[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-506140-105":59,"doc-detail-506140-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","multitasking-why-computer-skills-testing-is-necessary","Multitasking - Why Computer Skills Testing is Necessary","","The article argues that telecommunicators must handle computer-related tasks while also performing cognitively demanding duties, and that accurate multitasking under conscious control is largely unrealistic. It explains that selection tests must directly target telecommunicator-specific computer skills in a job-relevant setting. Traditional clerical typing tests are considered inadequate because the dispatch environment requires rapid entry of alphanumeric, mixed data and depends less on punctuation and capitalization, making specialized assessment essential.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/multitasking-why-computer-skills-testing-is-necessary/506140/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/multitasking-why-computer-skills-testing-is-necessary/506140.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Well Done","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-14","2026-10-04",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":34},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Why is multitasking important for computer-related dispatch tasks?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Telecommunicators need to perform computer-related actions while simultaneously carrying out other demanding job decisions. The article emphasizes that this requires skills that become automatic rather than consciously controlled.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Why are traditional clerical typing tests not sufficient for telecommunicator selection?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Clerical typing focuses on alpha characters and differs from the dispatch task’s alphanumeric, highly verbal data entry needs. The article states these tests do not measure skills needed in a telecommunicator environment.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What should pre-employment computer skills tests measure?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Tests should evaluate the ability to enter telecommunicator-specific data in a telecommunicator-specific setting, ensuring applicants can perform required computer tasks routinely and with minimal conscious effort.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},506140,1791497020,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":34,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":81,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":39,"preview_page_count":4},5909892210082,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/56001069da27c9f41e8?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1789614185077863061","This article is reprinted with permission from the Spring 2004 edition of the National Journal of Emergency Dispatch, © 2004 National Academies of Emergency Dispatch.  \nMultitasking  \nWhy Computer SkillsTesting is Necessary  \nBy: Jim Kuthy, M.A., Personal Assessment Specialist, Biddle Consulting Group  \nto a national study conducted by the Biddle Consulting Group, a person who can simultaneously perform computer-related tasks and a cognitively challenging task would be a better telecommunicator.  \nIn order to identify whether an applicant has the ability to perform computer-related tasks in a routine, unconscious way, you must first make certain the test you are using actually focuses on the skills you are attempting to measure. In other words, if you are using a test that was not specifically designed to select telecommunica-  \ntiToei rnlecmgomattoiotmnelicaaosyamustboardnd raodieeanffltiiesc,  \nchanging unit status on the computer, and making life or death decisions as to what to do next. Scientific research shows that it is virtually impossible fora person to simultaneously perform two tasks accurately while consciously focusing on both tasks.  \nConsider trying to make important decisions while simultaneously attempting to learn to ride a bicycle. You probably wouldn’t be able to do either very well. However, if you had first mastered bicycle riding you would then have sufficient mental resources available to simultaneously make complex decisions while riding along effortlessly on your bicycle.  \nJust like becoming proficient at riding a bicycle, performance at computer-related tasks, such as data entry or manipulating a computer mouse, can become second nature with sufficient practice. In other words, if a person practices computer-related tasks to the point where little attention or effort is required, they would have sufficient cognitive resources available to simultaneously focus on an unrelated, complex task. This is why successful telecommunicators are able to perform computer-related tasks automatically. The key to determining whether a person can perform basic computer skills without using a vast amount of  \ntheir available, mental resources is by having them simultaneously perform these tasks with other job-related duties that require concentration and decision-making ability. The inability to perform two tasks simultaneously would, typically, indicate that the person had to focus their mental resources on both, thereby causing poor performance overall. According  \ntors, you may be measuring skills that are not important to the job and failing to measure skills that are. This would be unfair to the job applicant and might even spawn an Equal Employment Opportunity lawsuit.  \nTyping and data-entry require fundamentally different skills. Typists typically enter alpha characters, in both upper CONTINUED ON P16  \n “Just like becoming   \nproficient at riding a bicycle, performance at computer-related tasks can become second nature...”  \nOperations  \nBy: Jim Kuthy, M.A.  \nWORK  \nNational Journal of Emergency Dispatch | Spring 2004  \n1  \nkeyboard. In addition, they typically enter a much greater proportion of numeric characters than do clerical typists. Finally, punctuation and capitalization are typically not critical fortelecommunicators—data is generally interpreted audibly rather than from a written page. These factors nullify much of the speed advantage expert typists have over a non-experts in the dispatch environment. It appears likely that expert typists, who can quickly and accurately type complete words read from a printed page, may not be able to quickly and accurately enter  \naudible data that contains a mixture of assorted letters and numbers (such as license plates, vehicle identification codes, or serial numbers) . In other words, one could be a great typist and still be unable to quickly and accurately enter the type of information commonly encountered by public safety telecommunicators.  \nFor this reason,","cbCaihD4I0nlKQRG","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihD4I0nlKQRG","pdf",506723,"English","# Multitasking\n## Why Computer Skills Testing is Necessary\n## Measuring Telecommunicator-Specific Skills\n## Summary and Testing Implications","[{\"question\":\"Why is multitasking important for computer-related dispatch tasks?\",\"answer\":\"Telecommunicators need to perform computer-related actions while simultaneously carrying out other demanding job decisions. The article emphasizes that this requires skills that become automatic rather than consciously controlled.\"},{\"question\":\"Why are traditional clerical typing tests not sufficient for telecommunicator selection?\",\"answer\":\"Clerical typing focuses on alpha characters and differs from the dispatch task’s alphanumeric, highly verbal data entry needs. The article states these tests do not measure skills needed in a telecommunicator environment.\"},{\"question\":\"What should pre-employment computer skills tests measure?\",\"answer\":\"Tests should evaluate the ability to enter telecommunicator-specific data in a telecommunicator-specific setting, ensuring applicants can perform required computer tasks routinely and with minimal conscious effort.\"}]","Multitasking - Why Computer Skills Testing is Necessary | PDF",1791158250]