by Jennifer Wiley

Students are enjoying their OST 132 class (Keyboard Skill Building) with their instructor and Department Chair Benita Hayes. This course is a hybrid class which meets once per week throughout Spring semester for a face to face session and then the remaining class hours are met through the use of Moodle, our online learning management system. Students in this class are focused on increasing speed and improving accuracy in keyboarding. Ms. Hayes places emphasis on diagnostic tests to identify accuracy and speed deficiencies followed by corrective drills. When students complete this course, they should be able to keyboard rhythmically with greater accuracy and speed.

Learning to type fast and accurately will help one in various ways in life and it is an essential skill for anyone who will work with a computer. Many positions in various career fields depend upon this skill and our students will be prepared and more productive on the job as a result. Things we used to do by paper and pencil have gone digital so the OST 132 Keyboarding class is quite popular! If you think back to the first time you learned to use a keyboard, you might have found yourself looking at the keyboard as you typed, then looked up at the screen to make sure it was correct. How long did that take you? You might have even used one finger to peck at the keys, one at a time. We have all done it!

With more practice and skill building in the OST 132 class, students are working toward their fingers automatically reaching for the keys when needed without having to think about it. This proficiency allows them to be more productive when using the computer on the job whether it be typing reports or drafting professional letters or sending emails.

Interested in a degree in Office Administration? Just about every company or organization has a position for this! Contact Benita Hayes for more information about how to get started on your degree at bhayes@sampsoncc.edu or call directly at 910.900.4021