Describes literacy autobiographies gathered from 55 professional communicators participating on the Techwr-l listserv, focusing on the large-scale trends that these autobiographies reveal. Supplements findings with case studies of a faculty member, a professional communicator, and two students of different backgrounds majoring in technical…

Proposes a heuristic that can be used specifically for expressive writing in which students define or discover their personal identity and express themselves. (FL)

Describes a course with three primary goals: to help students reflect on the complex relationship between humans and technology; to reflect on students' responsibility for shaping this relationship in contemporary contexts; and to provide opportunities within which to practice composing this relationship in personal terms. Concludes that in such…

Discusses the central issues regarding the formulation of a technology policy within college English departments. Examines the way that such a policy affects the teaching and research carried out in computer-supported environments. Provides extensive data concerning the support of computer-using faculty members. (HB)

To provide students with the literacy strategies necessary to function successfully in a technologically supported society, teachers must realize how the multilayered grammars of computers continue to affect their definition of literacy. Computer-supported writing centers are an excellent site for teachers to share ideas about this changing…

A study was undertaken to observe the prewriting processes of four high and four low writing apprehensive college students and to explore any composing patterns that seemed characteristic of the two groups. During the study, each of the eight participants attended at least four 90-minute sessions that were designed to document the complex…

Through the use of WORDSWORTH II, the faculty at Michigan Technological University have found that computer-assisted instruction can be useful in teaching students the processes involved in revision. A series of computer programs, WORDSWORTH II is available outside of and in addition to regular classroom instruction and offers students effective…

Examines the enthusiastic discourse that has accompanied the introduction of computers into writing classes. Explores how this language may influence both change and the status quo in electronic classrooms. Argues that writing instructors, by thinking critically and carefully about technology, can succeed in using it to improve the educational…

Discusses and problematizes the kinds of "borders" that exist in the English classroom. Considers how English teachers who use computers often establish and maintain borders. Describes political boundaries associated with computer interfaces. Presents tactics for enacting a radical pedagogy of electronic borders. (HB)

An experiment in which students were required to keep journals during a civil engineering course is described. Student benefits (journals as problem-solving tools and forums for personal comments), faculty benefits (sources of background information and use as evaluation/recordkeeping tools), and five major conclusions are discussed. (JN)

Presents preliminary findings of a study of the language practices of two undergraduate asynchronous English conferences. Examines briefly the roles of the teachers in the conferences. Suggests what questions must be addressed if teachers are to create learning environments to support students. (RS)

Michigan Technological University is designing a series of computer modules for supplementary, process-based writing instruction. The Wordsworth II program will lighten the workload of composition instructors by involving students in an individualized writing program outside the regular classroom. It is a sophisticated and interactive program…

Four overlapping areas of exploration have sparked creative thought about computers and their relationship to writing. The area receiving the most attention is computers and writing pedagogy. Some of the directions taken by research in this area have focused on computers and the composing process; computers, writing instruction, and learning…

Recounts the difficulties and rewards of designing and establishing a computer-based writing lab--including problems with planning, funding, staffing, and expansion of physical space. (NKA)

Intended for writing teachers and administrators of middle school through college writing programs, this guide suggests how to translate approaches to teaching composition into computer assisted instruction (CAI) software. The book encourages writing teachers to see themselves as composition specialists who can team up with specialists in computer…