This study examines user insights on the issues of keyboarding and computer knowledge. It presents reactions of first-time microcomputer users and reveals insights that may be helpful to educators presenting courses to this population. Recommendations are presented and fall into three categories: lab schedule, microcomputer as typewriter, and…

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…

Working with a word processor changes writers' behavior. They compose more easily, less anxiously, and more prolifically. The word processor makes them want to sit down and write and makes them feel good about their writing. It does this by encouraging prewriting and invention, by providing a sense of control and mastery over the actual writing…

Forty-one research studies completed between 1929 and 1983 investigated the effects of typewriting on the development of children's language arts skills. Information about each of the studies was entered in a Lotus 1-2-3 database containing 43 fields. Effect sizes were calculated for 21 studies. The collected evidence suggests a small positive…

A study compared written texts produced by hand, by typewriter, and by word processor for differences in improvement in creativity and writing skills. Subjects included six college students--two with high creative ability, two with average creative ability, and two with low or weak ability. During a training period, the subjects were required to…

This investigation of the effect of typing skill on using a word processor for composition hypothesized that students who had learned keyboarding skills would: (1) write longer essays when using a word processor; (2) revise their essays more when using a word processor; (3) feel more positive about typing when using a word processor than students…