Minimum Computer Literacy at Tertiary Institutions - Who's Responsibility is it?

The widespread use of information and communication technology in education and in the community has led to a higher expectation of prospective students’ level and type of computer competency. Currently, most higher education institutions in Australia do not require a minimum entry requirement in computer skills. This applies even to computing degrees. For most undergraduate degrees, entry depends on students’ meeting the minimum TER (Tertiary Entry Requirements) score of the respective degree including passes in English and Mathematics. Lecturers, especially those lecturing in first level programming subjects, cannot assume any prior computer knowledge for either on-campus (full-time) or distance education (DE) (part time) students although many of the latter courses are frequently highly dependent on computers. This paper focuses on the difficulties facing teachers in the higher education sector, most notably due to the variable computer abilities of students coming in to tertiary institutions, the issue of equity and resources, and special issues related to mature age students.