1991 Volume 14 Issue 4 Pages 175-179
This report is on a study of keyboard input methods in information education, part of the general education curriculum at the junior college level. Using beginning junior college, Japanese word processing students, the authors compared alphabetical and kana (Japanese syllabary) keyboard input speeds with student attitudes towards the study of English. It was found that those who liked English grammar and composition courses were faster at alphabetical input while those who disliked these same subjects were faster at kana input. Positive correlations were found between English course likes and dislikes and student evaluation of keyboard input difficult as well as between likes and dislikes and preferences for using romanization or kana when typing on a Japanese word processor. These findings suggest that school subject preferences might be good guidelines for selection of methods for inputting text when teaching how to use a Japanese word processor. For those unfamiliar with Japanese word processors, it should be noted that text may be input using either romanization and English alphabet or by using Japanese kana syllabary.
