Reimagining the Functional Side of Computer Literacy

This essay reimagines the functional side of computer literacy, arguing for an approach that is both effective and professionally responsible.

Abstract

I t is certainly no news to report that a great many colleges and universities are beginning to embrace requirements for computer literacy. The University of Texas at Arlington, Old Dominion University, the University of the Virgin Islands, Marshall University, Utah State University, the University of Louisville, Houston Baptist University, Georgetown College (in Kentucky), and Westminster College-these are just some of the schools that are now requiring students to become computer literate, in response to the urgings of corporate employers and academic accrediting agencies. Florida State University is typical in the way it defines computer literacy: Since 1998, Florida State has had a clearly articulated policy requiring all undergraduate students to demonstrate basic familiarity with computer hardware, operating systems, and file