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From: bmandell@ucqais.uc.edu (Bob Mandell)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Computer Literacy
Message-ID: <2209@ucqais.uc.edu>
Date: 18 Dec 89 21:55:02 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Univ of Cincinnati, College of Business Admin.
Lines: 31


                  A question on Computer Literacy...
        
         This a subject which has troubled me for some time...

         Are we a society bound to simplicity....  where computer literacy
will simply mean having the mundane knowledge to point and click... Or are
we ready to finely sit back and lay down the rules of computer literacy.

         ... The rules of literacy... Now here is the real question....
 What are the rules of literacy... How can we teach when we ourselves don't
 even know what constitutes computer literacy... How much or how little
 must one know to survive in the world today? How much should we teach to
 the business student who has no intentions of ever becomming a programer?
 But before you answer the preceeding question, keep in mind that the programmer
 needs a basic understanding of the business for which he programs.  Likewise,
 the business man must have basic knowledge of a computers workings.
 Will the knowledge of knowing how to use software, like spreadsheets, word
 processing, etc, be enough? I don't think so....

          So the question is where do we draw the line....
  When do we say "yes, you are computer literate because..."???  
 
          Because the computer has become such an integrated part of all our 
 lives, this issue needs an answer now!  Should we keep the end users "pointing
and clicking", or should we educate them to our "electronic magic" and
elevate them, the computer, and ourselves in the process?

                                  Rob Mandell
                                  University of Cincinnati
                                  Student of Information Systems