Computer Literacy as Ideology

This teacher fears the loss of traditional literacy, the ability to read, write and "communicate" effectively, which may result from an over-reliance on computers. He fears damage to the traditions of his subject and the developmental tradition with which he identifies. Walter’s resistance, however, frequently took contradictory forms. Its most potent expression was the simple fact that he stubbornly delayed the introduction of computers into his classrooms, despite a good deal of pressure from various sources. Yet his resistance never took the form of outright defiance, and the verbal expression of reluctance quoted above was actually an anomaly. It was much more typical for him to attribute his lack of computer use to poor organization and a lack of time. In the same interview cited above, for instance, he said:

I’m really interested in working with the OAC’s [advanced grade 12 students] on spreadsheets. That sort of grabbed me, and I’m really weak on that. It took me - when I was practising - a long, long time, but I just haven’t worked at it, and I’ve just gutta, next Fall, buckle down and start - start doing it. For contrast. So I see a lot of super potential.

Walter Harvey blames himself for not implementing computers in his classes, and significantly, he refers to the enrichment of his students’ learning experiences, rather than market forces, when he expresses enthusiasm for their "potential". His other actions, and comments like that quoted earlier, however, lead us to believe that Walter actually felt that computers were not appropriate to his style of teaching and his educational concerns (see Paris, 1991, for similar examples). If this is true, what is significant is that he does not feel it is legitimate to openly express his opposition to classroom computing. The ideology of computer literacy is so strong that he either feels compelled to accept it, despite his own reservations, or feels he cannot legitimately speak out against it.

Not surprisingly, the attitudes of teachers are frequently reflected in the attitudes of their students. Whether this is the result of the transmission of these attitudes in class, or whether both teachers and students are receiving messages from the mass media and other sources, is rather a moot point. What is surprising is that, among the large group of students who accept the ideology of computer literacy, there are pockets of students whose own experiences have led them to question whether they will accept computers as an integral part of their own lives. Such questioning throws doubt on the assumptions that early exposure to computers is always a good thing, and that computer skills are built up progressively and cumulatively.