This article describes the nature of eye-tracking technology and its use in the study of discourse processes, particularly reading. It then suggests several areas of research in composition studies, especially at the intersection of writing, reading, and digital media, that can benefit from the use of this technology. (Contains 2 figures.)

Early status reports on WAC call for engagement with the disciplines, robust research about writing, and a transformation from missionary work to a more wide-ranging model. A Taxonomy of WAC describes common characteristics of WAC programs as well as organizing those characteristics into a progression from initiation to change agency. (Contains 1…

Describes the varieties of "Writing Fellows" (curriculum-based peer tutoring) programs. Provides help for starting such programs. Presents results of a survey of WF programs. Offers observations based on the experiences of the director of a six-year-old Writing Fellows program. (RS)

Describes a project to train Veterans Administration subject-matter specialists to develop letters that convey the information veterans need in a format and language they can understand. Presents a case study of the effectiveness of a new version of a letter. Finds that the new letter added value by greatly reducing the need for veterans to call…

Describes a research project which studied how spoken and written language interweave and overlap and the teacher's power to promote literacy through talk. Describes the entire process, including the original interest in the subject, the formulation of the research question, the collection of data, and writing and teaching strategies that resulted…

Designed for educators actively involved with the teaching of writing, this summary report contains an overview of the background, major findings, and recommendations of the 1979 Manitoba (Canada) Writing Assessment Program. Various sections of the report provide the following information: (1) highlights of the general report of the program; (2)…

Contributes to the knowledge of portfolio systems for writing evaluation by sharing evaluative procedures and their results. Reports on the results of a survey of students evaluated using a portfolio system. Finds that students preferred the portfolio system. (RS)

Provides a brief introduction to recent research in spelling (on the nature of English orthography and the development of spelling ability), and suggestions for further reading. Describes a writing center spelling workshop of four sessions which aims to produce successful writers who have learned to cope with being poor spellers. (SR)

Shows how microethnography can be an effective tool for analyzing the possibilities and constraints of electronic discourse by overviewing two electronic mail ethnography projects. Suggests that such approaches can help students better understand electronic rhetoric as well as electronic ideology (the power relationships and cultural values that…

The problem with various versions of Writing across the Curriculum (WAC) that have emerged since the turn of the century is that they are not self sustaining--they seemed unable to overcome the destructive forces of departmentalization and the entrenched attitudes in the university both toward writing and toward interdepartmental programs. If WAC…

Describes how professional writers from Bell Northern Research, enrolled in a professional writing program, designed a quick reference guide for in-house use, and then provided a theoretical framework to ground and explain their visual design choices. Offers the instructor's theoretical reflections on how visual design can motivate readers to read…

The accomplishments of a team of writers, designers, and education specialists commissioned by the National Institute of Education (NIE) to suggest solutions to the problems that public documents often pose for readers are summarized in this report. Following an overview, the report offers a section on the history and rationale of the Document…

Presents results from a survey of colleges and universities on writing across the curriculum (WAC) programs around the country--how they develop, the components that comprise them, and the premises that underlie them. Concludes that the WAC movement is a success. (HTH)

Peer tutoring has a long historical precedent in western civilization. Since its reemergence in the United States during the 1960s, it has been used for every age group, subject matter, and level of intelligence. Numerous research studies have shown the benefits of peer tutoring, its efficacy in the college writing center has caught the attention…

Designed for educators actively involved with the teaching of writing, this report contains an overview of the procedures and a detailed presentation of the findings and recommendations of the 1979 Manitoba (Canada) Writing Assessment program. Following an introduction, the five major sections of the report provide the following information: (1)…