#24575
A Historical Look at Electronic Literacy: Implications for the Education of Technical Communicators 
This article investigates the ways in which a subset of technical communicators acquired electronic literacy from 1978 to 2000, a period during which personal computers became increasingly ubiquitous in the United States in educational settings, homes, communities,and workplaces. It describes the literacy autobiographies gathered from 55 professionalcommunicators participating on the Techwr-l listserv, focusing on the large-scaletrends that these autobiographies reveal. To supplement the findings from these autobiographies,the authors conducted face-to-face interviews with four case-study participants:a faculty member, a professional communicator, and two students of differentbackgrounds majoring in technical communication. The article concludes with observationsabout the development of technical communication instruction in the twenty-firstcentury.
Selfe, Cynthia L. and Gail E. Hawisher. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2002). Articles>History>Online
#13909
Lest We Think the Revolution Is a Revolution: Images of Technology and the Nature of Change 
When technical communication teachers get together to talk about technology, they generally end up talking about change. It is common sense, after all to link computers with change when microprocessors now double in speed every 18 months (Patterson, 1995), when biomemory, superscalar architecture, and picoprocessors become feature stories for National Public Radio; and when media generations flash by in less time than it takes to uncrate a faculty workstation and get rid of the Styrofoam packing.
Selfe, Cynthia L. CPTSC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Technology>History>Rhetoric
#23460
Technology and Literacy: A Story about the Perils of Not Paying Attention 
Technological literacy-meaning computer skills and the ability to use computers and other technology to improve learning, productivity and performance-has become as fundamental to a person's ability to navigate through society as traditional skills like reading, writing and arithmetic. In explicit acknowledgment of the challenges facing the education community, on February 15, 1996, President Clinton and Vice President Gore announced the Technology Literacy Challenge, envisioning a 21st century where all students are technologically literate. The challenge was put before the nation as a whole, with responsibility shared by local communities, states, the private sector, educators, local communities, parents, the federal government, and others.
Selfe, Cynthia L. CCC (1999). Articles>Rhetoric>Literacy>Civic
#23373
Technology and the Learning/Teaching Divide
When we put to one side technological responsibilities, we miss an important opportunity to build communities of workers and scholars.
Selfe, Cynthia L. and Richard Selfe. CPTSC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Education>Technology
