The Computer Literacy Requirement at Salem State College

     Computer Literacy is one of the three Competency-Based Skills requirements which every Salem State College student must satisfy. The following information is taken from the Salem State College 2006-2008 Undergraduate Catalog, pages 12-13.

     The definition of Computer Literacy currently in use at Salem State College states that:

Computer Literacy comprises knowledge in four areas:
  • capabilities and limitations of computers
  • ways in which computers are used
  • the impact that these uses have on individuals and on society
  • the ability to carry out certain basic activities on a computer, given a simple set of instructions
     A student may demonstrate competency in Computer Literacy in one of two ways:
  • By enrolling in and passing one of the specific Salem State College courses approved as satisfying the Computer Literacy core requirement and identified as such in its catalog course description. The courses currently approved for this requirement are:
    • ART 303    Introduction to Electronic Media
    • CSC 200A    Survey of Computer Science I
    • EDU 407   Computer Literacy for Educational Professionals
    • IDS 180    Microcomputer Applications
    • ITC 100   Computers and Their Uses
    • ITC 117    Microcomputers in the Professions
    If a student wishes to satisfy the Computer Literacy requirement by means of a course transferred from another college, the course must be reviewed and approved in writing by the Chairperson of the Computer Science Department.
  • By achieving satisfactory scores on both the written part and the laboratory part of the Computer Literacy Exemption Examination given during the Orientation Program or during a student's first full year at the College. A score of at least 60% is required to pass the written examination. Currently the written examination is given once each semester and the laboratory part is given twice a semester.

    A student who has not passed both parts of the Computer Literacy Exemption Examination before the end of the sophomore year at the College (or, for transfer students, by the end of the first full year at the College) will be required to take and pass one of the approved Computer Literacy courses listed above.


    For an extended discussion of the nature of Computer Literacy, see the essay "What Is Computer Literacy?".


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