Participants in this study completed an online experiment in which they wrote essays by stylus or keyboard. Three translation measures (length of language burst, length of pauses, and rate of pausing) and four transcription measures (total words, total time, words/minute, and percent spelling errors) for composition were analyzed for two research…

This study explored the utility of using keyboarding as an alternative to handwriting for students with ASD who experience handwriting difficulties. Participants included 22 students with ASD (M age = 10.83 plus or minus 1.4 years) who had been using portable word processors in mainstream classrooms for at least 6 months to circumvent handwriting…

Students with learning disabilities in writing often experience challenges with many or all of the components of creating text. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2012), 95% of 8th- and 12th-grade students with disabilities failed to score within the proficient range in writing. This multiple-baseline-across-participants…

The study aimed at exploring barriers to the use of computer assistive technology among students with visual impairment at Akropong School for the Blind. A case study design was adopted and the purposive sampling technique used to select 35 participants for the study. The researchers gathered qualitative data using an in-depth interview guide to…

Keyboarding (typing) is a ubiquitous skill for most UK students, and most coursework essays must be word processed. However, few examinations, other than for students with disabilities, permit the use of a word processor. It is not known how students would respond given a free choice between handwriting and word processing in an essay examination.…

Digital literacies are typically distinguished from traditional literacy either in terms of content (media vs. print) or practice (page turning vs. keyboarding and clicking). This article presents a case for an approach that emphasizes the "who" of reading by contrasting traditional and digital literacies in terms of who counts as a reader.…

Educators and experts say students still need to learn penmanship, even in a digital age. Handwriting still has a place in the digital age, its proponents say, and they hoped that what they billed as a "summit" on the subject at a conference would spotlight their case for the enduring value of handwriting in the learning process. The Washington…

Despite the educational benefits, computer programming has not been adopted in the current K-12 education as much as it could have been. One of the reasons for the low adoption of computer programming in K-12 education is the time it takes for (especially young) students to learn computer programming using a text-based programming language, which…

Developed through a cooperative effort of many teachers and researchers, this guide is intended to supplement existing elementary and middle school materials on keyboarding. The guide contains sections that are designed for stand-alone use. Topics cover a wide range of strategies, including teaching special needs students. The U.S. Postal Service…

In response to the New York State Board of Regents Action Plan relating to computer keyboarding skills, this guide is designed to help elementary school staff understand aspects of keyboarding and develop this important basic skill in their students. The three-part presentation begins with a discussion of the benefits of using computers in English…

Describes computer programs that effectively teach keyboarding skills to elementary school students. (MM)

Discusses the need for and the problems with teaching keyboarding to elementary school students, and the types of software necessary for meaningful instruction. (JC)

This master's research project gathered information to be used in the production of curriculum resources to support the teaching of touch-keyboarding in upper elementary classrooms. The project was undertaken on the premise that portable keyboards permit and necessitate a shift in instructional routines to foster student mastery of…

Discusses the problems of teaching very young students to keyboard well enough to use a computer effectively in composition. Suggests that there is sufficient software to teach keyboarding as young as the fourth grade, and that teachers who have typing skills can teach keyboarding to their students. (JC)

Unless the teacher is working at an ergonomically designed workstation, using a computer can result in eyestrain, neck aches, backaches, and headaches. Unfortunately, most teachers do their keyboarding at desks, on lab tables, and in other spaces that were not designed with computer use in mind. Ergonomics is the science of adapting workstations,…