KEYBOARDING SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE AND OPTIONS FOR KEYBOARDING TRAINING Title could be more specific.

Submitted to Charles R. Underwood Personnel Manager AeroSparc, Inc. 12345 Engineering Way Seattle, WA 98100

Prepared by M. Jones, J. Smith, L. Johnson Directors of Training AeroSparc, Inc. 12345 Engineering Way Seattle, WA 98100

Prepared for Fulfilment of Partial Credit for EGL132 9011SP08 Teal highlighting shows grammar errors. Yellow highlighting shows mechanics errors. May 9, 2008

AeroSparc, Inc.
DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT: May 9, 2008 Charles R. Underwood, Personnel Manager MJ JS LJ Matthew Jones, James Smith, Lauren Johnson

12345 Engineering Way Seattle, WA 98100 (206) 555-2376

FINDINGS ABOUT WORKPLACE KEYBOARDING SKILLS

As you requested, we are pleased to present you with the findings of our investigation into the importance of keyboarding skills in the workplace and our options for keyboarding training. We are confident that you will find our report helpful in the decision making process to improve the skills of AeroSparc's workforce. The report encompasses several key elements:

The value of keyboarding skills in the workplace Options to improve the keyboarding skills of AeroSparc employees Cost assessment of the available options Our recommendation based on the findings of our investigation

Our primary research consisted of surveying leaders in the business community about their personal belief and company position on keyboarding skills. Sources of secondary data included scholarly journals, newspaper articles and Internet sources. The data validates your position that keyboarding skill is important to running an accurate and efficient business. We are confident that the recommendation in our report will be an excellent complement to the comprehensive training program already in place here at AeroSparc. At your request, we would be happy to speak with you further about the findings discussed in our report. Respectfully, Matthew Jones Director of Training Attachment Transmittal should include a statement of the main conclusion and recommendation. James Smith Director of Training Lauren Johnson Director of Training

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Just label it Contents.

AeroSparc, Inc.............................................................................................................ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................iv INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................1 BACKGROUND............................................................................................................1 CONCERNS ABOUT TWO-FINGER TYPING....................................................................1 OVERVIEW OF PRESENT SYSTEM................................................................................2 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS..........................................................................................3 Importance of Keyboarding Skills to Employers..........................................................3 Options for Keyboard Self-Training.............................................................................4 RECOMMENDATION....................................................................................................6 PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION.....................................................................................8 COSTS.........................................................................................................................9 CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................................................... 10 APPENDIX A..............................................................................................................11 APPENDIX B..............................................................................................................12 REFERENCES............................................................................................................. 13

LIST OF FIGURES Figure

Just label it Figures.

Figure 1......................................................................................................................6 Figure 2......................................................................................................................7 Figure 3......................................................................................................................7 Figure 4......................................................................................................................7 Figure 5......................................................................................................................7

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

By adopting a policy of minimum keyboarding skill standards, AeroSparc, Inc. can realize an overall increase in the value of the company. Gains are realized immediately in terms of increased employee skill set, and over the long term through increased productivity and improved accuracy in data keying. This report evidences the findings of the report on keyboarding skills in the workplace and options for improving keyboarding training as requested and authorized by Mr. Charles Underwood, Personnel Manager for AeroSparc, Inc. We reached our conclusion that AeroSparc will benefit from the implementation of keyboarding standards for employees, both new and existing, based on data obtained through a survey conducted of local business owners and managers, as well as research conducted through a variety of sources such as newspapers, magazines, Internet blogs, websites, and academic databases. Apparent upon examination of our research are several key facts: Keyboarding skills are still considered valuable assets Most companies do not have standards for keyboarding skills Improper keyboarding technique can affect physical health, accuracy of data entry, and overall employee productivity. Only one blank line here Based on the findings of our research, we recommend that AeroSparc, Inc. adopt a policy of keyboarding standards and training for all existing employees, as well as require minimum standards for all potential new hires to increase the value of the individual employees, as well as that of the company. While you are clear, your scope, conclusion, and recommendation, as stated in the executive summary, do not match up with the original assignment. Your primary focus was to recommend a software program to train the employees to touch-keyboard.

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As discussed in the notes at the bottom of page 295, the full title of the report goes here, 2 inches from the top of the sheet of paper. INTRODUCTION This report was developed to investigate keyboarding skills, or lack thereof, in the workplace. It evaluates several options to increase the keyboarding skill level of employees at AeroSparc, Inc. Lastly, based on our findings, it will present our recommendation on how AeroSparc should proceed to improve the keyboarding skills of its staff. The report attempts to focus several key issues such as:

What is the current sentiment of business leaders regarding keyboarding skills in the workplace? What are some of the issues which result from inadequate keyboarding skills? What are several self-teaching software options available to improve employee keyboarding skills with minimal employer impact? What is involved in the implementation of keyboarding training at AeroSparc? What is the cost impact for AeroSparc to implement our recommendation?

BACKGROUND Mr. Charles Underwood, Personnel Manager at AeroSparc, Inc., requested an investigation into workplace keyboarding skills. His position is that hunt-and-peck typing is a barrier to workplace productivity, as well as presenting possible reliability issues owing to inaccuracies in data entry. He requested that self-training software be investigated and that several options be presented which will meet his requirements, along with a recommendation based on the findings. Once a focal point of job applications and interviews, keyboarding skills have come to take a back seat to technology skills. When surveyed, however, employers admit that keyboarding skills are still important. With employees spending so much time at the keyboard each day, it's easy to understand why they feel this way. Contrary to that belief, however, many admit that their firms don't have any formal standards in place when it comes to keyboarding skills. Various leaders in the local business community were polled to compile data used in the development of this report. Additionally, various print media were consulted in an effort to qualify the options which are presented, and to develop a qualified recommendation for Mr. Underwood.

CONCERNS ABOUT TWO-FINGER TYPING The most obvious consideration when it comes to the impact of typing skills in the workplace is 1

productivity. Typing skills are quantified in words per minute (WPM), a measure of speed. The logical connection that most people are quick to make is the faster you type, the more you can type in a given time window, such as a typical 8-hour work day. As a basic theoretical comparison, the average speed among touch-typists is around 60 WPM. Hunt-and-peck typists average a generous 25 WPM. Based on this basic comparison, a touchtypist is more than twice as productive as a two-finger typist when working with their keyboard. While speed is the first, and often only, aspect of typing which comes to mind, another important element is accuracy. Often overlooked, especially by simple web-based typing assessments, accuracy is just as important as speed, especially in the workplace when it comes to missioncritical data entry. Inaccurate data entry can reduce the value of aggregate data, and in certain situations, may have adverse affects on projects based on that data. Another concern surrounding two-finger typing is the risk of physical injury in the form of carpal tunnel syndrome. A 2006 observational study funded by the National Institutes of Health draws a connection between two-finger typing and carpal tunnel syndrome, as noted by Peggy Peck in an article for MedPage Today (Peck, 2006). Doctors at the Mayo Clinic involved in the study believe the damage occurs as a result of the position in which typists hold their unused fingers while pecking away with their pointers. The worst cases occur in people who keep their unused digits extended while typing (Peck, 2006). Repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome were the cause of about five missed days of work for data-entry workers in 2002, based on statistics provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (as cited in Reeves, 2005). Aside from the concern that any employer should have for the wellbeing of their employees, they should also be concerned about the financial costs associated with the missed time, workers compensation claims, etc.

OVERVIEW OF PRESENT SYSTEM The Human Resources Department at AeroSparc, Inc. handles all hiring. The department head in charge of overseeing the potential new hire is involved in the application review and interview process. Once a candidate hires on with AeroSparc, there is a comprehensive training program which must be completed. New hires are thoroughly educated with and familiarized on all proprietary software and computer systems before entering the AeroSparc workforce. Administrative procedures are also included in the training subject matter. Staff are kept up to date on changes to software, computer systems, and administrative procedures through the use of webinars which are designed to minimize cost and logistic issues of training, while engaging employees. Currently, however, AeroSparc does not have minimum keyboarding skill requirements in place for hiring of new employees. Additionally, there are no keyboarding skill assessments or maintenance requirements for existing employees.

Avoid widowed headings; keep with text (move to next page). 2

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS Importance of Keyboarding Skills to Employers The era of the typewriter has long since fallen by the wayside. Welcome the era of the computer. Both office fixtures, however, share a common link: keyboarding skills. Touch typing was once a requirement high on the list of most employers seeking office help, and considering the primary input device for the computer is a keyboard, it would make sense that this would still hold true today. The focus, however, has shifted away from keyboarding skills. Employers nowadays are focused on computer users, IT professionals and tech-savvy people who can manipulate the machines, rather than office personnel who are proficient at office duties such as typing. Educational institutions will, by default, attempt to fill the demands of the business community as they change. Recruiter Ann Corder says, Schools and colleges used to offer courses teaching the basic skills that so many office-based jobs rely on. In many instances, those have been replaced by ICT (information and communication technology) with teaching biased heavily towards IT (as cited in Davis, 2007). Where there was once a career to be had based on your typing skills alone, careers now revolve around making the most of the hardware and software that the market has to offer, often at the expense of basic typing ability. Nevertheless, Corder still believes that touch-typing, once the staple of effective office personnel, is still a requirement for employers and shouldnt be overlooked (as cited in Davis, 2007). The importance of touch-typing skills is not lost on those in charge, as our research shows. In a survey of local business leaders and managers (see Appendix B), 80% indicated that it was moderately or very important that their employees have touch-typing skills. The majority practice what they preach, with 60% responding that they know how to touch-type themselves, indicating a belief that touch-typing is a beneficial and practical skill in today's business world. Local businesspeople arent the only ones who know the value of touch typing. According to a blog by techie Alexis Leon (Leon, 2005), Touch typists can do more work in fewer hours, giving them extra time to devote to other tasks as their typing speed will increase many times. He goes on to say, Touch-typing will improve your productivity. As you reach higher speeds, you will be able to finish your typing taskscomposing an email, writing a letter, posting an entry in your blog, completing a class assignment or preparing a project reportin much lesser time (Leon, 2005). There is an apparent disconnect, however, between those in charge and those with the responsibility to set company standards. In stark contrast to the importance leaders placed on keyboarding skills, only 10% of those surveyed indicated that their company has a formal policy in place on keyboarding skills, and at 40 WPM, that policy could be considered fairly lax, at least by historical standards.

Charles Orcutt, owner of a temporary employment agency in Boston says, I remember my mother used to type 120 words a minute on one of those old manual typewriters. Unfortunately, you don't see that much anymore, when asked about the keyboarding skills of todays candidates (as cited in Johnson, 2003). But according to Johnson (2003), those 40 WPM are sufficient to secure a lot of jobs in todays market. Also contrary to managers' previously stated positions is the fact that 70% of those surveyed believe their employees' keyboarding skills, or lack thereof, has no bearing on their companies' productivity. Executive Scott Wolf of Greater Boston Properties, on the other hand, argued that Productivity suffers. Typically the hunt-and-peck method is good for no more than 20 words a minute (as cited in Johnson, 2003). Linda Correli has seconded Wolf's position noting, It takes from 30 to 40 minutes to type one page of the text by the 'hunt-and-peck' method and only 5 or even 4 minutes by the touch typing method (Correli, 2008). Do not end a paragraph with a quote or a paraphrase; explain its relevance to your topic. Options for Keyboard Self-Training A basic search of the Web for typing software or some similar phrase reveals countless software programs with similar claims to quickly improve your typing skills. A closer look at most reveals child-focused, game-oriented learning. While this may be frustrating to the business or adult customer seeking to improve their keyboarding prowess, it is important to understand that these skills should be taught at a relatively early age. Targeting a youth audience is appropriate according to Margaret Erthal, who says that 10 to 12 year olds are prime candidates for early keyboard skills development (Erthal, n.d.). Children this age begin to develop fine motor skills necessary for manipulating keystrokes (Prigge and Braathen as cited in Erthal, n.d.). Additionally, younger students' hands are typically too small to span the keyboard (Erthal, n.d.). Many of the programs available claim to target all-ages or 10-and-up audiences. While it is true that the fundamentals of keyboarding are the same for a 10 year old as for an adult in the later stages of their career, the path to learning is quite different. Adults will likely find the youthoriented interface and lessons of most typing tutors to be childish, and businesses wishing to improve the skills of their employees will find these programs to be more a distraction than a benefit. Careful investigation and consideration reveals several options which lean towards, or are specifically directed toward, the adult and business community. The field is further narrowed by the request of Mr. Underwood for the software to be Windows 98 compliant. The following titles exhibit mostly similar feature lists, making them close competitors. The only standout is Typing Tutor for Dummies, the cheapest and most scaled-down option Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing has long been regarded as a top pick for those wanting to improve their typing skills. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing v.17 Deluxe scored the highest mark of gold in the 2008 Typing Software Review on TopTenReviews.com by notching a perfect score in each of their rating categories. Mavis Beacon is targeted at the 8+ crowd, with several

game-based exercises included, although it does offer the ability to customize your learning plan to your age group. Being commonly regarded as one of the best in your field does come with a price, however. Mavis Beacon commonly sells for between $29.99 and $39.99 at popular retailers. Also noteworthy is that since our initial research was conducted, v.17 Deluxe has been phased out. Currently available is v.20 Deluxe, which now lacks support for Windows 98. Typing Tutor for Dummies also placed in the 2008 Typing Software Review on TopTenReviews.com with a respectable 6th-place finish. A major appeal of this software is its simplicity. This is a no-frills software package with a series of incremental lessons, and a companion guide in PDF format to help with lessons. With minimal software comes minimal hardware requirements which are also a benefit of Typing Tutor for Dummies. This program has no problem meeting the Windows 98 criteria, and with only 32 MB of RAM and 20 MB of hard drive space required, this software won't burden your system resources. There are negative aspects, however, which must be considered, such as the minimalist help files and the lack of testing abilities within the program. With retail prices ranging from $8.99 to $9.99, you get what you pay for with Typing Tutor for Dummies. Miracle Type is a relative unknown in the typing software arena. The current release is v.8, although information and history on the software is scant. What is unique about Miracle Type, however, is that it is available as an Internet-based application which will run on any operating system with Adobe Flash installed on it. The benefit of this is two-fold. First, this allows continuity across multiple platforms as computer systems are upgraded or new workstations are added. Second, it allows users to log in from anywhere, at any time, if they have Internet access. It is also geared towards an adult audience, with a clean interface and no games. Also included are tips on proper posture and preventing repetitive strain injury. The last key feature which is unique to Miracle Type is the cost. Individual licensed copies of the software sell between $14.99 and $19.99. Typing Instructor Deluxe scored silver on the 2008 Typing Software Review on TopTenReviews.com behind the venerable Mavis Beacon package. With equal marks to Mavis across the board, the only difference was a small deduction in the Ease Of Use category. Like Mavis, this is a full featured packaged geared towards an all-ages audience. The interface reflects the broad target market with somewhat less professional presentation than most businesses might prefer. With prices ranging from $14.99 to $19.99, however, Typing Instructor Deluxe is a good value. Typing for Business Plus is an adult and business oriented offering from Individual Software, makers of Typing Instructor Deluxe. Typing for Business Plus builds on the award-winning platform of their Deluxe offering, but presents it in a cleaner, more mature interface which business are sure to appreciate. Individual Software does offer volume licensing options for both of their entries, but admittedly the volume pricing plans cost substantially more than purchasing individual licenses. With prices ranging from $16.64 to $19.99, Typing for Business Plus is still a good bargain for the business user. As reflected in Table 1, our recommended title, Typing for Business Plus, falls squarely in line with four of the five considered titles, with relatively consistent pricing from vendor to vendor.

$45.00 $40.00 $35.00 $30.00 $25.00 $20.00 $15.00 $10.00 $5.00 $0.00 Mavis Beacon TeachesTyping v.17 Deluxe Typing Instructor Deluxe Miracle Type Typing for Typing Tutor for Business Plus Dum ies m Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3

Figure 1

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing v.17 Deluxe Typing Instructor Deluxe Miracle Type Typing for Business Plus Typing Tutor for Dummies

Vendor 1 Wal-Mart Best Buy Miracletype.com Circuit City CompUSA

Vendor 2 Staples Wal-Mart CompUSA Sams Club Amazon.com

Vendor 3 Sears CompUSA Buy.com Amazon.com Overstock.com

RECOMMENDATION

Following the figure provide an explanation of the figure; add more clarity and detail, and show its relevance to your topic.

A thorough evaluation has been made of these options. We have taken into consideration all of the features and specifications as defined by the manufacturers. Pricing has been compared at a minimum of three vendors. Reviews appearing in journals, magazines, newspapers and blogs have all been considered. All of this has been weighed against Mr. Underwoods stated

requirements, along with the basic premise of value which is a fundamental decision-making principle of all businesses. Based upon our investigation, it is our recommendation that AeroSparc purchase the Typing for Business Plus software. Some of the key factors in our recommendation include: The Bottom Line Typing for Business Plus was chosen over the #1 rated Mavis Beacon software because it offers comparable features for $10 to $13 less per unit. This will allow AeroSparc to buy more while saving money. Range of Learning Typing for Business Plus offer tutorials that cover over 120 of the most important topics and offer practical exercises designed to build your skills quickly. This software also offers the most comprehensive training available for Microsoft Word and Excel. Hands-Off Typing for Business Plus offer easy installation and built in help/support that includes audio instructions. Maturity While most typing software targets general audiences of all ages, Typing for Business Plus aims for the adult, and specifically, the business audience. Figures 1 through 4 show the more mature interface which Typing for Business Plus offers. No travel or racing games here!

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Image Source: Individual Software at http://www.individualsoftware.com/products/typing_instruction/typing_business/

PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION Mr. Underwood requested that all proposed software be compatible with the Windows 98 operating system. Beyond that, it is important that the computer hardware in place be sufficient to meet the minimum system requirements of the recommended training software. Hardware assessment would require IT personnel to evaluate each computer to ensure compliance. Such a survey would take approximately 3 minutes per workstation. With roughly 2,000 workstations, a complete analysis of computer hardware will take approximately 100 man-hours. AeroSparc has the capability to make sure that the implementation of this project happens during duty hours. The IT department will load the software on to the companys server for employee access. Once available, a company-wide e-mail will be sent advising all employees of the software with instructions on how to download onto their terminal. Once employees have downloaded the software, they will be given instructions on how to begin. We propose that employees should have two days to complete and submit an initial skills assessment to the Human Resources for evaluation of their current skillset. Human Resources will then conduct an overall evaluation of the assessments to gauge the typing level of the company as a whole. This will allow Human Resources to define a suitable timetable which will include incremental milestones which employees must meet. Employees will also have the opportunity to sign-out the software from the IT department to use at their leisure. This allows motivated employees to learn at a quicker pace and to promptly reach compliance with the requirements mandated by Human Resources. We also recommend a policy of skills maintenance. Each employee should be required to submit the results of a self-test to Human Resources once a year. An annual review of each employees skills will ensure that AeroSparcs staff is always on top of their game. Further, the data compiled from such an ongoing venture may provide Human Resources with information that may be useful in setting hiring requirements in the future. Effective immediately upon implementation of this new software, it is our recommendation that all new hires be required to meet minimum keyboarding standards defined by Human Resources. 60 WPM is the average touch-typists speed. This, we believe, is a realistic minimum requirement for all new hires, and should be the target requirement for existing employees to meet as well. In order to institute keyboarding skills assessment as part of qualifying all new potential hires, Human Resources will require one new workstation, along with the typing software. This workstation will be installed in the Human Resources department, and will be used exclusively for candidate assessment.

COSTS Examining solely the cost of the software will paint only a partial picture. There are additional cost factors which must be taken into account when incorporating keyboarding training. Such costs may include initial hardware assessment, software deployment, time spent by employees on training, and additional hardware required by Human Resources for new hire skills assessment. We evaluated all available pricing options available for this specific software. Individual Software, maker of Typing for Business Plus, offers volume pricing on its Typing Instructor Deluxe software, but not on its business software, which we found to be a bit unusual. More unusual, perhaps, is that the volume price for 50 copies of their Deluxe offering would be equivalent to roughly $60 per copy, a premium of $45 per copy over the individual license pricing! With Typing for Business Plus selling at Sams Club, the cheapest vendor, for $16.64 each, we still recommend the purchase of this title, despite the lack of a viable volume pricing plan. If AeroSparc were to purchase 25 individual license copies of the software from Sams Club, the total investment in software would be $416. Since employees will be downloading the program to their terminals from the server, the extra software will give the company enough to allow the employees to sign out a copy for a specified period so they may further there practice if they desire. Mr. Underwood requested that all proposed software be compatible with the Windows 98 operating system. Beyond that, it is important that the computer hardware in place be sufficient to meet the minimum system requirements of the recommended training software. Hardware assessment would require IT personnel to evaluate each computer to ensure compliance. Such a survey would take approximately 3 minutes per workstation. With roughly two thousand workstations, a complete analysis of computer hardware will take approximately 100 man-hours. The evaluations can be easily completed by an entry-level IT staffer. Such an employee carries a cost of roughly $25 per hour, putting the total cost of hardware evaluation at about $2,500. Deployment of the software will consist of installation of the software to the network server and making the software available for download to employees. We estimate actual installation to take about 5 minutes. Human Resources and IT should then collaborate to draft a company-wide email to notify employees about the requirements, instructions on use, and the minimum standards which everyone must meet. This process may take several man-hours between the two departments. The cost for manpower is estimated at approximately $250. Quantifying time spent on employee self-training is difficult, if not impossible, as each employees existing skills will be different. Employees should be allowed sufficient time to reap the full benefits of the touch-typing program. The case can be made that time sacrificed now at current work rates will be made up for by the steady increase in employee productivity as their keyboarding skills increase, resulting in an essential net wash on this aspect of cost. In order to institute keyboarding skills assessment as part of qualifying all new potential hires,

Human Resources will require one new workstation with the software installed. A basic workstation with specifications comparable to those in use throughout the company can be acquired for a nominal cost, estimated at no more than $500.

CONCLUSIONS Our first-hand data, provided by local business leaders, emphasizes the importance of keyboarding skills to those in charge. It also highlights the disconnect between those in charge, and those with the responsibility to hire and train, as evidenced by the notable absence of formal keyboarding requirements or assessments for new hires or continued employment. Based on our findings, we recommend that AeroSparc, Inc. incorporate keyboarding assessment and training into its training program for both new hires and existing staffers. This addition will further bolster AeroSparc's comprehensive training program, and in turn will increase the value of the company through increased productivity in the long run, as well as through more accurate, viable data on which to base its engineering projects. Additionally, based on our survey in which we interviewed local business leaders, most indicated that no formal requirements are in place at their firms in regards to keyboarding skills. This should be seen as an opportunity for AeroSparc to further differentiate itself from its competitors. Doing so will bolster investor confidence in the company, and will make the company more appealing to well-qualified job seekers who are considering AeroSparc for employment.

You have good ideas and information, and good integration of secondary sources and visuals (though the visuals need improved clarity and formatting). You have some organizational issues, primarily surrounding your recommendations. Recommendations are based on, and therefore follow your conclusions. Report body is a little short. With three team members, you should have at least 12 pages; you only have 9 pages. Content: 93*.40 = 37.2 Organization: 93*.10 = 9.3 Grammar: 87*.30 = 26.1 Format: 87*.20 = 17.4 Report Grade: 90%

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APPENDIX A SAMPLE SURVEY QUESIONNAIRE

Questionnaire Typing in the Workplace What is your position with your company? ___________________________________ Do you know how to touch-type? YES ___ NO ___ What percentage of the day do you estimate that your employees spend at their computer? 0-20% ___ 20-40% ___ 40-60% ___ 60-80% ___ 80-100% ___ How important is it to you that your employees have touch-typing skills? Very ___ Moderately ___ Somewhat ___ Not Very ___ What percentage of your employees do you estimate to have competent touch-typing skills? 0-20% ___ 20-40% ___ 40-60% ___ 60-80% ___ 80-100% ___ Does your company have official minimum typing requirements for employment? YES ___ NO ___ If so, what is the WPM requirement? _____ WPM Do you think that your employees' touch-typing skill level impacts your company's productivity? YES ___ NO ___

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APPENDIX B TABLE OF SURVEY RESULTS

Do you know how to touch type?

Yes 6

No 3 60 80%

Somewhat 1 80 100%

What percentage of the day do you estimate that your employees spend at their computer? How important is it to you that your employees have touch-typing skills? What percentage of your employees do you estimate to have competent touch-typing skills?

0 20%

20 40%

40 60%

Very

Moderately

Somewhat

Not Very

0 20%

20 40%

40 60%

60 80%

80 100%

Does your company have official minimum typing requirements for employment? If so, what is the WPM requirement? Do you think that your employees touch-typing skill level impacts your companys productivity?

Yes

No

1 respondent 40 WPM

Yes

No

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REFERENCES Correli, L. (n.d.). Everything You Need to Know About Touch Typing. Retrieved April 15, 2008, from the ESL Teachers Board Web site: http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgibin/articles/index.pl?noframes;read=1465 Davis, H. (2007, November 28). Looking in vain for the next class acts. The Times (London, England). Retrieved April 16, 2008, from Academic OneFile database (171845135CJ). Erthal, M. (2003). Who Should Teach Keyboarding and When Should It Be Taught. Retrieved April 16, 2008, from the home page of Dr.Harriet Rogers, Associate Professor at University of Wisconsin Whitewater: http://facstaff.uww.edu/rogersh/Issues/Articles/WhoShouldTeach.pdf Johnson, R. (2003, December 28). Basic, low-tech typing appears to be a lost skill. The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 16, 2008, from http://www.boston.com/jobs/globe/articles/122803_type.html Leon, A. (2005, July 29). Touch Typing. Retrieved April 15, 2008, from the Alexis on Technology section of the Alexis Leon Web site: http://www.alexisleon.com/art/2005/07/29/touch-typing.html Peck, P. (2006, November 10). Two-finger typists at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome. Retrieved May 9, 2008, from the General Neurology section of the MedPage Today Web site: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/GeneralNeurology/tb/4481 Reeves, S. (2005, August 18). Avoiding Repetitive Strain Injury. Forbes.com. Retrieved May 9, 2008, from http://www.forbes.com/work/2005/08/18/career-work-rsicx_xr_0818bizbasics.html Typing software review 2008. (2008). TopTenReviews.com. Retrieved April 16, 2008, from http://typing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

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