Page 61 - Composition in Convergence The Impact of New Media On

30 CHAPTER 2

competence in writing and thinking in cyberspace, compositionists
not only will have to design curricula that account for teaching stu-
dents how to become electronically and informationally literate but
will also have to create assessment practices that explain how student
writers develop and master the multimodal abilities needed to be con-
sidered literate. This suggests that writing specialists need to address
the textual, design, and writing process variations between electronic
texts and papertexts as well as the transformations that must take
place in writing assessment to accommodate the shifts in texts, design
needs, and composing processes.
Writing faculty can see the textual differences between paper and
pixel almost immediately in the look and structure of electronic
texts. E-texts vary greatly from traditional, stand-alone papertexts
in obvious ways. However, what many compositionists may not re-
alize is that seven characteristics distinguish e-texts from their paper
cousins. These characteristics clearly affect how a student writer ap-
proaches the task of creating an electronic work:

• Length. E-texts are typically short; usually a few paragraphs at
the most. A 1,000-word essay on a web site reads like a long
novel, sometimes like a very bad long novel.
• Processing information. Readers of e-texts do not read care-
fully. Most scan or skim data to mine nuggets of information.
Generally, e-text readers spend 60 seconds or less scanning a
page of web content. Reading in this manner affects how people
process information.
• Style. Bulleted lists, clear graphics, active voice, and minimalist
sentences that are hard-crafted are preferred over long, devel-
oped narratives or academic prose. Also, the subtleties of print
are missed or ignored in e-textual spaces. Writers in inter-
networked environments aim for a lively style that goes for im-
mediate effect.
• Wit. Clever, snappy and quick phrasings hold e-text readers' in-
terest. This is particularly critical when constructing hyperlinks
that lead readers to additional information. Humor is appreci-
ated and encouraged, unlike in most of academic writing.
• Purpose. The idea and the goal of the e-text must be conjoined
for it to be successful. All visuals, navigation tools, or bars, as
well as the content, have to work together to generate a de-
sired effect on the reader.