This paper reports the results and educational implications of an experimental, comparative study evaluating the gains in overall writing quality in two groups of college freshmen composition students. The experimental group of 45 students learned to compose their first four of eight essays on the computer, while their professor intervened with…

Word processing may change how people learn to write. The use of a word processor to teach a sixth grader with writing problems showed how the machine can alleviate problems involving writing with pencil and paper, correcting errors, evaluating and revising, and producing a good-looking text. (RW)