The Missing Component in Computer Education: The Affective Domain

Because of the “computer revolution,” health-care professionals are being called upon in academic, continuing education, and on-site settings to teach computer education to students as well as other professionals. It has been demonstrated that education which includes the examination of attitudes, values, and feelings will reduce anxiety and increase interest towards the subject matter and will also help the student integrate the subject matter more effectively into his or her life. Therefore, the affective component is extremely important, if not essential, and should be part of every educational endeavor aimed at fostering computer literacy. Two major areas where an affective approach is crucial in computer instruction is in dealing with the student's motivations for developing computer literacy and the computer anxiety they may be experiencing. Factors influencing these areas will be explored in depth. In addition, concrete suggestions and techniques for dealing affectively with motivation for developing computer literacy and computer anxiety will be presented.