A COMPARISON OF THE EFFICACY OF KEYBOARDING WITHOUT TEARS PROGRAM AND MIXED METHOD INSTRUCTION

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the two-year impact of using the Keyboarding Without Tears[trademark] instruction program compared to a mixed method instruction approach on students' net typing words per minute (WPM) and technique. In the current technological era, it is becoming increasingly important for students to possess keyboarding skills so that they are successful in education, social activities, and future work. Although the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association & Council of Chief School Officers, 2010) emphasize the use of technology, including keyboarding, across grades, there has been no systematic implementation of keyboarding in schools (Poole & Preciado, 2016). This is largely due to the fact that there is not enough research identifying how the effectiveness of keyboarding interventions would balance the cost of implementing these interventions. This study utilized a pre-test post-test design over a two-year intervention period to measure the effectiveness of the two different instruction programs. Results revealed that students in the Keyboarding Without Tears group had significant improvements in their keyboarding speed in second and third grade and their keyboarding technique in all grades as compared to students in the mixed methods group. Results also indicated that both forms of keyboarding curriculum are effective at significantly improving students' keyboarding speed and technique. Occupational therapists and teachers can utilize this information to support the implementation of a keyboarding curriculum in schools and improve the keyboarding skills of students that need improvement with this skill.