The current advancements in the world of technology make it necessary for students at all levels to be computer literate. Computer literacy refers to “the familiarity with the use and the value of computers, software and related technologies. The students in high school use the computers to research and type out their assignments. They also act as learning aids during lectures given that the teachers can prepare Power Point presentations or make graphics to illustrate biological, chemical or geographical processes. Upon entering the world of employment after completion of college, the students interact with computers in the course of execution of their duties. Global competition and the ever increasing need for the provision for better services to consumers has made it necessary for most firms are increasingly to use the latest computer applications for their business operations. Most colleges have therefore made it mandatory for students to possess some form of computer training prior to graduating.
It is believed that computer literacy in the preparation of the students for life as informed citizens since it allows them to gain understanding as to how the world in the information age functions. The importance of computer literacy has made it necessary for standards to be set for computer literacy courses offered in high school. For instance, AACSB has guidelines regarding computer literacy and libraries in high schools in the United States of America. The Kansas of Regents requires that the high school students take up a unit in computer technology prior to joining college. A survey of high school students who were members of the Future Leaders of America revealed that at least 94% had undertaken a computer technology course while they were in high school. The United States of America aims at being technologically relevant and competitive in areas such as bioinformatics, nanotechnology and supercomputing. With this in mind, computer literacy has been widely promoted among high school students. It is the basis for the technological advances that the United States desires to make. It’s therefore important that computer literacy be promoted at all levels of education. It is against this background that this paper shall focus on the merits of computer literacy as a high school graduation requirement.
Computer literacy as a high school graduation requirement
There are several studies have shown that computer literacy programs in high schools are a positive step towards preparation for college and success later on in college. According to the studies, prior exposure to computers in high school is one of the factors that contribute to the success of those who opt to pursue computer science as their career of choice. For programming students, prior training in programming provides a strong background for logical thinking which is applied in programming. It is however imperative as per the recommendation of these studies that the programming training provided at high school level be of high quality. It should encompass coding, basic testing for efficacy and algorithm design.
A study was conducted in order to find out the factors that contribute to the success of students who study computer science in college. The study revealed that problem solving skills and scientific reasoning, skills which are honed by computer literacy courses in high schools are an important factor in the success of the computer science students. Conclusions drawn from these studies indicate that computer literacy in high schools is useful for the preparation of the students who later on take up computer science as a career. If the programs are properly designed they could motivate students to take up computer science as a career. It would particularly be helpful to motivate the students given that studies show that computer science is no longer viewed as a lucrative career choice by college students thus there is a diminishing number of students opting to study it.
Computers are useful in enhancing the learning experience. The use of computers as a teaching aid has several merits. The use of a computer during classes is highly individualized and permits the student to save then retrieve the content in future. It has proven to be an interactive and fun method of learning for the students which makes even routine exercises that the students would otherwise want become highly more attractive to the students. Given that the use of computers is highly individualized, computer literacy boosts the learning skills of the students in addition to their self-esteem. Through the enhancement of computer literacy in high schools, the student acquire critical computer skills that allow them to study at their own pace and time thus culturing self-discipline, a trait that prepares them for their life as college students and employees in the future.
The current world of business is constantly shifting towards technological advances. Every sector finds utilizes computers. The motor industry utilizes them for designing vehicles, keeping track of the vehicles and testing the cars before they are launched into the market. Artists can auction their merchandise on line and keep track of global trends through the use of computers. Accountants use computer generated spreadsheets, hospitals use them for keeping medical records and farmers use them to gather information and keep track of their stock. In essence, there is no sector in the economy that does not require the use of computers. There are new applications invented each passing day and firms in their pursuit of keeping up with the global markets invest heavily in novel computer applications and computers. By promoting computer literacy in schools, the students are prepared for their entry into the world of business. It provides them with basic computer skills upon which they can rely as they advance in their knowledge of computers.
For high schools students, the learning experience should not just be limited to what is happening in the immediate environment but it should also include what is happening elsewhere. They not only need to understand the history but also the future. Computers through the internet allow the student to learn about new places, current trends, and developments. The students can only have access to such information. Unlike using a book where a student can only read one book at a time, the use of computers allows the user to access various sources of information such as journal articles and books. They can compare and contrast the information. They can access various sources simultaneously while working on their research papers. Through the use of computers, the mind of the student is opened up to new possibilities, new ways of solving problems and perspectives from other parts of the world. Small and big corporations have benefited immensely from the use of computers as a source of information thus the same happens to high schools students. It is therefore imperative the computer literacy be made a requirement for high school graduation.
Information that is available from the internet is useful in the delivery of classroom content that would require dangerous and expensive experiments to demonstrate. This is particularly important in chemistry and biology where an appreciation of concepts by high school students requires the conduction of certain experiments. A teacher could down load virtual experiments and then prepare a presentation for his students. The students who are equipped with computer skills are therefore able to go through the concept in their own time and appreciate the concept. The internet allows the users in this case, the high school and the students to access information from anywhere and at any time. It is information from diverse sources which can be modified to suit a particular context.
Using computers during lessons is not only useful for the accomplishment of individual projects but also for the development of group efforts. High school students who are computer literate learn to assist each other in the course while honing their own computer skills. Knowledge that is disseminated from a peer is often appreciated more in certain situations as compared to knowledge that comes from a teacher. This helps to enhance the social interaction between above average students and those who may be weak in certain subjects. The students therefore understand the value of helping others out, a trait that is critical in the enhancement of group cohesiveness.
The use of computers in high schools trains the students to be responsible learners. There is a wide variety of information that can be accessed from the internet. The information can easily be accessed at the click of a button. The internet has several sites with a great amount of information that may not necessarily be relevant to the topic that one is interested in researching about. The learners need to discern what they should use in the course of their studies and how they ought to use it. They need to learn when to use computers for fun and when to use them when learning. Logic and inference needs to be applied in the course of navigating different sites on the internet. These skills honed early in life as in the course of high school education later become useful for the students given that they learn how solve problems.
Equipping high school students with computer skills is useful for the enhancement of communication between the students and other students from other parts of the world. Using the internet, it is possible for the students to have friends from all over the world with whom they can discuss interests such as music, technology and science. They also discuss school related developments with their teachers at any time given that electronic mail can be accesses from anywhere and at any time. Assignments can be handed in via email and the computers can be used by the teachers for marking and sending the assignments back to the students.
For students who are interested in learning foreign languages while in high schools, being computer literate is an added advantage. It provides them with an opportunity to enhance their skills even when they are not in class. They can listen to transcripts in their language of interest. They can find online sites that provide material which they could use to enhance their language skills. They can interact with students of the language from other parts of the world therefore making it easy for them to understand the culture of the students whose language they are studying. This makes learning a foreign language interesting and interactive.
Computer literacy in high schools plays a significant role in helping to close the gender gaps which still exist in education. In spite the advancements made in the education of girls, the diversity of students in United States of America means that some of the students come from cultures that do not promote the education of girls. As a result, girls may also be less inclined to take up science oriented courses such as computer science. Computer literacy courses being offered in high schools may act as motivation for girls to take up computer science therefore bridging the gender gap that currently exists in education.
Computers literacy is particularly useful to students with disabilities. It helps students who are blind or have physical disabilities thus their movement is restricted. For blind students, Braille versions of learning material can be accessed from the internet and read using a screen reader. Some of the material is in audio formats thus the blind students can listen to the learning material at any given time. For students with physical disabilities, the learning experience can be made less strenuous through the use of computers. For those who are unable to go to school often, they can access lessons taught in their absence via their electronic mail. They can also do assignments and hand them in via mail. They can do courses via correspondence therefore keep up with their peers who go to school. They can network with other students with physical abilities via social networking sites. Those who cannot access information from libraries due to physical barriers could access the information via the internet. This helps in narrowing the gaps that are present in education as a result of physical disabilities.
Computer literacy among students in high schools promotes talent development. In so doing, the talents that are nurtured through the use of computers can give rise to can later form a basis for them to pursue different courses. Students in the same grade can learn about different computer applications while others are learning about different applications. In doing so, it is possible for the instructor to identify the students’ strong points and nurture them. It is possible to identify those who are good at graphical representations, those who are good at programming and those who are good at using spreadsheets.
Demerits of computer literacy
While there are numerous benefits that are associated with computer literacy in high schools, the demerits cannot be ignored. To begin with, the distribution of financial resources by the government is not equal. There are schools which receive greater financial support and are therefore able to purchase and maintain several computers for use by the students. High schools are also located in different areas with some being located in affluent areas while others are located in areas that are not affluent. The schools that are located in affluent areas receive greater support from the parents and can therefore afford to purchase computer at times laptops for use by the students. On the other hand, the schools that are not located in affluent areas receive little support from the parents and are often unable to purchase many computers for the students. Such differences in terms of resources curtail the use of computers for learning purposes. It serves as a tool for enhancing the divide between the “haves” and the “have nots.” The gap in terms of knowledge regarding computer which is known as the digital divide is further widened.
The students are also prone to relying on computers for the most basic tasks and therefore fail to acquire critical skills such as performing basic mathematical operations. With the increase reliance on computers, it is becoming increasingly evident that high school students require the use of computers for almost all their subjects. This can be harmful given that most of them can fail to learn critical skills such as writing, communication and map reading since the computer performs these operations.
Conclusion and recommendation
The merits of computer literacy are numerous. One of the key benefits is that it offers a foundation for those who hope to pursue computer science as a career. Computers allow learners to access diverse information from sources such as journal articles, reports, and books. They allow for students who are physically disabled to learn at their own convenience therefore ensuring that they keep up with their peers. Computers are a teaching aid which makes it possible for teachers to come up with simulations of experiments that would be too dangerous or expensive to carry out.
Computer literacy has been implemented in most states. However, there is need to constantly update the curriculum in order to keep up with the changes that are taking place in the business world. Educators ought to be trained in order to competently promote computer literacy among high school students.
Works cited
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