Newbie

A newbie is anyone who is doing something for the first time. No matter how long people have been using computers or their level of skill, when they do something new, they are newbies.

For the sake of this Consortium, we are defining two types of newbies without assigning more value to one status or the other. The differences between the types of newbies has implications for the type of teaching that needs to take place:

Newbies Without a Clue Newbies With a Clue

Newbies without a clue:
 * may experience distress about technology because the technology is overwhelming,
 * are too frequently coerced into learning about technology.
 * may feel there is probably one right way to do something and they don't know that way
 * feel a real time crunch when they think of learning how to use a new form of technology

Newbies with a clue, in contrast:
 * may have been coerced into learning it but are no longer stressed about that
 * understand that everyone is a newbie in a new-to-them situation so they have a lot in common with someone setting up a wireless network for the first time or doing object-oriented programming for the first time.
 * understand that there are many ways to accomplish something and if a way leads to the accomplishment of a goal, it is right.
 * understand that there are ways to do fairly spectacular projects in short periods of time, using internet-based resources to help out along the way
 * focus on learning the technology that would be most useful to them and understand that many of the skills they develop in that process will also be applicable to other technologies

Supporting people in their moving from Newbies Without a Clue to Newbies With a Clue is a reasonable and achievable goal and is therefore the focus of this Consortium.

The implications for instruction for this differentiation between people include:
 * creating as comfortable learning environment as possible
 * creating a foundation of respect for the learner
 * understanding the concept of cognitive overload and the importance of stopping instruction before it becomes cognitively overwhelming
 * listening to what teachers specifically need and providing do-able and effective examples of technology to meet those needs
 * providing strategies for getting started and scaffolded experiences in doing so
 * focusing on the teacher's style/philosophy of teaching and providing technology that is specific to the individual person rather than generic
 * providing shortcuts and "cheats" such as snippets of html written by someone else in order to create a particular function
 * providing sources of information so that the person can have support when working independently