Australian primary school students are not receiving sufficient instruction in writing using computers and keyboards, according to a significant new national study.
Teachers Report Lack of Training and Resources
The research, led by Dr Anabela Malpique from Edith Cowan University's School of Education, surveyed 340 primary school teachers from across the country. It found that, on average, teachers dedicate less than one hour per week to teaching students how to write using a computer.
Dr Malpique explained that educators reported feeling ill-equipped for this task. "Teachers reported not being adequately-trained to teach digital skills, nor did they have access to enough computers with keyboards," she said.
The data highlights a critical resource shortage:
- Only 17.4 per cent of teachers said their students had access to a computer with an external keyboard at school.
- Nearly 70 per cent reported student access was limited to devices with only on-screen keyboards, like iPads or tablets.
The Push for 'Hybrid' Writers in a Digital Age
Dr Malpique argues that the digital revolution demands children become proficient "hybrid" writers, skilled in both traditional pen-and-paper and digital composition. "In the digital age, skilful computer-based writing is essential for school aged children since it empowers them to communicate, acquire knowledge, critically engage with information, and produce text-based original thoughts," she stated.
The study found overwhelming teacher agreement on the importance of these skills for formal assessment. More than 96 per cent of teachers believed students' keyboarding abilities directly impacted their performance in national online exams like NAPLAN.
Foundations for an AI Future
Dr Malpique emphasised that foundational typing and word processing skills should be taught from the early years of primary school. "It is difficult to correct children as they get older if they are not adequately taught the foundations of computer-based writing, including keyboarding skills such as key locations and hand and finger positions," she warned.
This need is becoming more urgent with the rise of artificial intelligence. Dr Malpique framed writing as a core thinking and problem-solving activity. "Students need to become expert writers so they can actually critically interact with those technologies," she said, noting that strong writing skills are necessary to assess and refine content produced by AI tools.
"Instead, we should be empowering children in the early primary school years to better understand how computers work, and to write proficiently using a computer, particularly as we enter the age of artificial intelligence," Dr Malpique concluded.
