Typing: Speed vs Accuracy

[gee4]

I have several questions arising from this post which are -

- are we all trained typists?  
- who learnt wordprocessing?  
- who learnt on a manual or electric typewriter?
- what are students being taught today?  
- is it more important to be taught to type properly eg. certain fingers for certain keys and to know where and what the home keys are?

[raindance]

Gee,

In response to your questions:

I received touch-typing training whilst I was at business college
I learned word-processing
Trained on an electric typewriter, electronic typewriter and word-processor (this, however, will be an age-thing)
I don't know what students are being taught today, but my college was the first secretarial/business college to be established in England and its curriculum has always been traditionally thorough and forward-looking at the same time
Learning to type accurately and at speed using the correct fingers is most important.  I know there may be an avalanche of "admins" who say "I type at 100 wpm using two fingers", but there is only one way to type "properly".  Using correct fingering facilitates speed and reduces stress on the joints and muscles.  Ask anyone who plays the piano.

[gee4]

Well I learnt piano and am also a trained typist - when people see me type without looking at the keyboard they are amazed - it's so funny to see their faces.

I learnt to touch type at school and obtained Stage I Typing.  I then progressed to college and achieved Stage II and III.  I learnt on both a manual and electronic typewriter before I had even seen or learnt about computers.  

[geminigirl]

 

- are we all trained typists?

trained to type in "Office Practice" waaaay back at school.

- who learnt wordprocessing?

picked that up as I went along - never formally trained.

- who learnt on a manual or electric typewriter?

manual typewriter - hell on the nails and didn't we all love it when the keys got locked together?!

- what are students being taught today?

Lord - no idea.

- is it more important to be taught to type properly eg. certain fingers for certain keys and to know where and what the home keys are?

I think so - others may well differ.

Like you, Gee, I get strange looks and comments when I don't look at the keyboard when typing!  It's a dieing artform, I guess.  

My 60-year-old brother (lord that makes me sound old - he is my older brother!) has in the last year bought his first PC and so is learning as he goes along.  At the beginning I would get phone calls at very odd times asking where this or that was on the keyboard, and what did I mean by "tab" or "shift" - but he's getting there!

[gee4]

Loved that Gem - made me laugh!

[spitfire78]

I was trained in touch typing in high school.  Graduated with a certificate for 100 wpm with 0 errors.

Wordprocessing was "on-the-job-training" since computers weren't common in a business setting at the time I started.

I started on a manual typewriter of which my fondest memories are:  trying to make my small fingers reach the top row of keys and getting my fingers caught between the keys!!!!  Electric typewriters were only used in our second year of typing class.

I have no idea what students are being taught today but it would be interesting to find out.

I think it is very important to be taught to type properly.  I think you can get more speed and accuracy by using all of your fingers.

[ozbound]

I learned to type in high school typing class--they had electric typewriters (the old-fashioned kind with "balls"!) but I had to use a manual typewriter at home. Let me tell you, there was no such thing as "speed" with that thing! I got an electric typewriter as a graduation gift. I didn't learn to use a computer or do "word processing" until my college senior year. (Ah! what an epiphany--no more whiteout!)
I learned most word processing on the job, though.
I have no idea what students are being taught today...
Learning how to type properly and where your fingers should go is certainly useful--although people tend to develop their own methods (e.g., my husband, who likes to write stories and scripts, basically types with 2 fingers, and does amazingly well that way!)

[jodith]

I took a year of typing in high school.  I had one semester on manuals and one on electrics.  We didn't have any of the typewriters that used the ball.  They were still among the first generation of electric typewriters, and if you typed too fast, the keys still got all jammed together, the same as on the manuals.

I taught myself wordprocessing in the early 90s.  First WordPerfect and then Word.  When I learned to type (1979) there wasn't even a PC yet, much less a word processor as we know it today.

Most kids taking classes today don't take "typing".  They take "keyboarding".  They are taught on PCs from the beginning and most of them have never even seen a typewriter except on old TV shows.

I think it's very important to be taught proper typing technique.  As someone else said it helps to prevent wear and tear on the joints, and it requires less energy because you are just moving your finger sand not your whole arm as you are if you're a two finger typist.  It also allows you to type without looking at the keyboard, which two finger types  have to do.  I always amaze my boss by continuing to bype while I hold a conversation with him.

[raindance]

There are interesting spin-offs from the different ways in which people were/are taught typing.

Those who learned on manual or electric (as opposed to electronic) typewriters probably also learned the traditional methods of line-spacing, how many characters per line, how many lines per inch/page etc.  These days, it is just so easy to, for example, centre text on a page.

At the time I went to business college, new technology was just coming in to general use so I had the advantage of having a traditional training and learning to use the most up-to-date equipment.  I do remember, with some amusement now, how great it was to use tippex PAPER instead of fiddling with horrible tippex liquid, and then there were corrector ribbons which were absolutely splendid, not to mention typewriter ribbons in cassettes instead of cloth ribbons on spools.  Hahaha!  That ages me!  And don't even get me started on carbon paper.  

I would never wish to go back to the "old days", but I do appreciate what I learned.  

[gee4]

It's been interesting reading all your replies.  

I agree Rain - would never go back to the old days but I too am glad I learned the traditional methods.  I think we tend to remember the "characters per line, how many lines per inch/page" for the simple reason that at the time, it was important to know these details.

Just thinking about tippex paper, carbon sheets, pencil rubbers makes me cringe!

[suis]

I think accuracy is more important, but you must have a decent speed with it!  I remember learning to type on electric type writers in high school.  Everyone had to take one class, my first job though was computer based.  It was a green and white Wang!   My second computer was a Mac and that was like oohh ahhhh wow.   How times have changed!

[jwarren]

Yes, voice recognition. It is fun and easy to learn. Instead of typing, use your voice. Saves on your hands, body, etc.

Can "voice" faster than you can type. Also, allows you to compose much more easily.

I have used voice for seven years using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Plan to use Windows Vista voice recognition.

Students are learning the keyboard, developing speed and accuracy, and  formatting documents. I prefer accuracy over speed as I have had brilliant typists that could not pass a timed writing. However, when I had them use voice recognition, they passed with high speeds and fewer errors using the keyboard.

Edited by jwarren on 05/03/08 09:10 PM.

[jodith]

Ribbons on spools...cringes....how I hated those things.  I was purely incapable of changing them without either twisting them all up or getting ink all over my hands...or usually both!  laughs

I remember the first typewriter I worked on that had the little balls that you could change in and out to be able to use different fonts.  We thought that was just the most awesome thing ever!  Most kids starting in the business these days have never seen a typewriter, much less used one.  In many ways, it was a very different world.

[susans]

I remember the correction strips, not tape, you would backspace and put it in and I would use it all up at times trying to find a good spot of white to use.

[JessW]

Accuracy comes with experience, surely?  I prefer speed and then manual and automatic spell check.

As for the typing, I have used the lot - manual using ribbons, golfballs, electric, electronic, wp machines, semi-wp typewriters, macs, pcs, telex machines, the lot.  It makes me cringe when people I work with and for think I was born yesterday!