A CLBING DEP ACR FLC FAILS TO NOTE THAT THE ACFT IS IN A SLOW TURN ON CTL WHEEL STEERING INSTEAD OF THE HDG ASSIGNED BY ATC NW OF ATL; GA.

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ON DEP OUT OF ATL TO THE W; TURNING TO ASSIGNED HDG OF 285 DEGS; SELECTED WITH 'HDG SELECT.' THE HDG MODE DESELECTED ON ITS OWN AND SYS WENT INTO 'CTL WHEEL STEERING.' BEING IN A BANK TO TURN TO HDG 285 DEGS; THE ACFT CONTINUED ITS TURN TO A NORTHERLY HDG. AS THE PNF; I FELT THAT IN THE HECTIC DEP THAT WE CREATED BY TRYING TO PROGRAM MORE ON THE FMC WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE JUST DONE BASIC AIRMANSHIP OF FLYING HDG AND ALTS. WE NOTICED THE HDG BEING OFF. I INFORMED ATC IMMEDIATELY THAT WE WERE TURNING BACK TO ASSIGNED 285 DEG HDG. THEY IMMEDIATELY TOLD US TO TURN BACK TO A 270 DEG HDG AND STOP OUR CLB AT 7500 FT MSL. WE COMPLIED AND NO TCASII ALERTS WERE ACTIVATED AND NO TFC HAD TO MANEUVER TO AVOID US. THEN ATC ASSIGNED HDG OF 020 DEGS AND ISSUED CLB TO 10000 FT. I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE AUTOFLT SYS PERFORMANCE MORE CLOSELY AND NOT TRY TO PERFORM TOO MANY TASKS AT ONCE WITHOUT FIRST MAKING SURE THE ACFT IS BEING MANEUVERED ALONG THE PROPER FLT PATH. TOO MUCH DEPENDENCE WAS BEING EXPECTED FROM THE AUTOFLT SYS AND NOT PROPER MONITORING WAS THE CAUSE OF OUR PROB AS I SEE IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 467647: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE LOW TIME PLT IN TYPE AND NOT MONITORING FLT DIRECTOR PROPERLY.