Improving Computer Literacy Research Articles

Survey of the information‐seeking patterns of dental hygienists

This descriptive study explored the methods that dental hygienists in northern British Columbia have utilized to access information. A self-administered questionnaire sent to 130 dental hygienists registered in that geographic experienced a response rate of 81.5 percent. The respondents preferred and utilized traditional information sources such as discussions with colleagues, journal articles, and mailings from professional associations and licensing bodies. The least utilized information sources were the indices to the literature and electronic information sources. Geographic isolation, lack of electronic information sources, and costs were identified as the top three barriers to information access. Dental hygienists may need to acquire or improve computer literacy skills while in school and through continuing education to enable them to use the newer methods of electronic information retrieval and communications because dental hygienists need to access a variety of information sources to provide quality care.

A Study on Self-learning Materials for Teachers to Improve Computer Literacy

A Study on Self-learning Materials for Teachers to Improve Computer Literacy

Interfacing computers with electric trains in schools

Digital electric trains have come to the attention of educators and administrators at a critical time when schools are deeply concerned with at-risk students, finding creative uses for computers in the classroom, developing both cooperative learning and critical thinking skills, encouraging girls to participate in computer learning activities, and improving computer literacy among students in the lower two-thirds of the higher learning skills (math and science particularly). The following paper evaluates the new technology of digital trains which are becoming popular in school districts across the country. These trains allow for multiple students to control electric trains on common tracks thereby promoting cooperation, communication, and interactive problem solving. Computers can also be connected to the trains through an interface that is built into the digital system. The addition of the computer makes it possible to teach computer skills with electric trains as the output device. Trains not only become a real time control device, but they also have sensors that communicate with the computer making the system a two-way interactive problem solver.

An approach to improving computer literacy

The economic investment for education in the computer area, due to the seemingly overwhelming complexity of the subject, has been a detering factor to providing a thorough generalized introduction to computer system concepts and terminology. In the vocational environment, time is money and thus education usually is very special purpose; that is, it normally presents only those aspects necessarily for job specialization. On the other hand, with only a narrow view of the computer system forest, the employee (‘student’) is not capable of coping with or understanding the variety of problems that can arise in the use of computer based systems operational in his/her environment. In this paper, a new, low cost approach to introducing general ‘core’ concepts and terminology for those requiring or desiring literacy in the computer area is presented. The approach concentrates upon the notion of processes and systems of cooperating processes with analogies being made between the everyday human activity processes of washing and drying dishes and the processes of the various levels of the computer system. The approach has been used successfully in introducing computer system concepts and terminology to a variety of audiences including journalists, politicians, librarians, secretaries, various administrative and technical personnel as well as computer professionals to be. A book presenting the approach is currently available in English and Swedish and further versions will be available in at least five other languages. Educational assistance materials are available and an animated film, as well as a microcomputer based CAI package which builds upon the approach are being developed.