Abstract
M.Ed. (Subject Didactics)
Technological renewal, which facilitates the effortless
correction of errors, has raised the relevance of accuracy
in typing. By means of sophisticated equipment correction
can now be done very swiftly. This raises the question if
accuracy as focal skill of the typist still has any
relevance. If corrections are done quickly and effectively
by the various functions of the typewriter, should the
emphasis in the teaching of Typing not be shifted from
accuracy to speed?
Error identification is precipitated by the spellchecker.
This, however, does not eliminate the process of
proofreading as not all errors can be identified in this
way. Technological renewal thus makes a greater demand on
the typist's proofreading skills as these functions are
heavily depended on. Irrespective of the skill of the
typist, error identification, correction, and/or retyping
a document take time, thus reducing the level of
productivity at which the typist functions. correcting is
time-consuming and costly.· Therefore accuracy is
essential, as the time-consuming correction of errors is
detrimental to the productivity of the typist.
The business world demands a high level of productivity.
This implies that producing a document should be planned,
bearing the impact on productivity in mind. Due to these
standards and expectations set by the business community,
it is crucial that Typing students reach the highest
possible level of skill and accuracy. Thus , despite
sophisticated equipment, the quality of typing remains of
the utmost importance. Improved modern equipment will not
make a noticable difference to the efficiency of a typist.It is imperative that the teacher keeps abreast of technological
improvements and include these in teaching. At the
end of their training, pupils should be suitably equipped
to play a meaningful role in the technologically structured
society they are meant to serve. If technological
development is taken into consideration, it is evident that
the typist should be able to use the available equipment to
produce even more accurate work.
The empirical investigation undertaken in this study has in
fact proved that the level of accuracy of Typing pupils is
not of exceptional quality. Errors in 106 papers were
grouped, analysed and processed. The study particularly
focussed on the types of errors, their frequency and
distribution according to finger use. These results have
mainly led to the conclusion that technology has not yet
inherently improved the accuracy of the typist, but has
merely improved the speed with which corrections are done.
Recommendations in this regard are done.