A multiple baseline design investigated the effects of computer graphic organizers on the persuasive composition writing skills of four Hispanic students with specific learning disabilities. Participants reviewed the elements of persuasive writing and then developed compositions using a word processing program. Baseline planning was done with a…

Word processing continues to be the focus in many classrooms, although more and more teachers now ask students to publish on the Web, engage in e-mail conversations regarding their reading and writing, create slide presentations that represent their learning, post to blog sites, etc. And while there is a growing body of research that supports…

It is noted that there is some expectation that the word processor may soon become an effective tool to teach writing but that there is debate on this issue. Three educators present their views in separate statements and within the context of a group discussion. (MP)

A study was conducted to determine the effects of word processing on the correctness of student writing. Student papers produced on the word processor were compared with those produced without the word processor in two classes of freshman English--an experimental and a control. The teacher attempted to keep the teaching methods and curriculum in…

Surveyed members of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business to determine how and why computers were being used in the business or management curriculum and the kinds of hardware and software in use. (PD)

Discounts Collier's study of the effect of computer-based text editors on the quality of students' revision, arguing that editing is not an innate skill and that the computer predictably would not improve upon a process with which the students are not familiar. Collier replies that he excluded several methodological alternatives to reduce the…

A study was conducted to determine whether composition students revise more and write better essays on a word processor than they do with pen, ink, and typewriter. Students wrote four out-of-class papers, with two classes using computers and two using pen, paper, and typewriter. Students had to produce at least two drafts of each paper. Sixty…

A study examined whether word processing amplifies writing performance and whether it restructures the process of writing. Sixteen college students wrote a short essay in a single session on either a word processor or in longhand. The quality of the essays was assessed by trained judges who rated their content and style. Text analysis methods were…

Examined effects of combining cross-age tutoring, peer tutoring, cooperative learning, and computer-mediated writing in a peer-assisted learning package on writing skills of second through sixth graders with learning disabilities. Found that the treatment group enjoyed working with partners, asked each other for help, had friendships extending…

Reports a study of the initial effects of word processing on essay-writing performance and on writing apprehension. Concludes that college freshmen using word processing showed greater progress in writing performance from pre to post essay tests than did those using traditional methods, but they did not show significant difference in writing…

Reports in the ERIC database have found that computer-assisted writing instruction has some effect--if not a dramatic impact--in both the quantity and quality of student writing. Although computers are becoming more common in schools, the influx of computers into schools may not assure students ample opportunity to use them. Limited time-on-task…

In recent research on the computer there is an optimistic outlook, i.e., the promise of this new tool in fostering learning and literacy. But an examination of 33 studies (experimental, case, and ethnographic) also indicates deficiencies in computers and writing research. Two drawbacks seem to be the lack of rigor in both quantitative and…

Addresses how word processing, with its prevision, writing, and revision tools, facilitates connections between reading and writing. Suggests that with or without electronic tools, students need to be critical readers of their own writing. (JK)

Intended as a resource for incorporating computer assisted instruction into existing English curricula, this guide reviews current work with computers in grammar, writing, and literature. Divided into 10 sections, the guide first presents a statement of purpose and then provides an overview of the relationship between English and computers.…

Prepared by representatives of government, business, industry, and education, the papers in this compilation deal with a variety of aspects of technical communication. The approximately 150 papers are arranged according to the following categories: advanced technology applications, graphics and production, management and professional development,…