Presentation to Gary Troia’s Class, Writing Research and Theory

1. Presentation to Gary Troia’s Class, Writing Research and Theory Cindy Okolo okolo@msu.edu Okolo.wiki.educ.msu.edu October, 2010

2. For Your Consideration • How is technology changing writing? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4nwe7cW_og&feature=related • Why is technology changing writing? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g

3. Questions about how digital text affects writing? • Is writing somehow “different” when we use technology? Do we write differently? (e.g., less systematically, more freely) Do we think differently? (e.g., ways in which we allocate our cognitive resources) • Is digital writing different? • Is digital text different from print text (e.g., audience, links, conventions) • Are “new” forms of expression “writing” (e.g.,texting, video storytelling, audio text)

4. January 3, 1983

5. The research goes “way back” and cycles forward again • Mid-1980s, word processing will enable all kids to show their “true potential” • Later 1980s, early 1990s—word processing doesn’t really change the way kids write • They pretty much write the way they did before • Improved motivation (important) • Mid 1990s, how do we integrate word processing with good writing instruction?

6. Key Ideas about Technology Use in/for Writing (Perkins, Salomon) • The fingertip effect: technology puts things “at our fingertips” but does the outcome stay at our fingertips? • Opportunities not taken • Is the opportunity really there? • Do learners recognize the opportunity is there? • Are learners motivated to take the opportunity? • Mindful use of technology

7. Summary of Research • Technology can relieve the mechanical burdens of writing: • Handwriting • Spelling • Grammar • BUT • Users have to have the requisite skills for using the technology (e.g., keyboarding skill) • Tools such as spelling checkers and grammar checkers make assumptions about writer that may not be true of all writers

8. Summary of Research (2) • Tools that support process of getting ideas to text may positively affect quality& quantity of writing • Word prediction • Text-to-speech (for aural feedback to support writing) • Speech recognition • BUT • User needs to know how to use the tool • Is tool available in all settings? • Training/break-in period may be required

9. Summary of Research (3) • Tools that scaffold or support the writing process may positively affect quality/quantity of writing • Prompting programs • Concept mapping/outlining/organizing • Write or Die • Summarizing tools (e.g. Summary Street, http://www.pearsonkt.com/sstSampleStudent1.shtml) • Representational tools (e.g., Word Cloud, Visual Thesaurus) • Literacy software programs (e.g., WYNN, Kurzweil) BUT Effects seem to accumulate with time and use Effects depend on the way a scaffold is used Effects tend to remain “on the fingertips”

10. New Possibilities • Web-based supports (cloud computing) • See attached list of Firefox addons • Digital writing (e.g., Digital Writing Workshop, Hicks, 2009) • Web 2.0 (3.0) publishing (blogs, video) • Texting/tweeting/social networking • Mobile technologies • Increasing integration of technologies into one device • Technology IS ubiquitous • (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o)

11. What New (and old) questions do we need to ask?

12. References Hicks, T. (2009). The digital writing workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Perkins, D. N., (1985). The fingertip effect: How information-processing technology shapes thinking. Educational Researcher, August/September, 11-17. Salomon, G., Globerson, T., & Guterman, E. (1989). The computer as a zone of proximal development: Internalizing reading-related metacognitions from a reading partner. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(4), 620-627.