Investigates the positive and negative potential for English-as-a-Second-Language student writers of word processing that are derivable from the properties of the medium. (40 references) (GLR)

Presents findings from 18 reviewed studies with regard to attitude and the quality of writing performance. Discusses pedagogy and the problem of defining basic writers. Suggests research directions that can help move educators toward a new pedagogy. (MG)

Comparing the effectiveness of several comprehensive computer-assisted writing tools, this final report on the Writing Tools Project evaluates five IBM programs--"Writer's Workbench" (WWB), "HBJ Writer,""Rightwriter,""UNC-CH Write," and "Writing Is Thinking"--and two Macintosh…

If research into writing, particularly on computers as writing tools, is to assist teachers to improve writing pedagogy, the emphasis should be toward conducting naturalistic and context-sensitive studies. Early studies involved traditional experimental research instruments and looked not at the learning process but at the written product,…

People construct macrostructures to reduce and organize incoming semantic information. When they make a prediction on a paper's outcome based on the work's first sentence or paragraph, readers are using preliminary input to construct a macroproposition about the paper's focus. The macrostructure may be explicitly stated--either in the opening…

A major topic of interest for teachers participating in a graduate course in reading and computers was the application of word processing to facilitate reading and writing instruction. The course strategy for learning about computers and reading and writing instruction involved identifying helpful articles for theoretical background and practical…

The value of using a word processor and its features which help English as a second language students improve their writing are discussed, including student assessment, possible teaching methods, and possible learning activities. (CB)

The article addresses use of microcomputer-based word processing for students with writing disabilities. The research is briefly reviewed, and four guidelines for choosing word processing software are offered, as are principles for teaching keyboarding. (DB)

This paper explores the issue of how, when, and where to teach keyboarding at the elementary school level through a review of the keyboarding literature and descriptions of three studies conducted with fifth grade students in the laboratory school at the University of Wyoming. The literature review briefly summarizes findings on the following…

Research about writing and the teaching of writing has demonstrated that writing is a process, that thinking and writing are inextricably connected, that workshop and tutorial methods are more efficient than teacher or textbook dominated instruction in writing, and that correctness does not have to be a major concern in the teaching of writing.…

Productivity tools allow students to do something that was not possible without technology and then to share their results with others. In contrast to traditional software that encourages linear procedural processes, tool software is open-ended. Productivity tools include word processing, spread sheets, graphics, and telecommunications software.…

Noting that computers have fascinated teachers looking for new and better ways of teaching writing, not because the machines make students into better writers, but because they are useful tools that make editing and revising much easier, this paper explores the use of computers to teach writing, based on the experiences of a writing laboratory…

An Amiga 500 microcomputer with a talking word processor was used by an Australian visually impaired elementary school pupil, to provide an alternative to braille in using text and writing. This article reviews the relevant literature, explores the challenges and limitations posed by the technology, and offers a case study of the student and her…

This paper presents results of a review of computer software programs available for German instruction and of informal interviews with German faculty in high schools, colleges and universities with regard to their computer needs. Most computer software currently available commercially is of the drill and practice type, with a focus on grammar and…

Intended to categorize the literature on writing with word processors in high school and college classrooms and to determine the quality of the literature as well, this critical review looks at selected works on word processing in English instruction. The first section examines studies and methodologies, while the second section investigates…