MAP & Skillbuilding

Click here to go to the Gregg College Keyboarding and Document Processing training site where you can view instructional videos on the GDP exercises shown at the right. When you get to the site, click Exercise Types in the left pane; then click the desired exercise in the bottom pane. Refer to the chart at the right to determine when to view each video.

Lesson 1-J
Lesson 6-F
Lesson 11-H
Lesson 12-B
Lesson 12-C
Lesson 13-G
Lesson 15-F
Lesson 17-G
Lesson 20-I

Lesson 21-D
Lesson 21-E
Lesson 25
Lesson 29

Timed Writing
Technique Practice
Progressive Practice
12-Second Sprints
Sustained Practice
Paced Practice
Pretest-Practice-Posttest
Diagnostic Practice
MAP—3 Step Process
MAP—Keyboard Drills
Language Arts
Formatting
Document Processing
An Integrated Lesson

MAP: Misstroke Analysis and Prescription

MAP (Misstroke Analysis and Prescription) analyzes 75 different types of accuracy problems, identifies YOUR top four accuracy problems, and then prescribes a list of individual, corrective drills tailor made just for you. These drills are designed to correct your keyboarding weaknesses and help you avoid making similar errors in the future. Click View MAP Slide Show to view the slide show first before attempting MAP so you'll understand how it works.

MAP is the most sophisticated diagnostic software on the market today and you’ve got access to it anytime! Because the diagnostic drills you will type after you take the MAP pretest specifically target YOUR weaknesses, the drills will be difficult for you. But the payoff will be huge.

If you need to strengthen a weak muscle, you have to exercises it, right? The same goes for keyboarding weaknesses. They must be targeted and strengthened through systematic practice until they disappear. That’s what MAP does, so hang in there.

After you take the Pretest, type each of the four Prescriptive Drills once. You will be automatically returned to the Lessons menu when you are finished with all four Prescriptive drills to continue working on the lesson. If you want to continue working on accuracy, take a new Pretest and continue through the MAP routine one more time.

Skillbuilding

Below are recommendations on how to use the variety of skillbuilding routines available in GDP from the Skillbuilding button to help you improve speed and accuracy. Routines are listed in alphabetical order.

12" Speed Sprints:

	Builds speed using, fast, repetitive typing on short, easy sentences with no error limit.
	Goal: Increase your speed on each repetition of the sentence.
	Very motivational; especially effective if you look at your keys while typing.

Diagnostic Practice: Numbers; Symbols and Punctuation

Although your speed is being calculated during the pretest and posttest, your primary goal is to type the entire pretest (and later, the posttest) paragraph once only pushing moderately for speed. This pretest is different from the timed writings you are used to in which you continue typing for a set period of time such as 1 minute or 3 minutes. For the best results, type the pretest paragraph "normally" and push moderately for speed so that your typical errors will surface. Since your speed is being calculated, remember to click Continue when you have finished typing the entire paragraph.

	Diagnoses and corrects keystroking errors on either (a) symbols and punctuation or (b) numbers.
	You first type a practice paragraph, which the software scores for speed and accuracy. Then, based on the errors made, you type the appropriate drill lines found at the back of the book on pages SB-2 though SB-7.
	GDP provides individualized practice by focusing your efforts on your demonstrated weaknesses (similar to the MAP drills for alphabetic keys).

MAP

Analyzes individual errors and prescribes specific drills to correct the top four diagnosed weaknesses. Prescriptive drills are unique each time.

Paced Practice:

To determine your beginning speed, you will take a 1-minute timing. Try to type the 1-minute timing with 2 errors maximum pushing moderately for speed.

The 1-minute entry timing will be followed by a series of 2-minute timings based on the speed you achieved in the entry timing. You will see 8 red boxes highlighting a letter indicating where you should be typing in 15-second intervals. You will try to "pace" yourself so that when you type for 15 seconds, you will reach the first red square you see on the timing copy. When each 15-second interval is up, the red square disappears. Try to slow down or speed up so that the squares disappear just when you reach them.

For example, in the timing below, the goal is 22 wpm. If you "pace" your typing at 22 wpm, when you type the "a" in "attitude" in the first line, the red square over the "a" will disappear just as you reach that point in the timing.

	Alternates between speed and accuracy.
	First, stress speed: Speed up just a little-goal: 2 wpm higher; no error limit. Then stress accuracy: Slow down, just a little-goal: 2 wpm lower than speed goal with 1 error-per-minute limit.
	2" timed writings ranging from 16 to 96 wpm.
	goal is to be within 2-3 characters of the highlighted character in 15-second intervals before the highlight disappears.

Pretest/Practice/Posttest:

	Uses a three-step process to either stress accuracy or speed.
	Provides intensive practice on six different types of reaches: horizontal, vertical, close, alternate words, one-hand words, and common letter combinations.

Progressive Practice: Alphabet or Numbers

In any Progressive Practice: Alphabet or Numbers drills, try to type the 1-minute timing with 3 errors maximum pushing moderately for speed.

	Builds speed and accuracy in short easy steps.
	30" timed writings; repeat each until they can complete it with no errors.
	Each passage is long enough to exactly reach speed goal.
	Range: 16-104 wpm.
	Individualized; self-competition.

Sustained Practice:

To determine your base speed, you will take a 1-minute timing on the first paragraph only with 3 errors maximum pushing moderately for speed.

	Challenges you to maintain your initial speed on copy of increasing difficulty.
	Difficulty factors: Syllabic intensity, numbers or symbols and punctuation, and rough draft.
	As soon as you equal your base speed on one paragraph, you advance to the next, more difficult paragraph.