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Winter 1996, Page One

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STUDY MEASURES CHILDREN'S TYPING SKILLS
WITH DVORAK AND QWERTY
Should children, just learning to touch type, be taught the QWERTY or Dvorak method? Bonnie G. Joyce and Roy A. Moxley set out to answer this question in a technical paper titled Comparing Children's Typing Skills Using the Dvorak and QWERTY Keyboards on a Microcomputer.
Using young children as their test subjects, they alternately taught them QWERTY and Dvorak layouts. (Half of the kids started by learning QWERTY, the other half started with Dvorak.) The progress of the children was constantly measured. Overall, the testing spanned an eight month period of time.
None of the children became proficient at touch typing. This is hardly surprising, considering that the researchers were not attempting to make touch typists out of the children. Additionally, as part of the test procedure, they switched from one layout to the other several times during the course of the research.
What was the outcome of their research? All of the children performed better with the Dvorak layout than they did when they were typing with QWERTY. From the paper:
None of the results supported the use of the QWERTY keyboards by novice typists even though home row finger positions would seem to favor visual searching on that keyboard. On the contrary, all the differences between the two keyboards favored the Dvorak keyboard, and the extent of the differences may have been suppressed by order effects.
Again, from the paper: Despite its increased efficiency, the Dvorak has not been adopted as a standard keyboard because initial cost can be high for retraining typists. With modern computers, however, keyboard conversion is much easier than it was in Dvorak's day, and retraining costs can be eliminated if touch typing is taught on the Dvorak keyboard from the beginning.
If you are looking for some solid research to support your view that children should start out learning Dvorak, check this out. This research paper is available at most college and university libraries. It contains twelve references, two tables and one figure. Ask for ERIC document ED 313 002.
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NEW LEARNING AID
FOR ONE-HANDED TYPISTS
The Teachers' Institute For Special Education has announced their latest product, Keyboarding With One-Hand: Dvorak Windows Edition. This is a complete set of lesson plans and instructional goals that will enable teachers to fulfill and adhere to the mandates of their student's IEPs (Individual Educational Plan). There is a separate edition for left hand users and right hand users.
The Teachers' Institute For Special Education also has many other keyboarding products, including products for dyslexic, visually limited, deaf, or other physically limited students.
For ordering or more information, contact: Teachers' Institute For Special Education, 2947 Bayside Court, Wantagh NY 11793. FAX: (516) 781-4070Teeny Tiny Dvorak Logo
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The President's Desk

The President's
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Exhibit 1. On January 18, 1996, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer aired a story about how better mousetraps don't always make it in the real world. The main target of their story was Apple Computers, which in spite of their superiority, have failed in the market to overtake Windows. Another example The News Hour gave of a failed "better mousetrap" was the Dvorak layout.
Exhibit 2. The February 19, 1996, issue of Newsweek carried a story by Steve Wozniak (cofounder of Apple Computer). The theme of the article was about why Apple Computers are continually struggling for market survival. Steve wrote: "We were also naive to think that the best technology would prevail. It often doesn't." He then went on to use the Dvorak keyboard layout as an analogy of a superior system that fails to replace the prevailing standard.
I find these stories disturbing because not only am I a Dvorak typist, I am also an evangelistic Macintosh user. Does this mean that I have a knack for siding with the losers? Not necessarily. I am happy to leave speculation about the fate of Apple Computers to others. As to the fate of the Dvorak layout, here is my personal comparison of apples to keyboards:
Point 1. Dynamic vs. Static. Computers and their operating systems are constantly changing. Newer machines and software hit the market all the time. People have their loyalties, but just like pro basketball teams, the makeup of the hardware and software keeps changing. Keyboard layouts, however, are static. QWERTY remains QWERTY, and Dvorak remains Dvorak. Neither layout has changed significantly since they were first created.
Point 2. Cost. Computers cost money (tell me about it!). Keyboard layouts, on the other hand, are free. A person can have and use both QWERTY and Dvorak without spending any extra money.
Point 3. Ease of use. We can debate the merits of the Macintosh vs. other computers until the end of time. But all computer systems strive to make life easier for the user. (While some would argue this point, there is no truth to the rumor that DOS was deliberately designed to make using computers as difficult as possible-it is just a coincidence.) In this respect, QWERTY and Dvorak are similar. But QWERTY was designed to help typists by reducing the amount of time they spent fixing jams on early typewriters. Dvorak helps typist by making typing as easy and fast as possible.
Will the Macintosh survive? Who knows. Fortunately the fate of the Dvorak layout is much clearer. As long as there are typing input devices, there will be a Dvorak layout option. Those who use it will benefit, those who use QWERTY will not. Simple as that.
steve@dvorakint.orgTeeny Tiny Dvorak Logo

MISCELLANY

Ms. Jovoone S. Smith is trying to locate a Dvorak typewriter, or someone who can modify an existing typewriter to the Dvorak layout. She is also interested in getting a Dvorak printwheel for an IBM or AT&T (Olivetti) typewriter. She can be contacted at PO Box 7366, Chicago IL 60680-7366.

Steve Davenport wants to borrow or buy a copy of Dvorak on Typing for the Mac. Steve writes: "It was a keyboard tutorial that John C. Dvorak lent his name to, and that spoke the letters as they were pressed. It also was the best Dvorak keyboard tutorial I've seen, but is now out of print (if that's what you call old software)." Steve can be contacted via e-mail at sdavenpo@mailbag.com or at 2910 Maple Run Dr, Madison WI 53719-3112.

Tom McDougal would like to alert readers (in particular, Macintosh users) of a problem with Nisus Writer (by Nisus Software). Tom tells us that certain keyboard shortcuts are based on the physical keyboard layout rather than the software mapped one. (This problem is not limited to the Dvorak layout.) If you would like to ask Nisus Software about this, they can be contacted at 107 S Cedros Ave, Solona Beach CA 92075. Phone: (619) 481-1477. Teeny Tiny Dvorak LogoDvorak Int. Information

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