Synthesis is one of the most cognitively demanding practices novice writers must undertake, and research demonstrates that first-year students' synthesis writing practices result in more knowledge "telling" rather than knowledge creation and transforming. Pedagogies used to teach synthesis often focus on developing text-building…

In the area of composition, computer assisted instruction (CAI) must move beyond the limited concerns of the current-traditional rhetoric to address the larger issues of writing, become process-centered, and involve active writing rather than answering multiple-choice questions. Researchers cite four major types of interactive CAI, the last of…

Teaching invention strategies on the computer offers solutions to the problems of selection and presence by providing a variety of invention strategy alternatives. These strategies inform the teacher of the rhetorical task at hand and allow communication to exist at all stages of writing. A writer using a computer and a pool of heuristic…

A protocol study investigated whether computer tutors (programs that interactively guide writers while they freewrite with a word processing program) promote or hinder a richer understanding of the composing process. The analysis focused on writers' attitudes toward computer tutors in the invention process. Data were collected by tape recording a…

Distinguishes between using microcomputers for wordprocessing, drills, and repetitive tasks in mechanics and vocabulary and using them for alternative methods of presenting, reviewing, and testing course materials. Argues software for computer assisted writing instruction should address significant writing problems, approach writing from a true…