Herb Lin 202-334-3191 hlin@nas

1. Be FIT!Fluency with Information TechnologyA Report of theCommittee on Information Technology Literacy Computer Science and Telecommunications Board National Research Council Herb Lin 202-334-3191 hlin@nas.edu

2. The Charge “What should everyone know about Information Technology?” • “Everyone” means those in the population at large who wish to use IT effectively. • Reasons are diverse • To be productive in the workplace • To be an informed citizen • To apply IT to personally relevant tasks

3. The Scale of the Problem • Information Technology -- information, computers, communications, software broadly defined -- is fundamentally changing the world • Certain changes are worthy of comment ... New Domain Names Grand- mother Sends Email Moore’s Law

4. Linking The World, Personally An electronically linked world joins individuals more effectively than papers, TV, phones ... • Email is inexpensive, fast, asynchronous, multimedia person-to-person communication • Chatrooms & newsgroups give communication immediacy to small groups w/ common interests • Web pages are a passive introduction to individuals, allowing people of similar interests to find each other

5. Nowhere Is Remote • Compare New York, NY and Unalacleet, AK in breadth and immediacy of information access? • For finding a Prague subway map, equal • For NASDAQ quotes, equal • For answering “How ‘bout them Mets?” equal • Reading the Sydney Morning Herald is equally easy from Sydney, Nova Scotia or Sydney, New South Wales

6. Depression Is On The Rise • A Carnegie Mellon University study shows a significant rise in depression with as little as one hour per day of Internet usage • Such people had fewer friends • Postulated reasons ... • On-line contacts are more superficial than face-to-face contacts • Time spent on-line diminishes the amount of time spent in social activity

7. English Is Becoming Esperanto • Documents in every known language are doubtless available on-line, but most information is in English ... • The post-WWII tradition of English as the language of science/technology likely contributes • Dominance of US information technology industries also contributes

8. Freedom Of Speech • For most people Information Technology brings a freedom of speech that has only been available to those with a soapbox, broadcast frequency or printing press • Put up what you want • Read what you want • Say what you want

9. Rate-Of-Change • Perhaps the most daunting component of the IT transformation underway is its rate • Implies urgency in achieving universal access • Traditional IT “skills” instruction is inadequate, because it lacks staying power • Premise: “What everyone should know about IT” cannot be a static prescription, but must provide for change, enable adaptability and promote lifelong learning

10. Education For A Lifetime • A college education has an expected “useful life” of roughly 55 years ... • What should one learn about information technology for this span, considering that ... • Electronic computers are 53 years old • ARPANet came on-line 30 years ago • The term “PC,” as in personal computer, is less than 20 yeas old • The public has know the WWW less than 5 years What should the Class of ‘44 have been taught?

11. The WESKAIT Committee • Committee was inaugurated in August, 1997 • Testimony was solicited broadly • Communities queried • Business • Computer Science • Education • Library Science • Societies • Standards • Training Committee Alfred Aho Bell Labs Marcia Linn Berkeley Arnold Packer Hopkins Larry Snyder, ChairUW Allen Tucker Bowdoin Jeffrey Ullman Stanford Andries van Dam Brown

12. Fluency • The committee adopted the term “fluency” at the suggestion of Yasmin Kafai, UCLA • “Literacy” connotes rudimentary knowledge, skills • “Computer literacy” is in wide use with a “skills-only” connotation • “Fluency” connotes expertise, the ability to synthesize, to use the medium effectively • Fluency with information technology describes the objective, and FITness is the term the committee has adopted for it

13. A Tripartite Solution • Fluency with Information Technology requires the acquisition of three kinds of knowledge • Concepts • Skills • Capabilities • Concepts, Skills and Capabilities are different dimensions of IT knowledge • Interdependent • Co-equal

14. Skills • Knowing contemporary applications • Approximates traditional “computer literacy” • Essential for • Job preparedness • Education, as a tool making a student productive • Learning the other parts of FITness • A moving target, reliant on the state-of-the-art Example: Use a word processor

15. Concepts • The foundations of information technology • Concepts refer to material that might be called the “book learning” part of FITness • Concepts explain ... • How and why IT works as it does • Constraints and limitations on applications • Principles on which to build new understanding • Ideas that can be used to make IT more personally relevant Example: Difference between algorithm and program

16. Capabilities • Higher level thinking • “Life skills” applied to information technology • Capabilities entail ... • Abstract thinking • Logical reasoning • Analysis • Judgment, estimation, analogies • The raw material for life-long learning Example: Engage in sustained reasoning

17. Knowledge For FITness • Fluency is not an end with a fluent/not_fluent test of achievement • It is the basic knowledge -- skills, concepts, capabilities -- necessary for a life-long quest to • Acquires new skills and upgrades as needed • Understands the foundational concepts better • Progressively becomes more capable with IT • Generally: Apply IT optimally to meet one’s needs • The take home message: FITness is the foundation for life-long learning ...

18. Selecting The Key Knowledge • Committee limit: Top 10 items in each type • Keep to the plan • FITness is not an end state -- it is a process of life-long learning... so the goal is a sufficient level of introduction CAUTION: There are 30 topics ... do not envision a 1 topic per lecture course or a 1 topic per chapter book

19. Ten Skills • Setting up a personal computer • Using basic operating system features • Using a word processor • Using a graphics/artwork/presentation tool • Connecting a PC to a network • Use the Internet to locate information • Using a computer to communicate with others • Using a spreadsheet • Organizing and querying a database • Using online tutorial information

20. Ten Concepts • What is a computer, how does it work? • Information systems • Networks • Digital representation of information • Information structure and assessment • Modeling phenomena with computers • Algorithmic thinking and programming • Universality • Limitations • Information in society

21. Ten Capabilities • Engage in sustained reasoning • Manage complexity • Test a solution • Locate bugs in a faulty use of IT • Organize and navigate information structures • Collaborate with others using technology • Communicate IT to other audiences • Expect the unexpected • Anticipate technological change • Think of technologically, learn by analogy

22. Implementational Issues • The report defines the content, but implement-ational issues for colleges were addressed ... • The college/university case is easier • The committee is composed of academics • Higher education has more resources than K-12 • “Colleges & universities are more flexible [sic]” • FITness is essential to present mission, urgent • College students should be FIT when they graduate; FITness should become an entrance requirement

23. Construct an information system to track HIV testing and notification, and present the design to convince listeners that privacy is maintained Projects • Concepts, skills and capabilities are inter-dependent and cannot be taught in isolation • Projects -- meaning coherent, multiweek activities to achieve a specific goal using IT -- are the key • Motivate learning skills and exercise them • Provide a exposure to several capabilities • Provide context for learning concepts

24. Construct an information system to track HIV testing and notification, and present the design to convince listeners that privacy is maintained Skills Organize Database Use Spread-Sheet Use On-line Tutorial Presentation Tools Communicate With Others Concepts Information Systems Information Structure Algorithmic Thinking Information & Society Limitations Capabilities Sustained Reasoning Manage Complexity Test a Solution Communicate IT Locate Bugs Expect the Unexpected Projects Touch Many Ideas

25. Discipline Specific Projects • Ideally, FITness should be taught in the context of a student’s interests or major • Motivation to learn is stronger • The results have a direct application • There are impediments ... • Freshmen have not chosen majors -- generic • Resources are essential -- campus infrastructure • Few FIT faculty to teach FITness -- co-taught • The role of FITness in curriculum not yet set

26. Some Challenges For Colleges/Universities • Should FITness instruction be offered to some/all undergraduates? All students? • Is there space in the typical undergraduate schedule for FITness instruction? • How should delivery be mapped onto the units interested and capable of FITness instruction? • Would FITness fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning Requirement?

27. Summary • Fluency in IT is essential to citizens in Info Age • FITness entails interdependent knowledge • Skills -- competency with existing applications • Concepts -- IT foundations • Capabilities -- higher level thinking in IT • FITness, not an end state, but life-long learning • Fluency instruction in college is projects-based • With the content defined, it is time to implement ... it is an urgent matter for students