Do you see what I see? The challenges of teaching basic computing skills at a distance

Since the late 20th century there has been much discussion about the impact of digital technologies on higher education. Many have followed Prensky’s (2001) argument that ‘Digital Natives’, those born after 1980 and growing up in a computer dominated world, are so different in their thinking that they require an entirely new pedagogical approach. Others credit online technologies with enabling a new generation of distance education (Taylor, 2002) and, subsequently, wide spread adoption of online learning as a mainstream activity (Oliver, 2001). The common assumption in these arguments is that students have access to technology and the skills and attitudes required to use that technology, in order to participate in this technology-based landscape. However, this assumption is not universally true. Teaching the basic computing skills required by today’s higher education system is part of the curriculum of the STEPS bridging program. When taught in distance mode, the challenges of supporting extreme novice users are amplified. This paper reflects on the challenges posed by factors such as geographical separation, the diversity of domestic computer systems, the low self-confidence of many novice users and the lack of a common language to describe what the student is seeing. Curriculum design approaches have been developed, including targeting of content and support to specific user groups and the integration of content and support delivered in several media. It will be argued that although online technologies and media have been utilised, the most important element in the course development is student focussed design.