28 Mar /18

Tutorial

Tutorial – Word of the day – EVS Translations
Tutorial – Word of the day – EVS Translations

There have been numerous sayings about the concept within today’s word, but they all basically carry the same message: nobody starts off knowing how to do something. Regardless of whether you are building a house or learning to use Linux, virtually everyone needs some assistance – even a prodigy like Mozart initially needed his father’s instruction. Since most people don’t build their own home or write concertos, let’s focus on the technological training wheels that we’re most likely to encounter, tutorials.

Though we are most likely to associate the word tutorial with computer programs or smartphone apps, the word itself is quite older and has had several different meanings. Originally coming from the Latin root word tutor, meaning ‘guardian or watcher’, along with the Latin suffix -al, meaning ‘of, like or pertaining to’, our word literally means ‘pertaining to monitor’ (progress).

Initially used in the idea of legal guardianship under Scottish law, the term was first recorded in 1766 by Lord Kames in Remarkable Decisions of the Court of Session 1730-52, writing that: “After the Major’s death, tutorial inventaries were made up of his estate.” Through the next 6 decades, the idea of “guardianship” began to apply to instructors (aka teachers), as can be seen in The Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay, where Macaulay writes regarding his teaching that: “I begin my tutorial labours to-morrow.”

Taking the concept of teaching and making it more personally accessible and more of a private study tool, our modern interpretation of the word first came into use in 1978 via the publication Scientific American, which reminded readers that: “You’ll find our tutorials on hardware and software invaluable reading, also our reports on home applications and evaluative reviews based on experiences with home computer products.”

With more people than ever before being tech-savvy and computer literate, it may be easy to dismiss tutorials as being unnecessary, but nothing could be further from the truth. While 25% of the world’s population may use Facebook and even more are familiar with the platform, social media is constantly growing, evolving, and diversifying based on needs and market demands. Additionally, ushering in cloud computing, new hardware, and field-specific software, the tech market itself is constantly expanding- with 4% growth predicted in 2018, reaching USD 3 trillion. Essentially, with diversification, emerging platforms, and constant change, in order to stay technologically current and competitive, tutorials are a must have.