In this Symposium focused on MOOCs, this journal carries forward a tradition of attending to the technologies associated with composing and the teaching of composing. In the May 1983 issue of "College Composition and Communication," for example, most of the articles focus on composing and include a mix of inquiries, from Jack Selzer's on the…

The trend in higher education these days is to speak of students' technological skills as if they are worlds different from those of individuals who actually teach them. Teachers are the dinosaurs who do not understand how to maneuver in this brave new world of technology, while students are the evolved birds who will live on into the future. Part…

Cell phones have become prevalent on college campuses. Most students use them as their primary phone to avoid changing phone service every year or dealing with university-based long-distance charges. In the wake of recent college shootings and threats of violence on campus, administrators have begun to deploy cell phone solutions to send emergency…

Addition of a word processing component to a study skills program for eight learning disabled freshman students in a community college resulted in higher term paper grades and positive student and faculty evaluations. (CL)

Examines the effects of word processing and pervasive e-mail on quality of college students' writing. Reports on strategies some instructors are using to improve writing and encourage structure, including having students e-mail drafts of papers to professors, requiring student to rewrite papers, encouraging students to review printed out (rather…

Allocating limited resources to an unlimited demand is an issue faced by data processing management in higher education. Use of the central computer for word processing is creating a demand at many institutions that is stretching and exceeding the available computing resources. (Author/MLW)

Word processing software can accommodate the writing deficiencies of high-functioning, learning-disabled college students, but documentation frequently needs revision for increased user-friendliness, better instructional layout, less complex syntax, and repetition of key concepts. A sample revision of one program is presented, focusing on switch…

Describes the strategies used by a technical writing teacher who encouraged a dyslexic university engineering student to use a microcomputer as an aid in composition writing, and discusses how a word processing program was used to make the writing process easier and increase the student's self-confidence. (MBR)

Presents a model of a computer writing skill consisting of four stages of development: (1) writing easier; (2) writing more; (3) writing differently; and (4) writing better. This process represents the evolution of a natural computer-based writing approach under favorable conditions regarding the starting state of the user and a range of…

Describes a system for teaching language translation skills in which students use a word processor to record their translations. The instructor manipulates these translations to produce a sampler which becomes the basis for class discussion. Students then edit their translations to reflect what they have learned. (Author/CB)

No college or university last year joined the 14 institutions that already require students to buy computers. The reasons include: greater than expected costs of supporting required computers, lack of educational software, and adequency of computer laboratories are sufficient for the needs of most students. (MLW)

Describes a word processor exercise (using WordPerfect or similar software) for Spanish language students that was easy to design, convenient for students (who could perform the exercise on their own time), and effective in helping students review their lessons. (CB)

Describes an approach to the study of writing processes based on the analysis of temporal aspects of the writing event. The approach involves recording the keystroke presses made during production of a text using a word processor, and analyzing such features as pausing, fluency, and revision activity. (Author/VWL)

Technological solutions have enabled postsecondary students with learning disabilities to compete equally with nondisabled peers in the educational environment. Such solutions have included a variety of educational software, word processing applications, and adaptive technology. Educational software has many benefits over more traditional…

Discusses problems associated with existing commercial word processing materials and shows the reasons why their use in second language (L2) instructional settings is inappropriate. Describes the processes and obstacles involved in creating a manual for use in formal computer lab L2 instructional settings or by students learning word processing…