Preparing Curriculum for Computer Literacy Course

My name is Anjuli, and I am interning with GDL for the summer. I have been here for almost a month now and plan to stay for another month. At the end of August, I will return to the US, where I am a junior in college.

My assignment for these two months is to develop the curriculum for GDL Technology’s computer literacy course. Although many introductory computers courses exist, an initial assessment revealed that they frequently include too much conceptual knowledge to make them useful to a job-seeking individual. Our goal in writing a new one is to focus on the skills necessary to obtain and keep an entry-level computer-based job in India.

Based on Ashish’s report on the top jobs, my first task here was to outline a syllabus that would specifically address the demands of the job market. I identified 5-6 main topics to cover (Word, Excel, etc.) and then found and assessed existing course material from the Internet and local textbooks. Using my critiques, I then wrote my own curriculum that built on what I liked and excluded what I didn’t like. I am now preparing lesson plans, handouts, and exercises for this new curriculum.

Writing lesson plans has proved to be quite challenging because, having never taught someone how to use a computer before, it is difficult to predict how long it will take them to pick up basic skills like using a mouse or highlighting text. I also realize that the students who take the course will have come from a different education system than I, and therefore may not learn the same way I do. I have heard that the rote memorization method of learning is very popular and effective in Indian schools, but suspect that it may be incompatible with teaching computer skills.

By mid-August, I hope to have completed the course material in English and begun translation into Hindi. Any remaining time will be spent revising it, so that only translation and, optionally, testing are left to be completed after my departure.