Initial presentation.
Your presentation on the first day of class should include an estimate of how many sessions are required in order to accomplish the different goals. Do not write things like “Word Processing: 18 hours.” The student has no idea what word processing means. A goal should not indicate the tool (word processor) but rather, the result “Preparing a letter by computer, 7 sessions.”
This rule follows with other issues as well.
For example, certain computer functions are handled by Windows and others are handled by the word processor. Most writing tasks are handled by word processors, whereas file management is handled by Windows.
Don't try to distinguish between these two functions. Students only have to know how to accomplish their task at hand. They need to know how to access the appropriate icons easily and quickly. However, they should not have to know which icons are related to Windows and which ones are related to their word processor.
They may learn this information by themselves. However, this is not the subject of their initial training, for beginning students. This is also connected with the level of the student. Beginning students should not be exposed to technicalities. However, as they become more advanced, they should be exposed to more technical issues.
This is also related to the nature of the topic being studied. Obviously, a student who studies programming is required to know the source of any function when that student studies application programs, it will be approached in a different manner.
It is common to teach programming as a sequence of operations. Programmers should therefore understand the way that the computer works. However, most programmers cannot explain information or concepts to their clients.
The question thus arises, when teaching people to program a computer, whether the program be taught before the programming function or whether it is advisable to start with programming itself, and then to encourage the students to learn how to use the programs.
Clearly, this is a question of instructional philosophy.
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