Keywords
Asynchronous, Student-tutor relationship, Collaboration, Nondirective feedback, Question support
First Paragraph
For most universities, writing centers are becoming increasingly common enhancements of campus life. For some of these centers, computers are becoming increasingly incorporated into their practices. Because funding is often marginal, the addition of computers in these writing centers is sometimes as topical as the last sprinkle of powdered sugar in a recipe; computers are seen as mechanisms to increase production and extend reach rather than a means to develop writing proficiency. Often, either the computers are too outdated and lack the capacity to adequately perform and meet the needs of the students, or the use of the computer is stymied by inadequate application of the technologies it can offer. If the writing center is to continue to grow, to influence, to succeed as more than a contemporary phenomenon, then it must, at the very least, make optimal use of the computer technology available to it. It is my intention here to demonstrate how present computer technology affects peer tutoring and collaboration within the writing center. In particular, I examine the emergence of on-line writing labs and how they change the role and perception of the writing center. Given the significance of computers now and forevermore, it is important for us as teachers, administrators, and consultants not only to understand and effectively use the technology within the context of the writing center, but also to apply it for the improved perception of the writing center at large.
Citation Information
Type of Publication: Newsletter Article
Author: Barbara Kossman
Year of Publication: 2001
Title: “Computers and the Perception of the Writing Center”
Publication: Writing Lab Newsletter, Volume 25, Issue 5
Page Range: 1-6