PRECOLLEGE COMPUTER LITERACY: A PERSONAL COMPUTING APPROACH
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Date
1983
Authors
Moursund, David G.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
D. Moursund
Abstract
It is generally agreed that all students should become computer literate, but no definition of
computer literacy has gained widespread acceptance. This booklet defines computer literacy in a
manner that can guide educators as they work to implement universal computer literacy through
precollege education. This booklet is an updated and expanded version of a paper, "Personal
Computing for Elementary and Secondary School Students," prepared by David Moursund for a
computer literacy conference held in December 1980 in Reston, Virginia. The conference was
organized by the Human Resources Research Organization and the Minnesota Educational
Computing Consortium. The purpose of the conference was to help participants gain an
increased understanding of the meaning of computer literacy and what can be done to help
students become computer literate. This booklet is intended for curriculum specialists,
elementary and secondary school teachers, media specialists, teachers of teachers and others
concerned with curriculum in precollege education. It defines and discusses computer literacy for
elementary and secondary school students. The approach is via an analysis of personal
computing and the aspects of computers that can have a direct impact on students. Students can
be personally involved with computers through computer assisted learning, computer assisted
problem solving, the study of computer and information science and through the use of
computers for entertainment. Students can learn how computers are affecting the world of
business, government and industry-and thus, how computers will be part of their future. Each of
these aspects of personal computing contributes to the definition of a set of goals for computer
literacy in elementary and secondary schools. The resulting overall goal is for a working
knowledge of computers-that is, knowledge that facilitates the everyday use of computers by
students. This knowledge lays a firm foundation for future learning about computers and for
coping with the inevitable changes that will occur in this technology.
Description
28 p. Copyright © David Moursund 1983. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License. Permission is granted to make use of this document for non-commercial educational purposes by schools, school districts, colleges, universities, and other non-profit preservice and inservice teacher education organizations and groups. Additional free materials written by David Moursund are available at http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~moursund/dave/Free.html.