The topic of the work is an analysis of various definitions of "computer literacy" a much discussed topic in its day. The discourse in both the popular and educational press and media centered on two things:
1. What the term "computer literacy should encompass" - which necessarily included how such literacy should or might be taught or acquired; and
2. The value to US society of pursuing some kind of universal computer literacy.
In 1990, it seemed as though every journalist and educator had some opinion about the "computer revolution," then sweeping the country, and how that revolution would effect education. They also all seemed to have their own notions of how to best bring that revolution into the classroom. The range of the debate ran from John Nevison's original concept of the term (detailed below) - computer literacy as programming ability - to the idea that quickly followed on its heels - the notion that programming ability was already passe and what really mattered was the ability to chose and run the appropriate application for the task at hand.
In an interesting way, few people questioned the appropriateness of the term itself or the kinds of models it evoked. The models looked surprisingly like those found in discussions of general literacy and which have been part of that debate for more than 30 years.
This work examines various models proposed in general literacy discussion, and draws parallels to the discussions about computer literacy, before moving on to propose a definition of its own.
In the summer of 1996, while teaching a course in the history and development of the Internet and World Wide Web, I resurected the paper as part of a lecture about skill, literacy, and computers. This version has been lightly edited toward that end.
Bruce Jones, September 1996
This page last updated on: Dec 27 1996