Is Touch Typing the Answer to Productivity?

Is the fundamental skill of touch typing the answer to increased efficiency and productivity?

In today’s fast-paced world, efficiency and productivity are crucial because they save time, money and human resources, drive competitiveness, foster innovation and enable work-life balance. Embracing and improving these aspects is critical for organisations and individuals and, surprisingly, can be achieved by learning a fundamental skill – touch typing.

What is touch typing?

Touch typing is the subconscious skill of typing without looking down at the keyboard. It involves using all digits to type quickly and accurately and relies on familiarity with key placements and regular practice to reinforce learned patterns to develop muscle memory. By mastering this technique, typists can significantly increase their typing speed and accuracy. While it may seem like a simple process, touch typing can dramatically impact efficiency and productivity at college, university and in the workplace.

What does the research say?

From 2000 typing tests, 71.6% of the ‘typists’ typed at an average speed of 19 wpm. That’s more than seven out of ten unable to type efficiently. If these individuals spend two hours per day in front of their PC typing at that speed, their stats would be as follows:

19wpm x 60mins x 2hours = 2,280 words in 2 hours

However, individuals in the remaining 29% are typing faster, at more than 35 wpm and an average of 50wpm:

50wpm x 60 mins x 2 hours = 6,000 words in 2 hours

This is an additional 1,860 words per hour or a real-time saving of 1.2 hours per day. They have more than doubled their word count! 

Increased Speed and Accuracy

Touch typists are generally faster and more accurate than those who rely on the “hunt and peck” method. This is because when typing is automatic, and you can keep your eyes on the screen and not have to search for keys constantly, you can type faster and more efficiently.

Reduced Cognitive Load

By internalising the keyboard layout and finger placement, touch typists free up mental resources that would otherwise be spent on locating keys. This allows them to focus more on the content they are typing, leading to improved concentration and reduced cognitive load.

Improved Workflow

Touch typing enables a smoother workflow as your fingers glide across the keyboard effortlessly. When you don’t have to pause or stumble while typing, you maintain a steady rhythm, which can increase overall productivity.

Ergonomics

Multitasking

When touch typing becomes second nature, you can type while simultaneously focusing on other tasks or conversations. This skill can enhance your ability to multitask effectively and handle multiple responsibilities simultaneously.

Transferable Skill

Touch typing is a valuable skill in today’s digital age and is a common requirement in education and many professions. Whether you’re writing dissertations, emails, reports, coding, or engaging in any form of written communication, touch typing allows you to do so with greater speed and efficiency.

Conclusion

While touch typing is not a panacea for all productivity challenges, it undoubtedly contributes to increased efficiency by reducing typing time, minimizing errors, improving focus and allowing multi-tasking. It plays its part alongside organizational skills, task prioritization, and effective time management in achieving increased efficiency and productivity.