1. Computer Literacy: A New Approach
Ken Baldauf Florida State University

2. Session Topics Computer Literacy: A Retrospective College Requirements
Curriculum Considerations
The State of Technology
Job Market Demands
Today’s Technically Savvy Student
Computer Literacy Defined
A New Approach

3. Professional Profile Ken Baldauf FSU Computer Science faculty member
BA in Music, MS in Computer Science
Eight years teaching Computer FSU
Over 5,000 students annually
CGS2060: Computer Literacy
CGS2100: MicroApps for Business
Assisted by 30 teaching assistants

4. Computer Literacy: A Retrospective
Stretching to Accommodate Trends and Growth

5. Computer Literacy Circa 1996
Traditional Definition
Computer Literacy: A working knowledge of personal computers
Skills focused
Supported by Concepts

6. Computer Literacy Circa1996
Traditional Definition
Skills
DOS/Windows
File Management
(Elm)
Internet/Web
MS Works
Word Processing
Spreadsheets
Databases
Concepts
PC Components
PC Software
PC Multimedia
LAN
The Internet & Web
Security

7. Changes Over Time 1996 Implemented computer-based concepts testing
1997
Moved to MS Office
1998
Added Web-based versions to accommodate experienced students and classroom space issues. Organizational restructuring.
1998
Implemented computer-based skills testing. Goal: consistent exams across classes and teachers

8. Changes Over Time 1999 Started using Blackboard 2000
FSU implemented Computer Competency Requirement – developed university-wide testing system.
2002
Moved from Office textbooks to CBT.
What’s Next?

9. College Requirements
Setting the Bar

10. Does your institution have such a requirement?
College Requirements
University’s and accreditation agencies have recognized the value of computer knowledge and skills in all career areas.
Requirements are being imposed to verify that students are acquiring computer knowledge and skills prior to graduation.
Does your institution have such a requirement?

11. FSU’s Requirements FSU’s Computer Skills Competency Requirement
All undergraduates at The Florida State University must demonstrate basic computer competency prior to graduation. The computer competency requirement may be satisfied be taking an approved course, or exam. Regardless of the vehicle used to satisfy the computer competency requirement, students must demonstrate:

12. FSU’s Requirement
Basic familiarity with computer hardware, operating systems, and file concepts;
Working knowledge of a word processor or text editor and at least one other software application (e.g., spreadsheet, database, etc.); and
Working knowledge of the World WideWeb (WWW) and electronic mail.

13. OSU’s Requirement
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education policy requires
that students …must demonstrate computer proficiency for graduation with a bachelors degree. These skills include word processing, spreadsheet, , and web use.

14. USU’s Requirements Ethics Test Email Test Operating Systems Test
Document Processing Test
Information Resources Test
Spreadsheets Test

15. NC State’s Requirement
The following may be used to fulfill computer literacy instruction:
instruction and assignments required within courses, and/or
required use of a computer to complete assignments.

16. Princeton’s Requirements
No computer requirement or intro applications course.
One gen ed course: Computer Science 109:Computers in Our World taught by Brian Kernighan (inventor of C)
Princeton provides applications training through Resident Computer Coordinators (RCCs) that assist students with computing questions.

17. College Requirements
Clearly colleges have differing opinions on what computer literacy is and what should be required of their students.
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18. The Problem College-wide requirements tend to result in:
Lowest common denominator specifications with minimal expectations
Lots of administrative overhead

19. FSU’s Solution
Move the responsibility of defining computer literacy down to the department level, subject to college approval.
Departments may select already approved courses or develop one of their own.

20. College Requirements Requirements will come and go.
They will require less than we, the experts in the field, feel is appropriate.
Our focus should be on providing our students with the knowledge and skills that we believe they will need through our courses and teaching.

21. Designing the Course
Influences on the design of a Computer Literacy class include:
An evaluation of the relative importance of varying aspects of technology
Goals of the institution - the target job market
Knowledge of the student’s level of experience

22. Evaluating The State of Technology
These are the days of miracles and wonders….

23. Yesterday’s PC

24. Today’s PC
Gateway’s Gaming PC

25. Today’s PC
Gateway’s Profile 5

26. Today’s PC
Gateway’s Media PC

27. Today’s PC
Apple PowerBook G4

28. Today’s PC
Tablet PC

29. Today’s PC
Flip-start from Vulcan

30. Today’s PC
PalmOne’s Treo-600

31. Today’s PC
The PC has morphed into a variety information appliances of every size for every need with a strong focus on the ability to connect.

32. Connecting
Wireless connectivity makes it possible to access information from servers or individuals anywhere, anyplace, anytime.
W-fi, Bluetooth & Ad-hoc Wireless Networks

33. Connecting The SmartPhone Bridging Phone/Internet
Pervasive Communications
M-commerce

34. Connecting
The power of connecting is transforming our society.

35. Connecting
Joseph Estrada leaves the presidential palace on Jan. 20, 2001 after resigning earlier in the day.
Jan 20, 2001, Philippines: More than 1 million Manila residents, mobilized and coordinated by waves of text messages, peacefully toppled the regime.

36. Sentient Things Cutting Board Web Browser
HP’s SPECs (Small Personal Everyday Computer)

37. Sentient Things
RFID: Giving material objects memory and a voice.

38. Sentient Things
From Howard Rheingold’s “Smart Mobs”
Information and communications technologies are starting to invade the physical world. Shards of sentient silicon will be inside boxtops and dashboards, pens, street corners, bus stops, money, most things manufactured or built, within the next 10 years. A shirt label will gain the power to disclose what airplanes, trucks, and ships carried it, what substances compose it, and the URL of the webcam in the factory where the shirt was manufactured.

39. Sentient Things
About the size of a grain of rice, the VeriChip is injected beneath the skin and transmits a unique 125-kilohertz radio frequency signal. Solusat, the Mexican distributor of the VeriChip, is marketing the device as an emergency ID tag under its new VeriKid program.

40. Pervasive Digital Photography

41. GPS Global Positioning System (GPS)
Showing us the best route and keeping track of kids.
Wherify GPS Locator for Children

42. Virtual and Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality: The layering of additional information over sensory input.

43. The State of techology…
…has dramatically changed since 1996.
Centering a curriculum around the Desktop PC seriously under-equips students for the challenges they will face.

44. Preparing Students to shoulder the load
Work/Life Demands
Preparing Students to shoulder the load

45. Computational Function
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office skills remain overwhelmingly the most desirable application skills for non-IT staff.
A search on Monster.com turns up over 5,000 hits each for keywords “Word”, “Excel”, “Access”, and “Powerpoint”.
Office also serves well to illustrate to students four primary uses of computers
Program
Computational Function
Word
Document Production
Excel
Mathematical and Logical Calculations
Access
Data Storage and Manipulation
PowerPoint
Vector (Object-Oriented) Graphics

46. Certification
Employers hiring in positions that depend on specific application skills like to have proof of skills.
“College certified” may be a cheaper alternative.

47. Beyond Microsoft Office
Many careers also require familiarity with a variety of digital communications and networking technologies:
Internet, , IM, Web
LAN, Intranet
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Wi-fi
Voice over IP
SmartPhone Technologies
College graduates require a technology comfort-level that exceeds that acquired through casual use.

48. Beyond Microsoft Office
Many careers require computer skills other than Microsoft Office:
Personal Information Management
Web Development
Graphics
Animation

49. Programming Skills?
An understanding of system and application development demonstrates problem-solving skills.
Non-tech users are becoming increasingly involved in system and software development in businesses and organizations. Why?
They understand the problems at hand
They are increasingly technically savvy
Software development tools are increasingly easier to use
Programmers are not able to keep up with organization demands

50. Home
An understanding of digital technologies is equally important in our personal lives:
High Speed Internet Access
Home Wi-fi Networking
Digital photography and video
Digital Entertainment Media
The complexity of digital technology is outpacing the industry’s ability to make it “user frienly”.

51. Summary
Information and communication technologies are integral to the success of businesses and individuals.
Employers in all career areas realize the importance of an employee’s ability to APPLY computer knowledge to resolve problems and increase effectiveness and efficiency.

52. Technically Savvy Student

53. Know Your Students Survey of my 2,200 incoming students revealed:
100% have used
99% have used Microsoft Word
96% of students own computers
88% have used Instant Messaging
53% have used Microsoft Excel
69% have used Microsoft PowerPoint
90% of students own cell phones
51% use SMS text messaging
71% of students acquire their music from file-sharing networks or from friends
Only 27% purchase music new on CD

54. Seeking the one true definition
Computer Literacy
Seeking the one true definition

55. National Study
Report: Being Fluent with Information Technology National Research Council, Committee on Information Technology Literacy
“Literacy is too modest a goal in the presence of rapid change, because it lacks the necessary "staying power.“ As the technology changes by leaps and bounds, existing skills become antiquated and there is no migration path to new skills. ”

56. FITness Report
“Fluency with information technology entails a process of lifelong learning in which individuals continually apply what they know to adapt to change and acquire more knowledge to be more effective at applying information technology to their work and personal lives.”
“Fluency with information technology requires three kinds of knowledge:
contemporary skills,
foundational concepts, and
intellectual capabilities.”

57. Concerns about FITness
The general approach presented in FITness is solid (skills, concepts, capabilities).
The amount of skills and concepts included in the approach require twice the amount of time as traditional intro classes.
Some implementations of FITness include significant amounts of programming.

58. Designing A New Approach
Bending Over Backwards for Our Students

59. Desirable Skills What skills should we be teaching to non-tech majors?
Windows and/or Mac
File Management
Outlook (PIM)
Web Research
Word Processing
Web Authoring with GUI
Spreadsheets
Databases
PowerPoint
Graphics (Adobe Illustrator)
Digital Photo Editing (Photoshop)
HTML/Dreamweaver
Macromedia Flash
JavaScript
Data Access Pages
What skills should we be teaching to non-tech majors?
Consider all possible intro-level skills and student interests.

60. Familiar Skills
Windows and/or Mac
File Management
Outlook (PIM)
Web Research
Word Processing
Web Authoring with Word or Netscape
Speadsheets
Databases
PowerPoint
Graphics (Adobe Illustrator)
Digital Photo Editing (Photoshop)
HTML/Dreamweaver
Macromedia Flash
JavaScript
Data Access Pages
Consider providing outside-of-class tutorials for skills that are familiar to most students.
Provide a study guide and test for all students.

61. Combining Skills
Windows and/or Mac
File Management
Outlook (PIM)
Web Research
Word Processing
Web Authoring with Word or Netscape
Speadsheets
Databases
PowerPoint
Graphics (Adobe Illustrator)
Digital Photo Editing (Photoshop)
HTML/Dreamweaver
Macromedia Flash
JavaScript
Data Access Pages
Combining applications into projects demonstrates the interoperability of software and skills.
Web research, word processing, and Web authoring combine for an interesting project.

62. Combining Skills
Windows and/or Mac
File Management
Outlook (PIM)
Web Research
Word Processing
Web Authoring with Word or Netscape
Speadsheets
Databases
PowerPoint
Graphics (Adobe Illustrator)
Digital Photo Editing (Photoshop)
HTML/Dreamweaver
Macromedia Flash
JavaScript
Data Access Pages
The PowerPoint assignment can be used to demonstrate integration between Office applications (created with an outline in Word, import an excel chart).
Graphics and Web development are naturally complimentary skills.
Web Design

63. Ala Carte Skills
Required
Windows and/or Mac
File Management
Outlook (PIM)
Web Research
Word Processing
Web Authoring with Word or Netscape
Speadsheets
Databases
PowerPoint
Graphics (Adobe Illustrator)
Digital Photo Editing (Photoshop)
HTML/Dreamweaver
Macromedia Flash
JavaScript
Data Access Pages
Some skills can be offered ala carte, keeping the basic core skills mandatory.
Choose 2
Choose 1

64. Tracks Special-focus tracks can be designed. MS Office Track
Required
Windows and/or Mac
File Management
Outlook (PIM)
Web Research
Word Processing
Web Authoring with Word or Netscape
Speadsheets
Databases
PowerPoint
Graphics (Adobe Illustrator)
Digital Photo Editing (Photoshop)
HTML/Dreamweaver
Macromedia Flash
JavaScript
Data Access Pages
Special-focus tracks can be designed.
MS Office Track
Graphics Track
Web Development
Database/Web Dev

65. 2 Course Sequence
Comp Lit 1
Windows and/or Mac
File Management
Outlook (PIM)
Web Research
Word Processing
Web Authoring with Word or Netscape
Speadsheets
Databases
PowerPoint
Graphics (Adobe Illustrator)
Digital Photo Editing (Photoshop)
HTML/Dreamweaver
Macromedia Flash
JavaScript
Data Access Pages
Create a two course sequence. Students that complete both courses will have a powerful arsenal of skills.
Comp Lit 2

66. Concepts
“Concepts” provide the foundation from which a real understanding of digital technologies and information systems can arise.
Information System and Digital Electronics Concepts

67. Concepts
It is the “Concepts” portion of the course that provides students with an understanding of important technologies.
Digital Communications
The world(s) around us
Computing Platforms
New Technologies Social Implications
Wireless
Networks
Digital Media
Information System and Digital Electronics Concepts

68. Concepts
Most importantly, “Concepts” assist students in understanding how to apply technology, information systems, and skills toward their personal and professional success.
Information System and Digital Electronics Concepts

69. Concepts Digital Data Representation Hardware Software Networking
Information System and Digital Electronics Concepts

70. Concepts Internet/Web Info Security/Ethics Multimedia
Database/Info Mng
Information System and Digital Electronics Concepts

71. Concepts E-commerce Information Systems Sys/Prog Dev
Information System and Digital Electronics Concepts

72. Concepts can be boring…
…or they can REVEAL important insight for your students.
WARNING!
Cheesy Mnemonic Approaching
Those with little tolerance for Cheesy Mnemonics should momentarily close their eyes and cover their ears.

73. Concepts can be boring…
…or they can REVEAL important insight for your students.
Relevant – Cover contemporary Issues of interest to the students, pertinent to their future careers.
Examples – Show students how technology is assisting others professionally and personally.
Valuable – Omit any topics that aren’t of relative value. Bits and Bytes are of value, ISA, PCI, and AGP slots are not.
Energize – Energize your lectures with guest speakers, games, and group discussions. Pop quizzes don’t hurt either.
All Encompassing – Avoid platform bias. Cover everything from Super computers to SmartPhones.
Love Love what you do! Enthusiasm is contagious!!

74. The New Approach
@ FSU

75. The New Approach
Two semesters of Computer Literacy: CompLit 1 and CompLit 2
CompLit 1 (or equivalent) a prerequisite for CompLit 2
Departments can require one or both for their students

76. CompLit 1 & CompLit 2 CompLit 1 Skills CompLit 2 Skills
Microsoft Windows
Managing Files
Web Research
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Access
Microsoft PowerPoint
Application Integration
Creating a Webpage with Word
CompLit 2 Skills
Intro to Unix
Web Authoring: Intro to XHTML
Macromedia DreamWeaver
Macromedia Fireworks
Macromedia Flash
Microsoft Access
Data Access Pages
Intro to JavaScript

77. CompLit 1 & CompLit 2 CompLit 1 Concepts CompLit 2 Concepts
Digital Data Representation
Hardware
Software
Networking
Internet/Web
Multimedia
Info Security/Ethics
CompLit 2 Concepts
Database Systems
E-commerce
Computer Graphics
Multimedia
Information Systems
Systems Development
Software Development
Info Security/Ethics

78. Goal
Students who complete both courses will have the technical skills and understanding needed to succeed and an awesome resume!

79. The New Approach Summary
Skills
Play to the majority, outsource the deficiencies
Provide for interests other than MS Office
Build a general understanding of computer capabilities

80. The New Approach Summary
Concepts
Use a “digital technology” focus.
Devote time to technologies relative to their importance in today’s society.
Focus on usability with plenty of examples.
Illustrate how technology empowers individuals in professional and personal endeavors.

81. Thanks for your time. Questions?
Feel free to pick up handouts on your way out:
The New Approach Specifications
“News Resources for Tech Teachers” reference sheet
Ken Baldauf
Florida State University

82. Web References FSU’s Computer Literacy Website http://lit.cs.fsu.edu
Ken Baldauf’s Professional Website
FSU’s Computer Skills Requirement
Oklahoma State’s Requirement
Utah State’s Computer Technology Tests
NC State’s Requirement
Princeton’s Computer Science 109:Computers in Our World
The Media Center PC

83. Web References The Tablet PC
FlipStart PC from Vulcan
Bluetooth
M-Commerce for All
"The Cell Phone and the Crowd: Messianic Politics in the Contemporary Philippines"
HP’s SPECs (Small Personal Everyday Computer) - ubiquitous
RFID

84. Web References
Tracking Junior With a Microchip
Applied Digital Solutions (Verichip, and Digital Angel)
Smart Mobs
Wherify GPS Locator for Children
Augmented Reality
“Being Fluent with Information Technology” Report