20 percent (take the 3 highest grades)
Final Exam                 10 percent

Question #39: What are the weights and categories that you use for grading in a first semester keyboarding course?

Expert's Response: Because I do not teach keyboarding as a course, this answer may not be exactly what you need. In my class I grade using the following criteria: Posture/Eyes (not looking and sitting correctly) - 10%, Warm-ups (those activities at the beginning of each class) - 30%, and Drill Practice (commercial keyboarding software package) - 60%. Because the class does not focus on keyboarding, timed writings and document preparation are not components in the grading process. Document preparation is a component of the Word Processing section, but is not tied to a keyboarding grade.

I would be happy to give you information regarding our high school criteria for a keyboarding class if you need that information.
 

Student's Response: Without the inclusion of percentages for production items and timings, it is difficult to compare the expert's with my own ideas. I use the following breakdown, for my classes:
Drills                20%
Production            20%
Timings               10%
Work Ethics           20%
Level Tests           20%
Final Exam           10%
I record more grades in the timing area during the second and third six weeks than during the first. There is also more grading of production items during the second and third six weeks. The first six weeks is focused on drills with some timings and their work ethics grade. With the grade disk software we use in Cobb County, I set the percentages as above and then adjust the focus by grading more items from one area or another.

Question #39: What are the weights and categories that you use for grading in a first semester keyboarding course?

Expert's Response: Question number two is difficult to answer without knowing what you have for equipment, software, etc.  However, if your goal is to teach the keyboarding skill, then I would emphasize speed and accuracy.  To a lesser extent, I would test the manipulative skills on the hardware and software.  I believe that students should achieve a minimum of 35 words per minute. Hopefully, they will be closer to 45 wpm with 1 error or less by the end of the first semester.

Student's Reaction: I don't feel the expert addressed the question.  In a beginning keyboarding course, grading categories should include technique, problems and tests, timed writings, final exam, and perhaps participation.  In the first part of the course, technique should be weighted more heavily than the other categories, perhaps 60 percent.  As the course progresses, technique should be weighted less as the categories for problems and texts, and timed writings are weighted more.  Participation should never count more than 10 percent of the semester grade.  The final exam may be weighted 10-15 percent of the semester grade.

Question #47: What weight do you give to typing technique, timings, document processing, tests, etc. to determine the final grade in a beginning keyboard class?
 

Expert's Response: As I move through the first semester of  keyboarding, the grading objective keeps changing.  In the first few weeks, the emphasis is on technique, about mid-semester it switches to speed and by the end the emphasis is on speed and accuracy.  I perhaps would give a written test for some technique items.  I would not give a written test for anything other than hardware and software beyond that.  Remember, the skill of keyboarding should be performance-based.  It is more a matter of what I can do and demonstrate than what I can answer on a paper/pencil test.  My scale would be something close to 50 percent technique, 50 percent speed and accuracy the first semester.

Student's Reaction: I would add the grading of document processing and tests.   I would probably use the scale of 25 percent for each.  My scale would probably be 25 percent technique, 25 percent speed and accuracy, 25 percent document processing, and 25 percent test on hardware and software.  Maybe a little less on hardware and software and a little more on speed and accuracy.  I will gain more wisdom in this areas as I teach.

Question #47: What weight do you give to typing technique, timings, document processing, test, etc. to determine the final grade in a beginning keyboarding class?

Expert's Response: Because I do not teach a beginning keyboarding class, the answer I give may not meet with your requirements.  In general, technique is about 10% of a keyboarding grade in my class.  The processed documents count for about 60% once the keys have been memorized.  The drill and practice of learning the letters is about 30% using a typing program and warmup activities.

Student's Reaction: I think that technique should count more at the beginning of the semester and less at the end.  Technique should count for 20% of a students first reported grade but 10% for the total semester.  I disagree with the expert's grading scale of 60% for document processing.  I think production should count for 50% of the grade and skill building, including timed writings should count for the remaining 40%.

Question #47: What weight do you give to typing technique, timings, document processing, test, etc., to determine the final grade in a beginning keyboarding class?

Expert's Response: Here are the categories and weights for items in my beginning keyboarding class:

Timed writings 30 percent
Production Tests 20 percent
Classwork/quizzes 20 percent
Homework  20 percent
Final exam  10 percent

The final exam contains some test questions as well as production problems.  I do not grade for technique.  I teach proper techniques and I correct students when I see improper techniques being used.  However, I have never been satisfied with any plan to assign a grade for technique--it seems much to subjective.

Student's Reaction: The expert's categories and weights seem fair.  I would come up with a weight of maybe 10 percent for techniques to be access as I'm walking around the classroom.  Timed writings for speed and accuracy (which I hope is included)  weight  I think is on target as that is what we are aiming our goals towards.

Question #47: What weight do you give to typing technique, timings, document processing, tests, etc. to determine the final grade in a beginning typing class:

Expert's Response: In general terms,
Competency  1st Qt.  2nd Qt. 3rd Qt. 4th Qt.
Technique  70%  30  20  0
Basic Skill
  Timings--3-5min.   10  10  20
Skill Building
Improvement  10  5  5  5
Work Habits  10  5  5  5
Doc. Proc. Appl.
Tests  20  20  20
Doc. Proc. Appl.
Daily  10  30  30  30

Hope this chart will be helpful.  Notice the heavy emphasis on technique in the first marking period.  Note, too, that I believe that in-class work should be weighted in each marking period; however, this does not mean that every piece of work produced in class will be graded.  Instead, I stress selective grading in that all student work must be submitted and the teacher can determine which pieces on which days will be evaluated.  I recommend this evaluation be completed by using "Production Points" which is a grading system different from the 100, 99, etc. system used on tests. Occasionally, I encourage "Bonus Points" to keep students working productively during class time.  Assignments should vary and should involve students in composing, researching, and presenting their findings in their own way; therefore, production work fosters language arts skills and does not involve heavy duty copy typing from the text.  As a former English teacher, I hope that you recognize the value of teaching English and language arts skills in the keyboarding classroom.  It is so important to reinforce the academic skills in keyboarding classes!

Student's Reaction: I think that the way she grades is great!!  At our school we have been trying to convince the curriculum director that a set grading system for our program is not good.  At this time for every grading period the percentages are 60% test, 20% daily and 20% final exam.  If we change it, we will get in trouble.  I like the way she grades high on technique at the beginning of the year when it is the most important thing the students do.  I also agree with continuing grading technique throughout the year with a lower percentage.

The other thing I really like is the selective grading.  I know this is better for the teacher, but also for the student.  This way the student is always going to do their best work.  She also makes a good point about the assignments.  I think I am going to try to incorporate more composing, researching and projects into the daily assignments.  This breaks the boring keying straight from the book.  It also incorporates cross-curriculum and multi cultural ideas.

All in all I agree with what she says.  I hope to use the selective grading, and the other assignments.  I just wish I could use her grading scale without getting in trouble.

Question #47: What weight do you give to typing technique, timings, document processing, tests, etc. to determine the final grade in a beginning keyboarding class?

Expert's Response: At the end of a one-year course, timed writings--20%, production tests--40%, theory tests--10%, proofreading--10%, daily grades--20%.  I never give any weight to technique.

Student's Reaction: In a one-year course technique would not enter into their final grades.  It is dropped after the first semester, although we still remind them of good techniques from time to time.  We do not give grades for timings after the first semester, although throughout the semester the students still ask if they can do a timed writing to see how fast they can type.  These timed writings are highly motivational and the students like to take them.  We count daily grades 60%, unit tests 30% and Final exam 10% in our word processing course, which is taken as a second semester course.

Question #47: What weight do you give to typing technique, timings, document processing, tests, etc. to determine the final grade in a beginning keyboarding class?

Expert's Response:
Technique  none
Timings  none
Document Processing none
Tests 6 graded tests divided into three grades per test: Speed/Format/Accuracy
3 grades from the final exam count more heavily if they are better than
previous grades

Student's Reaction: I disagree with this evaluating system.  I do think teachers should give some grade on technique.  I also think a part of the grade should come from daily work, such as document processing and timings.  I do not know if so many tests are necessary, but if that is all you are grading, I guess it would be okay.

Question #75: How do you determine the speed which students should be typing during

the course of a semester?  How do you determine what is an A,B,C, etc.?

Expert's Response: I have preset speeds for my classes.  I use the teacher's book and those goals that are set by the publishers/authors.  Then I "doctor" those.  I usually think in terms of college students, first semester keyboarding, never say a keyboard before.  Those students need to be achieving 30 - 40 words a minute with 5 or fewer errors.  Got to be honest with you.  Using computer keyboards, word-processing software, and quick correct functions makes this a little more challenging.  Oh well.  I don't determine the speed based on how well everyone is doing.  If everyone is typing 50 words a minute in a first semester course, then they shouldn't be there.  I grade according.

Grades are determined according to gross words a minute with 5-error cut off.  I don't use Net words a minute until second semester.   And you should know this--I don't like timed writings, never have.  I want students to keyboard correctly more than I want them to be super fast keyboarders.  I believe that speed will come with accuracy and time (experience).

Student's Reaction: My thoughts also.  I think accuracy before speed.  My students get so excited when they have accomplished a goal for them that speed or time is not important to me.  These students will be going out into the work place and they need to know that accuracy will get them the job before speed and mistakes.
Again the old adage - MAILABILITY.
 

 Teaching In The Middle Schools

Question #1: In our school district, middle school business courses devote only four weeks to teaching Keyboarding.  Given this amount of time, what specific area(s) of keyboarding skill(s) should be developed?

Expert's Response: Instructor should concentrate on the alphabetic keyboard with emphasis on technique.  Accuracy should be stressed.  I would introduce to students to numeric keyboarding with the numeric keypad.

Student's Reaction: I agree with part of her answer.  Yes, concentrate on the alphabetic Keyboard stressing accuracy.  I do not think introducing the number pad is appropriate with only four-weeks of keyboarding.  Yes, numbers should be addressed, but not the number pad.  I believe it would be hard enough to get the entire alphabet and numbers taught in four-weeks.  In my opinion there is no time for the number pad.

Question #60: What purposes and goals should keyboarding have in middle school given the course only lasts 45 days and word processing, spreadsheets, and other skills must be taught as well?

Expert's Response: I think the goal of a keyboarding course in the middle school should be just that KEYBOARDING.  Developing locational security on the keyboarding and building an automated level of speed and accuracy is about all one could accomplish.  I would not cover any other applications.

Student's Reaction: In addition to just keyboarding, I would introduce the parts of the computer and technique.  When the students get into high school, they should be familiar with computer parts and techniques.  They may not learn everything, but they should be introduced.

Question #60: What should be the goals/purposes in teaching keyboarding in middle school?

Expert's Response: I must qualify my answer to question #3.  First, I think the goals/purposes of keyboarding in middle schools should be personal use; that is, students should be taught touch keyboarding with applications relevant to their home/school use.  Learning to keyboard personal letters, term reports, essays, etc., should be the goal.
 

Now the qualifications.  You said it is a 45-day course.  The items above can be covered in 45 days.  However, your question says "given the course only lasts 45 days and word processing, spreadsheets, and other skills must be taught as well?  I question why spreadsheets would need to be taught in a middle school.  If computers are used for keyboarding instruction, some WP software package is probably included, so that, I
feel, is reasonable.  I'm not sure what the "other skills" are, but it would seem that anything beyond touch keyboarding and some personal use skills goes beyond my vision of keyboarding instruction in middle schools.

Student's Reaction: I agree with the expert in that we try to teach too much to the students in the middle school keyboarding class.  I feel we should teach them to know the different commands, the keyboard and the basic skills they will need until they are in high school for the more in-depth classes.  The students do not know why they need spreadsheets, business letters and etc.  Again, I feel a working knowledge of the keyboard would satisfy a 45-day course.

Question #60: What purposes and goals should keyboarding have in middle school given the course only lasts 45 days and word processing, spreadsheet, and other skills must be taught as well?

Expert's Response: In the middle or jr. high school, courses of keyboarding are not always taught.  They may be incorporated into a computer applications or introduction to computer course.  The Goal of keyboarding at the Jr. high or middle level should be the memorization of the keys.  Touch typing should be the goal for the students, but speed should not be the final result.  If students have a constant connection with the keys, and practice memorizing, speed will build as they progress in school.  It is not fair to grade students on speed when a keyboarding unit is only taught for 2 or 3 weeks.  Practice, practice, practice is the key for the middle level student to begin to become proficient at typing.  In a nut shell - Memorize the keys, practice correct posture, Don't look at fingers, and practice practice practice!

Student's Reaction: I agree that the only thing that can be expected of students in a 9-week course in terms of keyboarding is to properly learn how to touch type.  It takes several weeks just to learn how to do type.  Even after several weeks students will continue to struggle for some time.

Question #60: What purpose and goals should keyboarding have in middle school given the course only lasts 45 days and word processing, spreadsheets, and other skills must be taught as well?

Expert's Response: The purpose of keyboarding at the middle school level is to develop and improve keyboarding in order of these same students to be able to be successful in high school and in the work force.
 

A course that lasts 45 days is not long enough to focus on word processing, spreadsheets, and other skills and be properly developed.  The only way that these skills could be handled in 45 days is to have these same students already proficient in keyboarding and computer basics before reaching the middle school.

Student's Response: Yes, I agree that it is for them to improve keyboarding for success in high school.  I also believe it is like an introductory course for the students to learn what a person can do with a computer.  Developing keyboarding skills should be stressed, by using the correct technique.  Today, we have so many middle school teachers who do not have a Business Education degree who teaches keyboarding.  First, the teachers need to make sure they know how to stress technique, rather than letting a software program do the teaching for them.

Overall, I believe middle school keyboarding is an introduction for the high school level courses.  It gives the students some idea on what a word processing class, and computer tech class is like.  It by no means teaches the student all the skills needed for success in one of these classes.

Question #60: What purposes and goals should keyboarding have in middle school given the course only lasts 45 days and word processing, spreadsheets, and other skills must be taught as well?

Expert's Response:
3 weeks--Key placement (sans numbers and symbols)
2 weeks--Word Processing (book report and simple request letter
2 weeks--Spreadsheet (grades)
1 week--DTP (portfolio cover, locker sign, title page for a book report
1 week--Database (inventory CD or book collection)

Student's Reaction: I believe the expert has an excellent idea for the keyboarding for middle schoolers.  She covers the alphabetic keyboard quickly and then gets to the formatting and concepts required to cover in a manner very pertinent to the middle school learner.  The assignments are realistic, simple enough, yet useful and the students should see how useful the skill is in their own applications.

Question #61: Should beginning keyboarding be taught in the elementary grades, in middle school, or in high school?
 

Expert's Response: Good question.  One that has been addressed for many, many years.  We know that students can learn how to keyboard very well in the high school and middle school levels.  So these are both appropriate levels.  I would guess that some elementary teachers have tried to teach their students how to keyboard using the proper techniques.  We really need to know what kind of success the elementary teachers have had.  Best answer is to teach keyboarding as soon as possible.  However, we need to know if this is successful at the elementary level before recommending policy.  This would make a good study involving elementary teachers.

Student's Reaction: I really feel that if it is possible, we should teach keyboarding in the elementary levels.  With the technology used today, and with computers becoming more common in the home, children will begin using them at even younger ages.  They will learn to type with the hunt and peck method.  The longer they practice the bad habits, the harder they will be to break.

Question #61: Should beginning keyboarding be taught in the elementary grades, in middle school, or in high school?

Expert's Response: I believe beginning keyboarding should be taught to students in the elementary.  My 6 and 11-year old daughters benefit from "computers" in their school district, with instruction beginning in Kindergarten.  Certified business teachers teach  "computers" or  "keyboarding" or "computer applications" in our district at K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 school buildings.  Now a first grader, my daughter exhibits correct fingering and a strong desire to work on the computer.  It's evidence it works!

Student's Reaction: Agree.  I believe by teaching students earlier we encourage correct technique and enhance proper keyboarding skills, thus limiting the "damage" done if students learn on their own.

Question #61: Should beginning keyboarding be taught in the elementary grades, in middle school, or in high school?

Expert's Response: We should begin early with keyboarding being properly taught to students because students are using keyboards early as a means of accessing the computer.  Hand size, dexterity, and mental development should all be taken into consideration when deciding when to begin this training.  Probably around fifth grade, 10 or 11 years old is about as early as keyboarding can be successfully taught.  Hand size, dexterity, and mental focus have progressed to a working level at that time.

Student's Reaction: I think her statement is valid concerning hand size, dexterity, and mental development.  However, if they have an interest in the computer, they should be exposed to it at that time.  Introducing games, reading, math, and other software will give them that exposure.

Question #61: Should beginning keyboarding be taught in the elementary grades, in middle school, or in high school?
 

Expert's Response: At one time, I felt typewriting--or keyboarding now--should not be taught until high school because boys are not prepared.  Now, however, I think some keyboarding should be taught in the elementary school because students are learning computers in these schools.  They should be taught proper keyboarding early and be able to use these techniques throughout their lives.

Student's Reaction: I strongly agree with the expert that beginning keyboarding should be taught in the elementary school.  Otherwise, students have to be taught to correct bad habits formed in elementary school.  The use of computers has drastically increased in the elementary school.  Therefore, instead of learning bad habits students should be taught correct keying techniques as soon as possible.  The emphasis of the course for elementary students should be correct technique and touch control of the keyboard.

Question #81: Our school system is proposing to teach beginning keyboarding in the elementary grades.  If this is done, who should teach the course and what training should they have.  What role can high school business teacher play in this arrangement?

Expert's Response: If the business teacher can become certified and has time in his/her schedule, it is best if he/she teaches the course.  Next best option is to team teach with an elementary teacher.  However, what you will probably end up with is an elementary teacher teaching the course.

You can assist the teacher(s) by providing an in-service.  Demonstrate proper technique and model teaching a lesson.  (Dictate slowly; dictate everything in first line, dictate second line as a phrase rather than individual letters--students are responsible for spaces and return/enter, and punctuation; etc.)

Offer to write down the curriculum.  (Our elementary teacher teaches the keys in two, 30 minute sessions!  Writing the lessons will eliminate this from occurring.)

Student's Reaction: I think a business teacher should teach keyboarding if at all possible.  However, I do realize that most business teachers are not certified to teach elementary grades.  If there is not a business teacher who can teach the class then I feel that the elementary teacher should go to a workshop on teaching keyboarding.  If I understand right, the keyboarding teacher introduces the keyboard in 2 30-minute sessions.  This is horrible.  There is no way a child can learn at that pace.  I do not feel that anybody can learn that fast.  This is why more attention must be placed on who teaches the keyboarding class to the children or we are just wasting our time.
 

Question #81: Our school system is proposing to teach beginning keyboarding in the elementary grades.  If this is done, who should teach the course and what training should they have.  What role can high school business teachers play in this arrangement?

Expert's Response: In our state of Missouri, any 'certified teacher' in any area and at any level (elem, middle, secondary) can teach a course called 'computers'. Therefore, schools have caught on and offer keyboarding at all grade levels if they call it computers.  Therefore, a business teacher (MO certified 9-12 and a separate one for middle school, grades 5-9) can teach at levels below their certificate level just because the course is called computers.  Business teachers are the most common teachers teaching elem and middle school computers/keyboarding.  I believe business teachers are the best qualified to teach keyboarding and computers.  But each state's certificate requirements will vary.  High School business teachers can provide in-service to those who may teach elem and middle school computers and keyboarding if those teachers have no back ground in key boarding methodology.  For example, the district in which my daughters attend, a certified high school business teacher teaches at the elem school but teaches 'computers'. However, keyboarding skills are taught as well.  My 6 year old first grade daughter has exhibited correct fingering and a love of computers as a result.  A certified high school business teacher reaches at the middle school.  Her certificate reads grades 7-12, although the school is 5-8.  She has been allowed to teach hereÑgrandfathered in kind of.  My 11 year old 5th grade daughter benefits form this arrangement at the middle school.  Of course, certified high school business teachers teach at the high school and area voc-tech school."

Student's Reaction: Computers are taught at Braelinn elementary in Peachtree City where I pick up students on my bus.  I interviewed the 'computer teacher'.  She teaches keyboarding but alphabetically.  First A then B, not home row, top row etc. They use Hertzog's System of Keyboarding.  The teacher is certified with classroom experience and is self-taught on the computer. The computer teachers in the county got together and decided that based on research 'computer' should only be offered to students from the 3rd grade up.  Most students would be 8 years old.  They claim that by that time they have 'internalized' the alphabet.  Other factors considered included, emotional stability and hand span.  The students' classroom teacher would decide what the computer project at the end of the course would be and whether or not 'computer' would be included in any other projects through out the year.  I have watched the students and there are never more than about 10 students in the class at a time and it is not a stressful environment.

Question #81: Our school system is proposing to teach beginning keyboarding in the elementary grades.  If this is done, who should teach the course and what training should they have.  What role can high school business teachers play in this arrangement?
 

Expert's Response: Who should teach elementary keyboarding?  That's a tough one, but I'd give the edge to elementary teachersÑif they know how to touch-type themselves.  I think it's easier to teach an elementary teacher how to teach keyboarding (after all, they won't be teaching formatting or word-processing) than it is to teach a high school business teacher how to deal effectively with 6-9 year olds.

One solution for this is what I did once while teaching at Central Michigan University.  I offered a one-week one-semester-credit course entitled "Teaching Elementary Keyboarding."  That was about 10 years ago, but the course filled up (maximum of 25 students for this graduate-level "special-topics" course) immediately; and I don't know who learned moreÑthe students (elementary teachers) about keyboarding methods or me about elementary education.  It was a good experience.

Student's Reaction: I have reservations about teaching keyboarding in elementary school.  While I recognize that students become involved with the computer at younger and younger ages, I am not sure that teaching keyboarding as we now know it is the answer.

Firstly, courses such as art, music, physical education, and keyboarding (were it offered) are taught only once or twice a week for 20-25 minutes to elementary students.  How effective would an attempt be teach keyboarding skills that require daily practice to students you see only once or twice per week?

Secondly, the physical development of elementary students can be a hindrance.  Studies show that the tailbone development of middle school students makes it extremely difficult for them to sit for extended periods of time (a 40-minute class period) without regard to "correct" posture.  Their hands tend to be tiny and their feet do not yet touch the floor.  One might suggest replacing the furniture to accommodate these concerns.  Realistically, those of us in classrooms with these little guys know that it is unlikely that administrators will consider this a vital expenditure.  Many of these same administrators don't understand why learning to keyboard correctly is important anyway.

Finally, teaching keyboarding in elementary school would leave students with high recognition of having been exposed to the keyboard.  This would not necessarily mean that they had actually learned the keyboard.  It would, however, make it extremely difficult to teach them in middle school amidst the chorus of "We learned this last year."

Question #82: If keyboarding is taught in the elementary grades, what keyboarding-related skills should we teach at the high school level?
 

Expert's Response: IF keyboarding IS taught in the elementary grades, high school should not be teaching keyboarding at all.  High school should be focusing on document preparation and production.  The skills needed in the future are in the areas of cooperative problem-solving and workplace ethics.  If keyboarding is properly taught, students should be using their skill to solve problems using word processing, spreadsheets, database, presentations, desktop publishing, and others.

Student's Reaction: I agree that if it is ever taught in elementary school, then high school should not teach it.  We just need to make sure that a Business Education Teacher teaches at the elementary level as well as the middle school level.  We should then do as the expert said, stress document preparation and production.  We should also do more group work, because, yes, companies do use teams to complete projects.  We should focus more on the upper level classes such as desktop publishing, international business, computer tech, and electronic presentation.  I do agree with the expert.

 Teaching Ninth Graders

Question #3:  How much word processing should be taught in a beginning ninth grade keyboarding class?

Expert's Response: When the students are learning the keyboard, I feel they would not be taught word processing simultaneously.  After they have learned at least the alphabet, they can begin to move into word processing.  You've not indicated to me the length of the ninth grade class; therefore, I am assuming it is for one semester. (Question No. 3 talks about 90-minute periods for 9 weeks; I think we might be talking about the same time frame.)
They should be able to do the following:
different letter styles with special directions and envelopes
reports, multi-page with side headings, footnotes, endnotes, bibliography, table of contents, and cover page
three-column tables with subtitles and column headings
I feel the above can be covered (along with skill development) at the ninth grade level in one semester.

Student's Reaction: I agree that teachers should not teach word processing until the students have learned the alphabet.  If we are talking about a semester with 90 minute classes, I agree that the above documents should be able to be mastered.  However, I do believe that developing good technique is also important.

Question #4: How long should a ninth grade keyboarding class run on 90 minute periods.  Should it be 6 weeks, 9 weeks, or 1 semester?

Expert's Response: Since most textbook lessons are arranged for 45 50 minute class periods and the keyboard is introduced in the first 25 30 lessons or so, then 6 weeks should be sufficient to cover the keyboard.  Class periods can be adjusted as necessary by adding or eliminating jobs in which no new material is introduced.  Each instructor should determine the amount of material that needs to be covered and adjust the content according to schedules and curriculum guides.

Student's Reaction: I generally agree with the expert's response.  I do not feel, however, she really addressed the issue posed here which was how many weeks long should a course be if daily sessions are 90 minutes long.  Assuming a semester of 18 weeks, and meeting  five 50- to 55- minute periods each week,  approximately 75-90 lessons of a standard keyboarding text could be covered; 25-30 lessons could be covered in 6 weeks.  During five 90-minute periods each week, 38-45 lessons could be covered in 6 weeks, depending on student and curriculum considerations.  With periods of 1-1 Ú hrs., 75-90 lessons could be covered in 12 weeks.  At my high school, beginning keyboarding is a one-semester (18 weeks) course with 50-minute daily periods; approximately 75 lessons are covered.  Converting to 90-minute periods, we could expect to complete approximately 112 textbook lessons in an 18 week semester.

Question #20: If you had to teach a 9-week course of keyboarding (with 90-minute
class periods) to ninth grade students, what would you cover?

Expert's Response: Once the alphanumeric keyboard is covered, I like to cover short letters, memos, simple tables, and I have even covered simple reports if the class has advanced.  I also include such word processing features as bold, underline, cut/copy, paste, and setting up the print features. I don't do much more because I know they will be taking a word processing class. If they ever combine the two classes, I would hope to include more features.

Student's Reaction: I agree that a 9-week keyboarding class should not contain a great deal of document processing.  The most important thing to be taught should be technique and the keyboard.  Once you have completed this you should include basic items such as memos, letters, and tables.  I don't think much more should be included.  If you try to cover too much then the students are more likely to forget what they learned.  The items you cover should be the one's you want the students to walk away remembering.

Question #20: If you had to teach a 9-week course of keyboarding (with 90-minute class periods) to ninth grade students, what would you cover?

Expert's Response: If this class is meeting every day, students will have opportunity to cover an entire keyboarding text concentrating on technique, accuracy, and speed.
 

Student's Reaction: I disagree with the students being able to complete a whole keyboarding text in 9-weeks of 90 minute class.  That would be just equal to one semester of 55 minute classes.  In this time our students only are able to complete 50 lessons. I do agree with concentrating on technique, accuracy and speed.  This is a vital part of Keyboarding.  I also believe that the students should learn the keyboard, and pick up on some basic formats of letters, reports, and tables all in 9-weeks with 90 minute classes.  This is what I am going to stress next year when we go to this format for the beginning Keyboarding class.

Question #20: If you had to teach a 9-week course of keyboarding (with 90-minute class periods) to ninth grade students, what would you cover?

Expert's Response: Basic keyboarding of letters, numbers, and symbols.  Also the number pad would be introduced.  They would also learn basic formatting of letters, memos, reports, tables, and a touch of composing at the computer.

Student's Reaction: Not only is the basic keyboarding course a pathway to our other computer courses, it should also be a personal keyboarding course.  The student should learn about all keys on the keyboard and their function.  They should master basic formatting of personal business letters, basic reports and tables. They should be introduced to memos although this would not be a high priority goal, since they would learn more about memos in a class devoted more to business-use keyboarding.  Touch composing would be a high priority, since all of the students will use this skill in their language arts classes, and later in college.  I feel that the students should practice composing at least two days a week.  Just a small assignment will give them confidence that they can key a rough draft just as fast as they can write out a rough draft for their mamas to key!

Question #20: If you had to teach a 9-week course of keyboarding (with 90-minute class periods) to ninth grade students, what would you cover?

Expert's Response:
touch typing of the alphabet
touch typing of the numbers
formatted letters, reports, and tables as indicated in No.1
language arts skills that relate to the letters, reports, and tables
appropriate skill development for speed and accuracy

Student's Reaction: I think this is a really complete list.  I do think that technique should be added toward the top of the list.

Question #20: If you had to teach a 9-week course of keyboarding (with 90-minute class periods) to ninth grade students, what would you cover?

Expert's Response: The alphabetic, number and symbol keyboard; the 10-key number and basic formatting such as centering, bold italics, underline; word-wrap, correction methods, spell check, printing, punctuation review; proofreader marks; composition; block letter style, tables, flyers, reports.  I would show students the correct way to do these things and then have them do applications using their knowledge.

Student's Reaction:  Agree.  These are the basics and I would cover the same material.

Question #20: If you had to teach a 9-week course of keyboarding (with 90-minute class periods) to ninth grade students, what would you cover?

Expert's Response: I would cover the keyboard to make  sure the students felt secure with the key positions, and probably formatting and a bit of desktop publishing.  I think that if students can do some fun projects with integrating graphics, motion, sound, and scanned pictures into a word processing document, they will think keyboarding is quite a wonderful course.

Student's Reaction: I totally agree with the expert's response.  I think that as a middle school teacher, part of my job is to create a class that is fun and wonderful so that once students get to high school they will choose to take courses in Business Management (it is not a requirement in Fulton County for students to have keyboarding or any other course in Business Management).  The way to create a fun classroom is to plan activities that students will enjoy.  Additionally, I think that students should know how to adapt and use a variety of software for other class assignments and personal use.

 Production

Question #6: What should be measured in a production test? How often should you test a student's production skills?

Expert's Response: Evaluation (appraisal of progress or lack of) is continuous in any keyboarding class.  Production can be evaluated in a variety of ways. Each system of evaluation has its own merits, but none is all-inclusive. Usually an evaluation plan to measure a student's keyboarding productivity may be done in one of several ways: 1) The amount of work produced, 2) The time it took to produce given amount of work, 3) The speed at which the work was produced, or 4) The number of errors made in producing the work.
 

Evaluation of a student's classroom work may take place at the end of a day's activities. However, a teacher may choose to evaluate a student's production skills at the end of a longer period of time--after a week's work, after a series of production jobs in a unit, before a grading period, or at the completion of a unit of work.

Question #6: What should be measured in a production test?  How often should you test a student's production skills?

Expert's Response: Regarding production tests, I measure the student's ability to produce a document or documents within a specified time period.

Student's Reaction:  I agree with the expert. A production test should test a student's ability to produce a document within a particular time limit.  The only element that was left out of her answer was mailability, which deals with the accuracy of the document being produced.  In her mind, she may have lumped accuracy or mailability with "a student's ability to produce a document," however, I thought that it was worth mentioning separately.

The expert did not answer the second part of the question regarding how often an instructor should test a student's production skills?

Question #6: What should be measured in a production test? How often should you test a student's production skills?

Expert's Response: Production tests will be after the students learn the keyboard.  I have graded these in two ways.  1) How much is produced 2) Number of Errors.  In some classes I have given two grades per production and some classes I have averaged these two grades and given one grade.  Just be consistent.  How often should you have productions? Depending on the length of the semester (6 or 9 weeks) do about every third or second week to begin with and then I moved to one a week.  In the higher level (Keyboarding II or II or Word Processing or whatever they call it now) productions were a large portion of their grade.

Student's Reaction: I agree that production tests can only be given once the students have learned the keyboard.  I think it's interesting that the expert does not mention time as a part of the grading.  Although from reading what she wrote, I believe that is implied when she says, "How much is produced."  I personally always include errors in my grading, but not always time.  In a beginning class, I don't want to discourage the slower typist by grading work they have not finished.  Because I am on Block scheduling, I can only give production test every two to three weeks.  One week might have only two days of class for me.  In a course where students meet every day, I would want to reach a point of grading a production test about once a week.  Also, I don't believe you have to wait until a higher level course to make production a large portion of the grade.  The only reason we learn to type is to produce, so I always consider production the most important part of the grade.
 

Question #6: What should be measured in a production test?  How often should you test a student's production skills?

Expert's Response: A production test should measure whether or not a student has mastered a particular format.  A production test should be given only at the end of a unit of work.  The unit should be introducing new concepts, as needed, on a daily basis.  Once the student has learned all the concepts and has had a chance to practice them, then he/she would be ready to be tested.

Student's Reaction: I agree with the expert that a production test should measure whether or not a student has mastered a particular format.  I would add that the student should be given a reasonable amount of time to show that they have mastered a particular format. There should be more than one production test given if the time permits.  I would give a pretest after the introduction of all the concept and period of practice.  After the pretest, I would provide individual reactions and then give the graded production test.

Question #6: What should be measured in a production test?  How often should you test a students production skills?

Expert's Response: The production test should be based on the type of work or documents that have been worked on in class.  An example would be to give a test on letters after you have completed the lessons on it before you go on to another topic.  The main emphasis on a production test should be to grade on the content and format of the document, not so much on speed. It is better to do a good job than to be the first one done with several errors in the document.

Student's Reaction: I agree with the expert. Since I am not teaching keyboarding, I would consider that the mailability of the document more important than the speed in which it was accomplished. It would seem she is using the mastery approach which I agree with also, as I teach special needs students and they need to master a task before moving on.

Question #6: What should be measured in a production test?  How often should you test a student's production skills?
 

Expert's Response: I like to measure both accuracy and speed.  I test the production daily at first when learning the keyboard. I alternate; one day I will ask them to concentrate on accuracy; the next speed. On Friday, we combine.  After 5 weeks, we are doing accuracy and speed on short paragraphs.  When we start with letters, memos, etc. I do time them but am probably generous with the time. I concentrate on accuracy because I have known people to get fired over typographical mistakes but none for speed problems. In conversations that I've had with personnel directors, they have agreed that accuracy over speed is preferred although 45 wpm seems to be the minimum for entry-level positions. Of course, the speed increases with the higher level positions.

Student's Reaction: I agree with the expert's statement about testing both accuracy and speed but I do not agree with testing production daily.  I believe you should test production no more than every other day.  You have to provide time for the student to get better.  Testing daily would only discourage students from trying to get better.

Question #52: Should letterhead paper be used when printing business letters and forms to further enhance the student's understanding of formatting?  Why?  Why not?

Expert's Response: Letterhead paper would be nice.  However, given the current class room situations that exist, I think a couple alternatives should be practiced.  As many of the classes are approximately 30-40 students, the sharing of a printer is usually necessary.  To try to load letterhead paper for certain printings could be a problem, especially if students are working on different projects.  Solutions:  A few days might be spend using letterhead and having all students prepare letters on those days.  Understanding that this would not be practical in all classes, another suggestion would be to have the students prepare their own letterheads using their word processing software.  They could save this letterhead as a template or document and then retrieve whenever they needed to do a letter.

Student's Reaction: I do agree that using a letterhead would be nice.  Having to load it in a printer would probably be too difficult, and purchasing the letterhead too expensive.  Having students use a template is a wonderful idea.  I think the students would be very pleased with the results of such a professional looking document.

Question #85: How long should a production test last (number of minutes)?

Expert's Response: Formatting only--15-20 minutes; Keying and formatting--30-40 minutes.

You'll need the remainder of the class period to provide instructions and answer questions plus your regular set up/close down routine.  My grading check sheets include minus points for not starting a document or for not finishing a document.
 

Student's Reaction: I think that the authority is correct.  If a student knows the proper format, then it should only take him 15 or 20 minutes to set up the proper format.  I do not think that a lot of time is needed to set up and demonstrate the fact that a student knows the proper format.  As far as the keying and the formatting, I think that a test should only give enough material that shows the teacher that the student understand the material.  I think it is a waste of time to have the student copy a lot of text during a test just to make the production longer.  Also the authority is correct about allowing time for set up/shut down operations.  I feel that a test must be completed in one day, or it does no good.  If the test takes two days to complete, then the student has time to go home and study things he does not know.
 
 
 

 Skillbuilding

Question #2: How many alphabetic letters should be introduced in each lesson?

Expert's Response: I believe that two characters in a 50 minute period is the best ratio.  I have not taught in the block environment--but I think I would try to introduce four characters in that time.

Student's Reaction: When I began teaching, the text I used (Southwestern) recommended that I introduce two keys per lesson.  That seemed to be well-accepted by the students because they really learned to use the correct fingers.  They obtained very fast speeds by the end of the semester and our standards for mailable copy were attainable by most, even though we were on manual typewriters.  One thing that I did not like about this pace was how very, very long it took to finally have the whole keyboard introduced.  It seemed that it took half the semester when we finally got through the alphabet, numbers, and symbols.  The students were bored, I was bored, so it made for a long first semester.

We now use a textbook (Glencoe) that introduces three alphabetic letters per lesson and this is much better.  The students, who are already familiar with where many of the keys are, can develop acceptable technique and location familiarity just as easily as they used to learn two keys per lesson.  Before we adopted this text, I had only used Southwestern, and you could not have convinced me that any other method would work.  However, after using the Glencoe text, both students and teacher are much better prepared after a semester of keyboarding and have more time to stress the important formatting styles needed for personal and professional keyboarding.

Question #11. Is there a set pattern as to the introduction of new keys?

Expert's Response: The homerow is usually taught first then followed by the upper and lower rows in a staggered pattern. Most faculty usually follow form which they are teaching and feel the text and methodology of presentation is based upon sound research in the instruction of keyboarding.
 

Student's Response: Of course, I agree that the homerow should be taught first followed by the other rows. But the second part of the expert's answer is very vague. I wish that she had shared some of the "sound research" to which she was referring. I am sure that she is a very busy instructor, but I believe that these answers are very generic and not noteworthy.

Question #16: How much time should be spent in presenting the alphabetic keyboard?

Expert's Response: I haven't taught keyboarding in a few years; however, I have talked with others recently who are doing so right now, and I have usually spent approximately 3 weeks on learning the alphabetic keyboard.

Student's Reaction: The introduction of the alphabetic keyboard does not need to be fast paced.  I believe that three weeks is to short which will cause poor technique.  Also, I think the time will vary from grade level to grade level.  If the alphabetic keyboard is being introduced at the elementary level, I would recommend six weeks to properly introduce the correct technique.  At the middle school level, I think a five week introduction is possible.  On the other hand, at the high school level, I believe it is possible to introduce the alphabetic keyboard during four weeks.  At the collegiate level, I agree that it may take only three weeks to introduce the alphabetic keyboard.

Question #16: How much time should be spent in presenting the alphabetic keyboard?

Expert's Response: I think you need to spend about 16 - 18 periods teaching the alphabetic keyboard--These periods should be approximately 50 minutes in length.

Student's Reaction: I agree with this statement.  I think that a student must master the basic keyboard before they go on to learn production.  I feel that it takes at least 16 periods to learn the keyboard, probably more.  However, I do realize that production work can help students learn the basic keyboard.  I just think that students must be to a point where they are not spending most of their time with their production work looking for the keys.   With this many class periods, the teacher can pinpoint which students need more help and which students seem to be on track.  I think one of the main functions of the teacher is to keep the students motivated without letting him or her get frustrated.

Question #16: How much time should be spent in presenting the alphabetic keyboard?

Expert's Response: In order to help students quickly get to the point of constant improvement and use of the keyboard, one should not go too slowly.  The keyboard should be presented within 10-12 hours.  Most textbooks are designed to meet that need; it should be followed.
 

Student's Reaction: I agree.  The students I teach seem to do very well with 10-12 hours of training and initial skillbuilding on the alphabetic keyboard.  Working through the left/right shift keys can be trying for some students.  Sometimes I have students return to these particular lessons in an attempt to reinforce their skill and knowledge before they move on to production work.

Question #16: How much time should be spent in presenting the alphabetic keyboard?

Expert's Response: This school year I am teaching keyboarding to mostly 9th graders for the first time in many years.  We just finished our first semester and today I got a brand new group.  I spent about six weeks on the keyboard last semester, but am going to try and finish it in about 4 weeks this semester.  I feel like the students know more about the keyboard today than they did 10 years ago and that mostly we are trying to break bad habits.

Student's Response: It took me 8 weeks to learn how to type and reach a speed of 40 wpm.  You recommend 8 lessons in your manual and I assume that's 5 hours of instruction for 2 lessons at the college level or 4 weeks for 8 lessons at the High School level.   It would be interesting to hear how it is going this semester for the expert, but you asked us not to call so I e-mailed her again.

Question #16: How much time should be spent in presenting the alphabetic keyboard?

Expert's Response: I believe that the time spent learning the computer keyboard is as important as the time spent learning the typewriter keyboard.  I would suggest the one lesson a day approach until all keys have been learned.  The total time would depend on the number of class sessions per week.

I continually tell my students that they are doing themselves a disservice if they cannot key efficiently and accurately.  The workplaces today want fast, efficient, and productive workers.  Many managerial positions do not have support staffÑthe manager is the "secretary."

I observe all the students in my class who use the keys randomly and see how hard it is for them to compose or copy material at the same time they are trying to keyboard.  Many high school feeder schools (elementary and middle schools) are not longer teaching keyboarding and their students are lost when they get to high school and college.

Student's Reaction: Basically, I agree with covering one lesson per class period.  I would add, however, that there should be breaks between introducing new keys for practice and review.
 

I disagree with the suggestion that many feeder schools are no longer teaching keyboarding skills.  I believe that these skills are taught.  However, students have developed such poor technique before coming to us, it becomes difficult if not impossible to reteach them correct skills.

Question #16: How much time should be spent in presenting the alphabetic keyboard?

Expert's Response: I would present the alphabetic keyboard in 10 to 15 days when I did stand up teaching.  I generally would present the keys just as they appeared in the textbook.  In the last few years that I taught, we used the Glencoe computerized keyboarding package and the students completed the keyboard at their own rate.

Because I taught in a technical college most students were adults and most were extremely motivated.  After completing the keyboard using the software, they would move into a skill building software and there was a lot of self motivation to reach this point.  For the most part, students would complete the alpha and numeric keyboard within three weeks.

Student's Reaction: I agree with the expert that 10 to 15 days is adequate time to present the alphabetic and numeric keyboard to adult students.  However, I take a few days more when presenting the alphabetic keys to high school students.  I use the Glencoe textbook and generally follow the keys that are introduced in the text.  I also use the reviews that are placed after each five lessons.  During the first part of the semester when I am introducing keys, I may take a class period or part of one to review when the textbook suggests learning more keys or some other activity.  These additional practice lessons are used as I see a need with the class.

I think using a self-paced software program for learning keyboarding would work well with adults.  But after working with teenagers for 23 years, I feel that this may not be the best way to teach them.  The students that I work with are not always motivated to learn a skill in a classroom.  By allowing them to progress at their own rate, some of them will speed through the program just to finish and they will not master the skill. To avoid this, the software program would need to have some type of mastery level that must be reached before the student could continue. Other students  will never complete the program because they do not do the work and they will not master the skill.  I think a teacher needs to introduce the keys, pace the work that needs to be completed, and encourage the students throughout the learning of the keyboard.

Question #18: How much time should be spent on skill building between the completion
ADVANCE of the letter keyboard and the introduction of the number keys?

Expert's Response: In a nine week course, I usually have two weeks of skill building before I introduce the number keys.
 

Student's Reaction: Since I am on the block schedule, our classes move at a faster pace. I would spend a week on skill building before moving on to the number keys. This allows students to get more comfortable with the reaches they have learned for the alphabet. Now they are ready to extend those reaches to the top row for the numbers. Taking into account the block scheduling, I basically agree with the time frame offered in the expert's response.

Question #48: Should students be allowed to practice on, or at least view, a copy that will be timed for a grade?

Expert's Response: Never practice--and they will view it when you give it to them.

Student's Reaction: Viewing a copy of a timed writing would not even be a question I would consider.  The students should be able to view the copy before taking a timed writing and even practice the work.  It would not make a significant difference in the speed attained unless it is the only timed writing ever given and they have memorized it.  In work or in personal use, they certainly would have an opportunity to look over the material before keying it.

Question #73: Should teachers emphasize improving straight-copy skills or document processing skills?  Why?

Students cannot develop speed and/or accuracy as easily on document processing as they can with a drill that focuses on a key area for improvement.  Ultimately, the goal of straight-copy skill is to produce a mailable document in a timely manner, so both skills are essential.  Straight-copy skill should be emphasized first.

Student's Reaction: I do agree that straight-copy should be emphasized first.  However, I believe that more emphasis should be placed on document processing skills.  Processing documents is what the students must be familiar with to function in the real world (tech/prep).

Question #78: How much daily/weekly time should be given to skillbuilding after the keyboard is learned?

I don't spend much time with skill building--too much else to teach!  I do however, spend the 1st week of each quarter doing timings, teaching word processing tricks, etc.  This helps me recover from the onslaught of grading and gives the students a break too!
 

Student's Reaction: Through the rest of the semester, I have skillbuilding in my keyboarding class.  This seems to be well-received by the students, because they are interested in improvement in speed and accuracy as they move through the formatting problems.  We are in a very fortunate situation in that most of our students are self-motivated, highly competitive and love personal and team challenges we make in the classroom.

Question #78: How much daily/weekly time should be given to skill building after the keyboarding is learned?

Expert's Response: Skill/building after the keyboard is learned?  This is a very important part of the keyboarding course.  I feel approximately 25 to 30 percent of every day should be used for the skill building exercises-speed and accuracy drills.

Student's Reaction: I agree that this is a very important part, if not the most important part, of a keyboarding course.  I think spending 30 percent of the day focusing on speed and accuracy drills is a good idea.  The students will never improve if they do not continue to practice.

Question #78: How much daily/weekly time should be given to skillbuilding after the keyboard is learned?

Expert's Response: I can speak for post-secondary/collegiate students which is my most recent experience.  I feel 2 hours is needed at least weekly in some "keying" exercise, whether that be drills, timings, or document preparation.

Student's Reaction: Agree.  An average of 2 hours or a little more in skillbuilding is necessary.  Continue to focus on speed and accuracy and place additional emphasis on formatting.

Question #78: How much daily/weekly time should be given to skillbuilding after the keyboard is learned?

Expert's Response: It has been awhile since I have taught an advanced keyboarding class.  I have been teaching Keyboarding I which is basically just learning the keyboard and getting up to about 25 or 30 words per minute.  However, when I used to teach some advanced classes, I found that the students needed skillbuilding as part of their regular class activity each time we met.  I found that about 10 minutes per 60-minute class worked fairly well (our classes meet three times a week).  Some classes I would begin with skillbuilding while they were still fresh, other days I would end with skillbuilding after they were totally warmed up from other classroom activities.  It is important to keep part of their focus on skillbuilding or they forget to continue to build speed.  If there was time available, the students always enjoyed special speed or accuracy drills.  I liked to use these just for a change of pace.
 

Student's Reaction: I am a firm believer in the old saying "if you don't use it you loose it" thus I feel that skillbuilding should be a part of keyboarding curriculum throughout the term.  Students should have timed writings, at least, twice a week with a day or two in between to give the students some time to improve between timed writings.  Speed and accuracy are two separate skills and each should be focused on separately.  At least once a week, students should be expected to apply their skills based on accuracy and at least once a week, based on speed. More than once a week is alright as long as there is a day or so between assessment to allow for improvement.
 
 
 

 Software And Technology

Question #4: How long should a ninth-grade beginning keyboard class run on 90 minute periods.  Should it be 6 weeks, 9 weeks, or 1 semester?

Expert's Response: If you only want to teach them the keyboard 6 weeks should be sufficient.  However, if you want to teach anything about formatting letters, tables, reports, etc., you would need the 9 weeks.  I am teaching one semester course, but we are not on a block schedule.  We have been able to expand what we do in the course (letters, tables, reports) to include flyers and doing research on the Internet writing/keying reports using this material.

Student's Reaction: Agree.  I believe most schools do use and should use 1 semester because you are able to incorporate so much more beneficial information into that time period (letters, memos, reports etc.).

Question #5: Is it better to use individualized instruction software that allows students to progress at their own pace, or should beginning keyboarding students be kept together until the keyboard has been completely covered?
 

Expert's Response: I am a teacher of the "old school" and believe that students still learn a basic skill through demonstration and apprenticeship.  Many students who have worked on the computer at home without learning to correctly keyboard would need to learn through oral drill and practice.  Keeping students together would help develop the skill and hopefully correct some of the bad habits learned.  I think the methodology depends on the previous experience of all students.  I cannot say the old oral drill and practice is the only way, many students can probably learn individually and through a tutor such as Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing.  I have also learned that middle school teachers in the Missoula area have been teaching keyboarding (through a program, and I cannot remember the name of the program) to middle school children in a week.

Student's Reaction. I agree with the expert in that students need to learn basic skills through apprenticeship and demonstration and feel, as does the expert, that many students can learn to individually and through a tutor.  In my classroom, I demonstrate proper reaches using a transparency of a keyboard, but allow students to use a software program that allows them to learn at their own speed.  In comparison to using a book and keeping students all together, I have found that using the keyboarding software has helped to keep students interested and eager to learn.  I am still not convinced that this is the best way for them to learn  proper technique and use of the keyboard.

In response to middle school children learning the keyboard in a week, I am surprised.  I do feel that middle school children are capable of learning the keyboard, but I am not sure if a week is enough time.  I have formatted my classes so that every student spends 15-20 minutes a day on keyboarding and the rest of the time we spend with word processing and multi-media software.  This has proven to be successful with my middle school students.

Question #27: Is there evidence indicating that the ergonomically designed keyboard improves performance?

Expert's Response: I haven't done any research in this area for quite some time, but it does seem that there is some research indicating that ergonomically designed keyboards do improve health issues.  One area is that of carpal tunnel syndrome.  My personal thinking is that there are some improvements, but they have not improved performance enough to warrant business changing the basic keyboard.  Production does talk, and when it becomes evident that these changes will affect production significantly, then we will see these changes made.

Student's Reaction: I have no knowledge of ergonomically designed keyboards.  The expert's opinion sounds logical to me.

Question #42: What do you predict the impact of voice input technology will be on keyboard usage and instruction?

Expert's Response: There is limited impact of voice input technology on keyboard usage in its current form.  Voice input technology has been around quite awhile now and is becoming more sophisticated but not to the point that it would replace keyboarding.  Its major uses would be for the disabled and also for brief commands.
 

Student's Reaction: Industry will decide when we get voice input.  When it is profitable and a monopoly can be maintained long enough to get a return on investment, it will happen.  We buy the latest.  When MS developed Windows 95 they took 3.0 off the shelf.  When the industry introduces voice input they could phase out keyboards. I wonder how voice input will interpret cultural deviations of various languages i.e. Creole.

Question #42: What do you predict the impact of voice input technology will be on keyboard use and instruction?

Expert's Response: I think it will be so far down the road that I won't ever have to worry about it!  They have come a long ways in this area within the past few years, but there are still so many problems with speech, idioms, etc. that I do not see it making a significant impact on the keyboard use for quite some time.  Of course there will be some fancy "show and tell" examples of how wonderful it will be in the future.  I'm all for it.  I think it will be wonderful that someda