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Should everyone learn anything?: The question of computer literacy

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Naomi S. BaronAuthors Info & Claims

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, Volume 16, Issue 1

Pages 108 - 114

https://doi.org/10.1145/952980.808632

Published: 01 January 1984 Publication History

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Abstract

In developing a new area of knowledge, one of the most difficult problems is working out a framework in terms of which to define the area. The emerging subject of “computer literacy” is a case in point. What should colleges and universities teach about computers? And to whom? Rather than beginning with such “computer literacy” issues themselves, we start with the more basic question of how educators make any decisions about the appropriate content and audience of higher education. The question of teleology in higher education is examined in terms of four conceptual categories: acculturation economic considerations, social mechanisms, and mental discipline. These four categories offer one plausible framework for crafting rational procedures for deciding what to teach college students about computers.

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Cited By

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Magrass YUpchurch R(1988)Computer literacy: the pigeonhole principleACM SIGCAS Computers and Society10.1145/49480.4948118:3(1-9)Online publication date: 1-Jul-1988
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/49480.49481
Urban‐Lurain MWeinshank D(2013)Do Non‐Computer Science Students Need to Program?*Journal of Engineering Education10.1002/j.2168-9830.2001.tb00636.x90:4(535-541)Online publication date: 2-Jan-2013
https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2001.tb00636.x
Lister R(2010)The closing of the CSEd mindACM Inroads10.1145/1869746.18697521:4(17-18)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2010
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1869746.1869752
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Should everyone learn anything?: The question of computer literacy
1. Applied computing
  1. Education
2. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing literacy

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Information

Published In

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 16, Issue 1

Proceedings of the 15th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education

February 1984

235 pages

ISSN:0097-8418

DOI:10.1145/952980

Issue’s Table of Contents

SIGCSE '84: Proceedings of the fifteenth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education
January 1984
272 pages
ISBN:0897911261
DOI:10.1145/800039
Chairman:
Richard H. Austing,
Editors:
Lillian N. Cassel,
Joyce Currie Little

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 January 1984

Published in SIGCSE Volume 16, Issue 1

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Cited By

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Magrass YUpchurch R(1988)Computer literacy: the pigeonhole principleACM SIGCAS Computers and Society10.1145/49480.4948118:3(1-9)Online publication date: 1-Jul-1988
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/49480.49481
Urban‐Lurain MWeinshank D(2013)Do Non‐Computer Science Students Need to Program?*Journal of Engineering Education10.1002/j.2168-9830.2001.tb00636.x90:4(535-541)Online publication date: 2-Jan-2013
https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2001.tb00636.x
Lister R(2010)The closing of the CSEd mindACM Inroads10.1145/1869746.18697521:4(17-18)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2010
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1869746.1869752
Epperson A(2010)Computer literacy revisitedACM Inroads10.1145/1805724.18057361:2(30-33)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2010
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1805724.1805736
Spresser DGibbs NTaylor HBonnette D(1985)A moderate approach to computer literacyProceedings of the sixteenth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education10.1145/323287.323401(327-331)Online publication date: 1-Mar-1985
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/323287.323401
Spresser D(1985)A moderate approach to computer literacyACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/323275.32340117:1(327-331)Online publication date: 1-Mar-1985
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/323275.323401

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Generally Educated In The 21st Century: The Importance Of Computer Literacy In An Undergraduate Curriculum