Date Presented 03/28/20
This study involved collecting keyboarding speed and accuracy rates from upper elementary students to determine more accurate and age-appropriate standards in schools. We determined average rates for fifth- and sixth-grade students and found a significant difference in speed by grade level. No significant differences were found between genders. The results help OTs better understand when students should initiate or discontinue keyboarding intervention in therapy.
Primary Author and Speaker: Claire Morress
Additional Authors and Speakers: Taylor Mangas, Kathryn Schoen, Maria Surface
Contributing Authors: Sara Kula
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Due to the increased use of technology in society, students are now required and expected to use computers in the classroom. Many educational guidelines within the United States discuss elementary keyboarding standards; however, they do not provide specific numeric values regarding speed and accuracy expectations. The purpose of this study was to address the lack of evidenced based norms for keyboarding speed and accuracy as well as the impact of gender and grade level on keyboarding.
METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Convenience sampling was utilized to gather data from 982 fifth and sixth grade students from four schools within one large, diverse school district. Student’s speed and accuracy rates were recorded using a routine classroom online typing test. Teachers de-identified the data, only providing researchers with students’ gender and grade level next to their speed and accuracy scores. Researchers obtained demographic data regarding race, disability, and enrollment in free or reduced lunch for students involved in the study to compare to state and national public school averages.
RESULTS: Average keyboarding speed for all participants was 16.89 wpm (SD = 6.653), and average percentage of keyboarding accuracy was 96.39 (SD = 6.142). A significant difference was found comparing speed between fifth and sixth grade students (t = - 9.228, p < .001). No other significant differences were found between variables.
DISCUSSION: The keyboarding speed that educational standards expect students to type is most likely not based on research, as students in the current study were found to type at a much slower rate. However, keyboarding speed was discovered to significantly increase between grade levels, indicating students’ development of a significant amount of keyboarding skills as they get older. The average percentage of accuracy was over 96, indicating students’ desire to keyboard accurately. The lower speed may be due to students’ focus on learning to type accurately before attempting to type faster.
CONCLUSION: Occupational therapists (OTs) within the school setting often treat students who have poor or very slow handwriting, and may use computers as an alternative. Many OTs are currently using keyboarding standards that have no specific speed and accuracy expectations for students. To accommodate for the lack of typing expectations, OTs have used outdated research to support their reasoning behind keyboarding intervention. The current study helps bridge the gap between outdated and nonspecific research by providing OTs and educators with recent and grade specific speed and accuracy rates for fifth and sixth grade students.
References
Donica, D. K., Giroux, P., & Faust, A. (2018). Keyboarding instruction: Comparison of techniques for improved keyboarding skills in elementary student. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 11(4), 396-410. doi:10.1080/19411243.2018.1512067
Nichols, L. M. (1995). A comparison of two methods for teaching keyboarding in the elementary school. Computers in the Schools, 11(4), 15-25. doi:10.1300/J025v11n04_03
Weigelt-Marom, H., & Weintraub, N. (2018). Keyboarding versus handwriting speed of higher education students with and without learning disabilities: Does touch-typing assist in narrowing the gap? Computers & Education, 117, 132-140. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2017.10.008
