| As
today's society becomes more and more dependent
on technology, one
wonders not only what role it plays in the
teaching of writing, but also
the impact it has on the writing process. From
e-mail to the World Wide Web, students are being
introduced to the ways technology can influence
their writing. While some instructors allow
technology to play a fairly large part in their
composition courses, other professors choose to
employ a more traditional format in teaching
writing. Interviews with both types of professors
revealed the benefits and drawbacks that
technology has on the composition class. Students
provided their perspective on this issue as well.
From my research and interviews, I found that
"Written discourse and electronic discourse
do not compete as much as they change and
reinforce each other . . ." (Welch
27). One of the main aspects of
using technology in the writing classroom is that
of collaboration. "Already electronic
bulletin boards and on-line
discussion groups are inaugurating an era of
collective critical exchange, creating an
intellectual environment where collaboration is not only
convenient but necessary" (Williams 269-70).
Indeed, technology is allowing for a much wider
range of people to respond to a written work,
thereby allowing the writer to receive many
suggestions and opinions about his work.
"What is being done in the classroom can now
be done across the nation, if not the world"
(Williams 269).
However,
while technology such as on-line discussion
groups and bulletin boards allow many people to
respond to someone's writing, the face-to-face
contact is lost. Even in the case of using e-mail
for peer editing, as Dr. Calendrillo of Eastern
Illinois University uses in her Writing for the
Professions course, the face-to-face contact is
not there. The benefit of using e-mail instead of
a message board is that e-mail limits the number
of peer editors, exposing a writer's work to a
smaller audience and perhaps making the writer
feel more secure. On the other hand, neither
e-mail nor bulletin boards give the writer the
immediate feedback that he would receive in a
face-to-face peer editing session.
Peer
editing sessions that are face to face are a
completely different experience than e-mail peer
editing. They allow for reading, presenting and
listening, as well as for just editing. It
becomes a group experience (Swords). By editing
face to face, the students acquire skills that
technology cannot provide opportunities for. As
one student pointed out, person-to-person peer
editing allows students to interact more and go
deeper into the paper topic instead of just
focusing on grammar. Technology has its place,
such as for contacting people for interviews via
e-mail, but it is not a good outlet for peer
editing.
Convenience
also plays a big role in using technology to
teach writing. For example, using e-mail for peer
editing can be done at each student's
convenience. There is no need to try to find a
time and place to meet outside class. Students
also pointed out that peer editing via e-mail
frees up more in-class time that would be spent
reading through one another's papers in a
traditional writing course. However, convenience
becomes insignificant if students do not first
have access to computers. Not everyone has a
computer and there are only so many computers on
a college campus, not all of which are always
available. For example, the computer lab in
Eastern Illinois University's English Department
is in use much of the time, and when it is not in
use, it is locked. Until the school can provide
computer access for everyone, the issue of
convenience will be secondary.
The
role of the teacher also changes in response to
the integration of technology. The instructor can
become much more involved with each individual
paper and focus on specific problems. In some
ways, the role of the teacher can shift to that
of an editor (Swords). The image of the
composition teacher also is shifting with the
increased involvement of technology. It is
becoming a more "masculine medium"
(Calendrillo) in that male instructors are taking
a more active role in teaching composition now
that computers are involved. The instructors may
be learning the technology aspect as a way of
distinguishing themselves from other professors
and of making themselves more hirable (Swords).
Regardless of the motive, as long as instructors
keep the focus on writing and not technology,
students will continue to learn how to
write.
By
using technology, students will also be better
prepared for the work environment (Calendrillo).
In today's society, one needs to know the
technology in order to be successful. According
to Dr. Swords of Eastern Illinois University's
English Department, though, there seems to be an
assumption that the writing or English class is
also supposed to be vocational training. In fact,
some instructors feel that they need to set aside
time to teach technology to their students
(Calendrillo). This takes away from other things
that could be taught during that time. However,
as time goes on, the students coming into college
will have already acquired the knowledge needed
for using the technology through their high
school experiences, so the problem of sacrificing
time to teach it in the college writing course is
only temporary (Swords).
A
problem that is not temporary is the problem
technology imposes on the writer's environment.
Using technology "traps people into writing
in a given space" (Swords). Technology
requires that the writer be in front of the
computer screen. But according to Dr. Swords,
people need different settings in which to write,
whether it be the library, the dorm room or the
classroom. One student in Dr. Swords' class also
pointed out that the computer screen can be
distracting. Therefore, a variety of settings and
modes seem to be beneficial to the writer and
this is something technology doesn't really allow
for.
On the other hand, using the
computer to write makes it easier to edit and
"Once the student is taught how to use the
computer, all of the composition work, including
journal writing, free writing and essays, can be
stored on one or two computer disks" (Ford
46). Students pointed out that work done on the
computer tends to be more organized than
handwritten papers and it tends to provide a much
cleaner version of each draft. With a few
keystrokes, a first draft can become a final
draft.
One issue that is a concern
for Dr. Swords, and probably other instructors,
is the issue of expense. Making computers
available to all students is expensive. Not only
would the school be paying for new computers, it
would also have to pay to upgrade or replace
computers every two or three years. This is money
that could be spent on hiring more teachers and
thereby decreasing class size (Swords). It comes
down to the question of how best to spend the
school's money and if the school chooses to buy
more computers rather than new books, for
example, does that mean that technology has taken
the place of art as the main focus of
education?
The general consensus seems
to be that technology is a tool. Like any other
tool, it can be used quite effectively for
certain things, but not for everything. As a
tool, it can never be the focus of the writing
class any more than a pencil or a piece of paper
would be. When it does become the focus and more
time is devoted to teaching technology than to
teaching writing, problems are going to occur.
Being able to use e-mail or bulletin boards does
not make one a better writer. Sure, things
written on a computer may look better than a
handwritten text, but that's just appearance.
Students, as well as instructors, need to keep
the focus on writing and not be swept away by the
glitz and glamour of technology. It does have its
purpose, but in the field of composition, the
role of technology should be limited in order to
keep the focus where it needs to be: on the
writing.
Works Cited
Calendrillo,
Linda. Personal interview. 1
March 1999.
ENG
4950 Class. Personal interview. 4 March
1999.
Ford,
Kathy. "Computer Assisted Instruction and
the Basic Writer." Thesis. Eastern Illinois
University, 1995.
Holdstein,
Deborah H. "Review: Technology, Utility, and
Amnesia." College English 57 (Sept.
1995): 587-98.
Swords,
Stephen. Personal interview. 2 March 1999.
Welch,
Kathleen E. "Electrifying Classical
Rhetoric: Ancient Media, Modern Technology, and
Contemporary Composition." Journal of
Advanced Composition 10.1 (1990):
22-38.
Williams,
Daniel E. "Authoring the Author: Heroes and
Geeks." Early American Literature
30.3 (1995): 264-74.
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