This was a study of middle school students and informal computer usage before entering a forma1 keyboarding course. The purposes of the study were (a) to determine the kinds of informal keyboarding experiences middle school students were exposed to before receiving formal training, (b) to determine if there was a difference in straight copy speed and accuracy among students who had three levels of previous informal keyboarding experience, and (c) to determine if there was a difference in straight copy speed and accuracy among students who had home access to persona1 computers.

The students involved in the study were seventh and eighth graders at Blacksburg Middle School and Christiansburg Middle School enrolled in first semester Keyboarding during the 1987-88 school year. These students answered questionnaires that related to their personal experiences with computers and were placed in one of three groups depending upon the amount of time spent using a keyboard before entering a formal keyboarding course. Each student took timed writings and were given a score for speed and accuracy. A one-way analysis of variance was performed to determine if there was a difference between groups on straight copy speed and accuracy scores. The analysis of the data indicated that there was no significant difference in speed or accuracy scores between those students who had very little or no previous informa1 experience and those students who had six months previous informa1 experience. Those students who had a year or more of previous informa1 experience had better speed scores than students who had less than a year of previous informal experience.

The data indicated there was no significant difference among any of the groups in accuracy scores. The data also indicated there was a significant difference in speed scores of those students who had access to a home computer and those students who did not.

From the study it was concluded that: (a) students who have previous informal keyboarding experiences of one year or more have significantly higher keyboarding straight copy speed than those students who had less than one year of informa1 experiences and (b) previous informal keyboarding experience does not influence straight copy accuracy.