Notes for Teachers, continued

Students should not begin Phase 2 or 3 before completing Phase 1. They should start Phase 2 and 3 lessons at a comfortable, lower speed and continue until they reach the prescribed goal. While Phase 2 enables quicker progress most of the time, Phase 3 recitations are more attractive sometimes and have their own cultural value. Though not strictly necessary for faster typing, Phase 3 can help by varying the practice mode. Students may use Phase 3 at their discretion.

The Math and Special lessons of Phase 1 are optional, and there are no "Special" characters on keyboards designed for English. Except those with unusual problems (emotion, arthritis etc.), students can complete the standard Phase 1 lessons in less than 6 hours. Some students do them in as little as 1.5 hours. The time to do advanced lessons can vary even more, according to the student's dexterity and speed goal.

It is important to give the lessons on a flexible schedule because of the large variation in learning rate among students. Also, avoiding pressure helps to ensure truthful reports of the lessons finished. Further to elicit truthful reports, teachers beforehand should explain how no student will undergo a typing test until ready for it. A teacher uses the reports to encourage the slower students and ensure sufficient availability of MasterMind Typing to them.

Students seldom shirk, because MasterMind gives pleasure of achievement better than a game. Peer example is encouraging too. In the rare case of a student's overstatement about lessons done, testing will expose the deceit.

The speed criteria in MasterMind Typing Phase 2 and 3 lessons obviate the tradition of continual tests. One needs only a final, speed test to keep the students' reports honest. Any convenient method is all right. For example, students may copy for a fixed time from an unfamiliar text of more than ample length. Or one may measure their time to copy a text of fixed length. Students may take the test separately as they finish MasterMind Typing or simultaneously when all have finished, whichever suits the teacher or proctor.

The grader may assess all characters typed (right and wrong), excluding spaces, and divide by five to calculate gross words typed. Or divide by six if the character count includes spaces. To calculate net words from gross words, a common formula is to subtract double the count of incorrect and omitted words. Finally, divide by the test time in minutes.

Peter Turnquist, October 1999

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