Keywords
technology use, usability, research methods
First Paragraph
It’s no secret that the study, implementation, and use of networked computers in writing instruction requires critical reflection. (Many writers, such as Cynthia Selfe, 1992, Christina Haas, 1996, and Ann Hill Duin and Craig Hansen, 1996 have made that claim.) We’re still learning, though, how to reflect critically— how to examine the interactions of technology and humans in the writing process. We’re still learning because the task is complex: To employ networked computers effectively in writing centers, one must be able to examine (at the very least) the writing process, human interaction, and sophisticated technologies. Each phenomenon, elusive and complicated enough by itself, becomes all the more difficult to examine in combination with the others. Nevertheless, we must attempt this complex task because “[t]o be literate in an age of electronic tools,” as Jane Zeni (1994) writes […]
Citation Information
Type of Source: Book Article
Author: Stuart Blythe
Year of Publication: 1998
Title: “Wiring a Usable Center: Usability Research and Writing Center Practice” (available online)
Publication: Wiring the Writing Center (available online)
Page Range: 103-116