Touch-typing is an investment in your career

What is your typing style?

Are you a hovering helicopter or perhaps your fingers peck at the keys?

According to Dr Bronwyn Batchelor, head of faculty law at the Independent Institute of Education, learning to touch-type is a vital educational investment that can be a game-changer throughout your career.

“Touch-typing allows you to type on a keyboard without looking at the keys, using all ten fingers and relying on your muscle memory,” said Batchelor.

“It is a skill that can benefit you throughout your life, whether you are a student, professional or simply someone who uses a computer regularly.”

Productivity hacks such as this method of typing are easy to learn and an intervention that will make work or studies easier and more efficient.

Shortly after Covid-19, Batchelor co-authored a paper investigating the impact of students’ typing competency on their results.

“During the lockdown period many students were forced to submit typed assessments as opposed to hand-written papers,” she said.

“Anyone who can touch-type rather than using the ‘hunt-and-peck’ method will attest that this skill stood them in good stead.”

She continued by saying that touch-typing can be learned in as little as 10 hours, but its benefits are endless.

Benefits include:
• Improved productivity, speed and accuracy
Typing speed from a low of around 30 words per minute can increase to a high of 80 words per minute.

Work can therefore be completed faster and more efficiently.

It further reduces errors and typos, as one’s eyes are fixed and concentrated on the screen and the content, rather than the keyboard.

• Freeing up brain power
Being able to touch-type removes the barrier between work that needs to be done and getting it done.

Once you are able to type in this manner it becomes second nature, such as speaking.

You will be able to put your thoughts onto paper, without having your flow throttled by the act of typing.

It can also improve your brain functions, such as memory, concentration and creativity.

By freeing up your cognitive resources from finding keys to focusing on the information and the ideas you want to convey.

It also helps develop muscle memory, which is the ability to perform a task without conscious effort in turn aiding cognitive development.

• Easier multitasking
Touch-typing can make multitasking easier.

By mastering this skill, you can type while doing other things such as listening, reading and speaking. This could enhance your communication and collaboration skills, as well as productivity.

• Improved career prospects
Improved productivity has the ability to produce more work consistently.

It is an invaluable skill that can boost career prospects and resumé value, especially where employers require candidates who can type fast and accurately.

“Touch-typing is quick and easy to learn. It is within everyone’s reach to accomplish,” said Batchelor.

“In preparation for the new year, take the time to learn this valuable skill if you have not yet mastered it.”

She further recommends the following typing apps and games to assist in you reaching your goals of fast, efficient and accurate typing:
• Type Saga

• Typing Cat

• How to Type

Typing courses and tutorials are structured and comprehensive ways to learn touch-typing and include Pitman Training, The Knowledge Academy and Typing Mentor.

Information supplied by The Independent Institute of Education.

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