Artificial Intelligence
AInsworth on AI

There is a controversy today about what Artificial Intelligence or AI is and what it is not. Simply adding advertising claims proclaiming "Now with Artificial Intelligence" doesn't make the software in the box or the computer any smarter.

The most intelligent programming creates an interactive situation that responds so well you are not even aware of anything fancy going on behind the scenes. The computer models I use in my keyboard and keypad training software to monitor your performance while you learn are independently sensitive to both skill level and typing speed. This allows me to continuously adjust the program and your lessons so you can learn at the exact pace that is both comfortable for you and most efficient.

My programs work equally well for anyone from special needs students to executives wanting to improve productivity. They also automatically adjust for people starting from scratch and those who want to improve their keyboarding skills.

You don't have to actually hit any wrong keys for my program to sense a problem and adjust your lessons. If you as much as glance at a key or even visualize it while typing, the program will detect this. As you learn the keys, these changes in your thinking and visualization are monitored by the computer and used to create your custom lessons and drills.

The lessons are automatically adjusted to provide concentrated practice on a few keys. As soon as you can type a specific key without pre-visualizing it or thinking about where it is on the keyboard, a new key is then added. The population of keys you are learning is constantly changing, but your experience is consistent. This process is no different from what a good teacher would want to do, but no human teacher alone can accurately time all keys, compare these times with floating averages, and construct lessons that maintain strengths and eliminate weaknesses.

My instructional design allows the Ainsworth Keyboard Trainer to focus on developing writing skills, not just copy typing or secretarial skills. Similarly, this design approach with the Ainsworth Keypad Trainer helps people achieve flawless and effortless accuracy with the number keypad.

Using the computer, I can implement all of these teaching methods and more because I know exactly how well each person is typing each key and whether this action is automatic or not. Based on this insight, my programs provide a powerful advantage far beyond any typing book or any other software.

Dick Ainsworth
ainsworth@qwerty.com