CW2001 Program - Computers and Writing

Friday
9:45 — 11:00 Session A.2
The Write Tools for the Job
RB 106
Donna Reiss, moderator
Barbara Bird
Freshman Writers and the Tools of Writing:
A Study of Ball State University Composition Students
With each succeeding generation of students becoming more
competent computer users and using a computer as their chosen
writing tool, we need to carefully examine our understanding of
computers as writing tools from the perspective of the new generation
of students who do not share our experiences of entering into written
literacy through older technologies of writing.
Sean Conrey
Computers in the Non-Computer Classroom
This presentation provides practical hands-on advice for college
composition instructors who want the benefits of both traditional and
wired classrooms. The computerless classroom often offers more
flexibility for classroom discussions and other face-to-face activities,
while the expanded Web site (syllabus and text in one) gives students
experience with technology and affords instructors greater flexibility in
selecting, structuring, and customizing course materials.
Veronica Keane
No Access = No Computer-Mediated Communication:
“What Makes Students Afford Computers”
This presentation reports on a survey conducted among students (most
of whom, at my institution, are dependent on government assistance)
at the beginning of their first semester and then toward the end of the
semester when a number of them purchased computers. What is it
that compelled them to buy a computer How did they finance the
purchase Was their financial situation at the beginning of the semester
different from that at the time of purchase My investigation will, I
believe, shed some light on how we view and act on the problem of
student access to computers.
24 Computers & Writing 2001