Two sets of secondary students (n=26) were interviewed about attitudes toward writing after using laptop word processors. Handwriting remained popular and quicker for most writing tasks; neither planning nor constructive reflection on language were enhanced; typing speeds remained very slow; and the connotations of "writing" were…

Reviews recent research concerning the use of computers in language arts instruction, reporting little impact on writing quality, but improvement in students' attitudes toward writing. Provides suggestions for effective computer use and warnings concerning their limitations and misuse in the teaching of basic writers. (DMM)

Asks undergraduate students to respond to a series of questions by hand and using a word processor. Finds that some students felt profoundly disadvantaged writing by hand, and students who felt uncomfortable on the computer wrote longer and better developed responses in that medium. Suggests that a computer-assisted tutorial may act like L.…

Reviews research (1) concerning the use of word processors in improving children's writing; (2) students' attitudes toward writing; and (3) how improvements in writing are measured. Notes that current research should not be accepted at face value. Argues that teachers should seek ways in which the availability of word processors can help students…

A study assessed the impact of word processing on the writing of junior high school students, experienced in working with computers, for a number of tasks, including writing. Subjects, 111 eighth grade students in four communications arts classes at a Canadian middle-class suburban school, who had been using computers for writing for a year and a…

A practicum program was developed and implemented to improve narrative writing skills, composition skills, and related attitudes among the targeted second grade students. Objectives for the program were for: 75% of the students to increase their narrative writing skills by at least one proficiency level; 75% of the students to increase their…

An 18-month study examined the impact of word processors on the teaching and learning of writing in an area school on the South Island of New Zealand, with a special focus upon the writing development of 9 primary school children ranging in age from 8 years 11 months to 11 years 8 months. A wide range of data was collected on each pupil, including…

A study examined questions concerning: (1) how writing was taught and integrated with other learning activities in the Apple Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT) environment; (2) students' experiences with and attitudes toward word-processing; (3) teachers' experiences and attitudes; and (4) the influences of the computer-based activities on writing…

A practicum was developed to improve process writing skills of seventh grade at-risk students by increasing interest through the use of the microcomputer, word processing software, and telecommunications technology. Sixteen students wrote a series of eight "basic" hand-written essays as part of the regular language arts class. Students then…

A practicum was designed to improve and expand the writing skills of 13 fifth-grade students placed in an upper elementary school Alternative Education program. The major goal was to provide the students with the means to improve their written output and grammar. Secondary goals were to help the children to think logically about the writing tasks…

A study at Hong Kong University explored the use of the word processor as a writing tool in enhancing a process approach to writing instruction and the effect it has on writing performance, student attitudes to writing and revising, and the process by which students revise their scripts. A comparative analysis was done on a control group of 13…