That changed my mind when it came to working in the real world. What those classes teach is what could be more accurately described as ‘office skills’. I didn’t touch a spreadsheet until I got to the ‘real world’, and their use wasn’t quite intuitive. Relational database concepts I had in college so I was able to build fairly complex Access databases pretty quickly. I had been using Word Perfect since High School, so word processors were no biggie either. Just Lotus was the mystery.

The kind of classes they’re talking about aren’t so much ‘computer familiarization’ as they are ‘office computing familiarization’. Which, to be frank, is dead boring to kids. Each generation seems to think itself better at technology than the previous one. This introduces a skeptacism in being taught basic technology by previous generations. Hard to overcome.

But I digress ….

There is a large continuum of computing skill among those youngsters who can perform various entertainment activities on a computer. However, well rounded skill sets that use computing are another matter. Searching is one example where this comes into play, and an area for focusing appropriate education. Good search skill requires knowing how to use google, but also how to create more general and more specific parameters, possibly knowledge of geography (find a city in North America …. does that include Mexico?) I have spent considerable time working with very bright and motivated ‘geeks’, but found that I can often find the answer to a technical problem faster because I can pose the search parameters better and then process the results to achieve the desired goal. But then I have a varied education and half a century of experience to draw upon.

Your incoming students by and large know good computing basics, and many excel at technology entertainment. What they need is a well rounded education which includes technology as a component, just as it includes, math and science and language and geography and art and philosophy; as technology can and does interact with all of those traditional liberal arts subjects. I think that an integrative approach would bring the best results …. if that doesnt mean ‘create a powerpoint’ just for the exercise. What is the best tool and why for the purpose? How to communicate effectively using IM, email, express, snail mail, magazines, books. … why and how, again. How to use blogs in a corporate environment, academia, politics. What is the interplay between bloggers and more traditional news sources? How does one establish that information and opinions on the internet are correct or worthy or following? When is it appropriate to restrict access to technology on a college campus? Are there any limits? Has high speed internet and cell phone technology created another important class division in the world? Does this matter?

These are the things that your technology education curriculum should address, whether that is done as a course or integrated into other fields is as much a question of resources on your campus as anything else. All else being equal I prefer the holistic approach, but seldom is all else equal.