 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group A New Type of Literacy Anne Deschepper |
I first started using computers about 10 years ago and like many people,
approached the machine as a glorified typewriter. As a TAFE teacher preparing handouts for classes, I
revelled in its ability to free me from the mess of the spirit duplicator. Of course back then in the early
90s, we had only one or two computers in our staff room. Our students had no computers at their disposal;
after all they were studying English as a Second Language, not Information Technology.
The situation has changed markedly in the interim. From a pure administration tool the computer has mutated
into an indispensable aide to learning. The penetration of computers into the home, workplace and the
community has paralleled the availability in TAFE education. Students in all disciplines now expect to have
on campus access to a computer with software applications, a browser and plug ins.
Students in a typical TAFE class will work on their assignments on a computer and use the Internet for
research. State and national governments, however, have been moving far and fast to support the growth of IT
infrastructure across the country to ensure the education also matches the growth of the online environment.
The Australian National Training Authority and its Victorian equivalent, the Office for Post compulsory
Education, Training and Employment, have invested significant dollars in the development of online learning
resources, skills training for staff and research into learning in an online environment.
This move has been driven by demand from industry and individual customers for greater flexibility in how,
when, where and what they wish to study. Potential students these days are not tied to attending a bricks and
mortar classroom at a specified time for a specified number of weeks. Although many still choose the face to
face options, self-paced print and electronic materials give better access to more people. When you mix this
with the communications capability of the Internet, a growing group of customers are quite happy to study
from work, home or a community location.
Another powerful reason for this change sits behind the importance of computers in education. Computer power
and flexibility has become a given in any work and many life situations. If education is a preparation for
and a reflection of the world that it services, computers are a necessary ingredient for all students and
teachers, not just those studying Information Technology related courses.
In fact, it could be argued that skills in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) now play a
fundamental role in all learning. We have a new type of literacy to add to reading and writing. You can also
argue that ICT introduces new ways of thinking, of processing information and of making decisions. The
challenge now is to take advantage of the opportunities to embed ICT literacy and fluency in education and
training.
About the Author:
Anne Deschepper manages a support department at Swinburne TAFE that works with teaching departments to
develop flexible approaches to training. Her main interest is effective learning and how it happens,
particularly in an electronic environment.
Reprinted from the August 2000 issue of PC Update, the
magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
