Improve all form-fill, data entry and all financial calculations.

> Computer training -- individual instruction matched to each person
> Number keypad training -- teaching form-fill and data entry skills
> Self-paced instruction -- computer-generated lessons and drills
> Skills improvement -- increasing efficiency and eliminating errors
> Job related testing -- custom testing using appropriate data files
> Performance verification -- automatic evaluation with printed results

Computer training

If a person can use the computer keyboard and keypad without looking at the keys, the computer is an efficient tool instead of a bottleneck. Naturally, the specific commands for each software application must also be learned, but the most essential functions are universal among standard data entry systems, word processors, e-mail editors, and similar products.

This software product, the Ainsworth Keypad Trainer, provides complete training, evaluation, and verification of number keypad skills.

Our companion software program, the Ainsworth Keyboard Trainer, offers complete typing instruction. Together, these products provide the essential skills for any workplace where computers are used.

Number keypad training

The Ainsworth Keypad Trainer allows a person to quickly learn to use any number pad without looking at the fingers or the keys. This skill will apply to any calculator, data entry system, spreadsheet, order entry terminal, or other data input system that uses the standard Ten-Key layout.

Lessons are presented in a column format, as shown on the right. Lesson content advances automatically as a person learns each number key. Special drills, tests, and even games improve this basic skill and allow any person to use the number keypad accurately without looking at the keys.

Self-Paced instruction

People vary enormously in their dexterity. Physical factors as well as previous experience with adding machines, typewriters, or computers will determine how quickly a given person can learn the keypad. We adjust the pace of the lessons to match the individual so that people can learn as quickly as possible without being bored or wasting time. Not only does this make training more efficient, it also makes it much more enjoyable because each person is learning at a comfortable and effective pace.

Many computer programs are called "self-paced" when all they do is march through a canned series of lessons. Our software actually creates lessons and drills that are matched to each individual and continuously adjusted to reflect changes as a person learns.

Skills improvement

Knowing what finger goes where on the keypad is an important step, but it is not the final word as far as using computers efficiently and well. Even people who "know how to run numbers" often use computers inefficiently because they look at or visualize certain keys. Looking back and forth between the keypad and the task at hand is an open invitation to errors.

Our unique Prescription Drills(tm) provide focused practice sessions that can be used at any time to improve skills and reduce error rates. The software detects and eliminates hesitations automatically. This interactive practice session and its focused learning technology can create more skills improvement in a few minutes than could be achieved with hours of standard typing practice.

In this graph, the Number 4 key is being typed with a slight delay, when compared with the other number keys. Our software detects this and adjust this person's drills and practice sessions to focus on this key and eliminate looking at the keypad.

Job related testing

You can easily mimic actual job performance for accurate assessment of data entry skills, using either of these two tests.

Keypad Tests train and evaluate number entry skills. Tests using three different size numbers are computer-generated from internal data and will always be different.

Several formats are available, including decimal operation and calculator mode.

Data Entry Tests can be used in both form-fill and block text mode. Form-fill follows standard conventions for editing and for moving from one field to the next. In text mode, standard word processing techniques apply. The selection of form-fill or text mode will depend on your particular workplace application.

Standard Test combines keyboard and keypad skills. In this example, an assortment of name/address data is combined with a variety of other data formats ranging from order taking tasks to VIN and telephone numbers.

The Standard Test may be easily modified. If desired, you can substitute your own data file and present keypad testing data relevant to your specific application such as order taking or any unique data entry task.

This test also has a special option where you can specify random presentation -- with each test providing a new testing situation -- or you can lock in the presentation order so that each test is exactly the same.

If you wish to use the Ainsworth Keypad Trainer in a testing situation, you can elect to bypass the history saving feature of the software and simply present, score, and print a series of tests.

Performance verification

You can document performance easily and automatically with either of two printed reports. At the conclusion of any test, the Test Report showing complete test results and scores for this test may be printed, including a graded copy of the text as typed. This report is ideal for verifying performance with your own standardized test.

You can also print a complete Summary Report listing showing performance on all keys, lessons and drills completed, and test scores on all tests. This report will accurately summarize skill level and also track training progress.

Both test reports will show the Best Performance Index in addition to standard test data such as test title, keys typed, total time, keys-per-minute, accuracy in percent, and total errors. This index is our own method for evaluating keyboarding performance. We average the top ten percent of the test and present this score in addition to the average speed and accuracy for the entire test. The Best Performance Index shows how a person performs when entering data at the best speed and with no errors. We can, in effect, look beyond the testing situation with this index and accurately measure how well a person can use a computer keypad in a normal, non-testing environment.