computer literacy
<education> Basic skill in use of computers, from the perspective of such
skill being a necessary societal skill.
The term was coined by Andrew Molnar, while director of the Office of Computing
Activities at the National Science Foundation.
"We started computer literacy in '72 [...] We coined that phrase. It's sort of
ironic. Nobody knows what computer literacy is. Nobody can define it. And the
reason we selected [it] was because nobody could define it, and [...] it was a
broad enough term that you could get all of these programs together under one
roof" (cited in Aspray, W., (September 25, 1991) "Interview with Andrew Molnar,"
OH 234. Center for the History of Information Processing, Charles Babbage
Institute, University of Minnesota).
The term, as a coinage, is similar to earlier coinages, such as "visual
literacy", which Merriam-Webster dates to 1971, and the more recent
"media literacy".
(1998-09-07)
Nearby terms:
computer language « Computer Language for AeronauticS and
Programming « computer law « computer literacy »
Computer Management Group of Australia » Computer Mediated
Communication » computer nerd
