[LINK] Handwriting proves a stretch for computer-savvy students

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

  Handwriting proves a stretch for computer-savvy students
Heath Gilmore
October 16, 2010
SMH
http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/handwriting-proves-a-stretch-for-computersavvy-students-20101015-16nmq.html

YEAR 12 students are taking classes to relearn the art of using a pen 
and paper so they can successfully negotiate the Higher School Certificate.

The disjunction between a modern generation who are skilled keyboard 
users and the need to write exams by hand has prompted several schools 
and parents to seek help for their students.

More than 71,000 year 12 students across NSW will sit 15 to 20 hours of 
examination for the HSC this year. The exams will almost entirely be 
handwritten.

The NSW Board of Studies chief executive, Carol Taylor, said plans were 
under way for a limited number of exams to be sat online in 2012, with 
the subjects yet to be chosen, dispensing with the need to write answers 
by hand.

However, she said subjects such as English would continue to be 
handwritten until all high schools had a suitable wireless network able 
to handle large numbers of candidates.

Some subjects, such as maths and the sciences, would always need to be 
handwritten for problem solving and formula display. However, students 
may write on an iPad or similar device instead of paper in the future.

The headmaster of Barker College, Dr Rod Kefford, said visiting 
occupational therapists worked with individual students to ensure their 
writing is legible by the time they reach year 12.

''We're not talking about learning disadvantaged students. We had one 
boy who had assistance all the way through year 12 because he had 
problems with writing fluently and legibility.''

Barbara Nicol, the owner of Pens de Luxe Group shops, who runs 
handwriting classes, has seen an increasing number of young people seek 
out her help with handling a pen.

''People today don't understand quality,'' she said. ''Education today 
is all about filling up the student's mind with data, but as far as 
actual skills with the hand, it is not possible.

''If there isn't a demanding patron at the top, demanding highest 
quality, it is easier to type on a keyboard. People have been educated 
to feed machines rather than being educated how to write. They are 
living in the age of the technosphere.''

An English tutor, Rosalind Winterton, said basic skills such as legible 
handwriting, correct spelling and punctuation were sometimes overlooked 
in the rush towards the examination.

''Demonstrating the skills of syntax, an understanding of vocabulary and 
the power of proper word usage, structuring sentences properly and 
creatively and respecting the effectiveness of punctuation - the 
semicolon just happens to be the neatest trick in the book - all will 
help those results to soar,'' she said.

''And if legible handwriting and correct spelling are thrown in as well, 
the examiner may well become a friend for life.''

Ms Taylor said the introduction of computers for the HSC exams would be 
staged. She said a trial of some year 10 students using computers had 
raised unexpected issues. ''Noise was a problem. Can you imagine 100 
kids or more clicking away on a keyboard? It could be quite distracting.''

She said a security system was being developed which allowed students to 
take the exams online without being able to access the net or 
spell-check programs. Fail-safe devices would be needed to capture work 
if a power or internet failure occurred.

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Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
email:	 brd at iimetro.com.au
website: www.drbrd.com