Ed-Tech Policy

Schooling in ‘Basics’ Must Precede Computer Literacy

By Charlie Euchner — June 15, 1983 4 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Schools would do a better job of preparing students for an increasingly technological society if they improved programs in English and basic mathematics instead of increasing instruction in “computer literacy.”

That is the opinion of several educators and industry officials attending the National Educational Computing Conference here last week.

Vico E. Henriques, the president of the Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers Association, said students who are taught how to program computers are often of little use to the burgeoning computer industry because they are otherwise inadequately prepared by the educational system to function effectively on the job.

‘We Need Literacy’

“We have to teach them to read [road] maps,” Mr. Henriques said of computer repairmen, a field which he said has a 14-percent shortage of qualified workers. “What we need more than anything else is literacy.”

Courses in programming in basic or in the design of specific computer hardware, Mr. Henriques said, are helpful to the few students who eventually become programmers.

He said, such courses are of little use to the students who move into other fields that use computers. Mr. Henriques added that the industry is not seeking “computer literacy, because that can be developed, but linguistic literacy and math literacy, literacy in structured thoughts, literacy in problem-solving.”

Unless more people possess those aptitudes, Mr. Henriques said, the U.S. could develop into “a two-class society"--in which some workers would be able to have “three or four careers,” but others would not have the basic skills necessary to adapt quickly to a changing marketplace.

John Castellan Jr., professor of psychology at Indiana University, said educators must decide “how we balance computing with literacy.”

Mr. Castellen said he was concerned that money spent on computers would deplete funds spent on other subjects, especially mathematics and science, noting: “Science teachers are being told that they’re getting a computer but they won’t be able to get biology equipment.”

One study has concluded that the poor academic preparation of workers costs American business $225 billion annually, Mr. Castellen said. Computers might not do much to improve that situation, he added.

Mr. Castellen said that, upon learning that his son’s junior high school had two computers, he tried to determine how his son could use them. “We found out that one was locked in a closet and the other was in an instructor’s home,” he said.

William G. Aldridge, the executive director of the National Science Teachers Association, questioned current efforts to increase high-school requirements in mathematics and science as well as in computer literacy.

‘Unqualified’ Teachers

He said 60,000 of the high-school mathematics and science teachers, or 30 percent, are “unqualified” for their work, he said. Increasing the standards would require as many as 200,000 additional teachers. Furthermore, he said, the computer industry is “draining off the best and the brightest” potential teachers.

Speaking at another session of the conference, Tom Snyder, the president of a software firm, expressed concern that teachers, manufacturers, and publishers would prematurely “formalize” the place of computers in the curriculum. If educators define technology’s role too narrowly, he said, the computer will not improve any aspect of education significantly.

Mr. Snyder said he is “skeptical” about attempts to determine quickly what role the computer should have in the classroom.

“For the next couple of decades, we have to be in a ‘mess-around’ period,” he said.

Among other issues touched on by speakers at the meeting were:

The merits of “discovery” and “didactic” educational computer programs. Brian McLaughlin of the National Institutes of Health said experiments show that students learn more with “discovery” programs.

Students who used software for programming that stressed “learning by doing” (discovery) rather than “learning by being told” (didactic) led to greater retention of the subject matter, higher levels of self confidence, and more interest in continuing work with computers, the results of an experiment Mr. McLaughlin conducted at Catholic University suggested.

The difference between the two methods was most striking among students with poor academic records, Mr. McLaughlin said.

Programming languages. LaFrance, assistant professor of mathematical science at Oral Roberts University, said the widespread use of basic is creating a generation of students whose skills do not match the needs of the industry.

Mr. LaFrance recommended that educators begin using computer languages that have simpler structures, such as logo and fortran.

Computer simulations in science education. David L. Wilcox, professor of biology at Eastern College in St. Davids, Pa., said his students who use computer simulations of the functions of the kidney learn the functions faster than others who use a textbook.

A version of this article appeared in the June 15, 1983 edition of Education Week as Schooling in ‘Basics’ Must Precede Computer Literacy

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Ed-Tech Policy From Our Research Center Schools Are Taking Too Long to Craft AI Policy. Why That's a Problem
Nearly 8 of every 10 educators say their districts don’t have clear AI policies, according to an EdWeek Research Center survey.
8 min read
A person sits at a computer and tries to figure out a cloud of AI Policy Confusion
Kathleen Fu for Education Week
Ed-Tech Policy The 'Homework Gap' Is About to Get Worse. What Should Schools Do?
The looming expiration of a federal program has districts worried that many students will not have adequate home internet access.
4 min read
A young boy does homework with a tablet at the kitchen table.
Ilona Titova/iStock
Ed-Tech Policy These State Lawmakers Want All School Districts to Craft AI Policies. Will Others Follow?
The vast majority of districts in the country have not released AI guidance, even though educators say they need it.
2 min read
Woman using a computer chatting with an intelligent artificial intelligence.
iStock/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy National Ed-Tech Plan Outlines How Schools Can Tackle 3 Big Digital Inequities
There's great potential for districts to use technology to meet all students' individual learning needs, federal plan suggests.
3 min read
High angle shot of a man assisting his students at computers
iStock/Getty