Page 143 - Composition in Convergence The Impact of the New Media on Writing Assessment

110 CHAPTER 4

writing is still a central communication method in e-texts,
writing now includes graphical interfaces, hybridized oral and
written language patterns, sound and video applets, and a
range of reader-writer interactivity. Internetworked writing
exists in a very different format compared with the historical
pen-and-paper forms that many instructors have come to rec-
ognize. Although writers and readers still have to manage the
meaning, intent, structure, and effect with e-texts, the volume
of associations, connections, and evidence that needs to be con-
structed for the prior experiences and literacy levels of a global
audience is expanded at least a hundred-fold. So, although
writing is a central activity, it emerges as one of many dis-
courses available to a writer in online environments.
Writing reflects social exchanges influenced by numerous causes.
Convergence in Composition reinforces Kenneth Bruffee's claim
that "knowledge is a consensus" and "people construct inde-
pendently by talking together" (1993, p. 113). In networked
classroom environments, there are several sources for affecting
the outcomes of the types of social exchanges that exist among
writers (adapted from Bruffee, 1993, pp. 116-117):
Levels of technical knowledge or interest
Levels of shared expertise or common information base
Patterns of argument and approval (e.g., ad hominem,
flames, use of narration vs. citation, "dittos," short
supportive slogans, etc.)
Patterns of reward ("cool site awards" or other markers of
web site excellence, permission to publish list com-
ments, friendly emoticons in posts)
Acts of competition (verbal sparring, one-upping, level-
ing, and the like)
Levels of trust and comfort (e.g., lurking vs. regular con-
tributions to lists)
The writing done in networked situations, then, serves in
some way to embody all those who are connected, that is, to act
as a medium to express private thoughts publicly with those
who are of similar minds. This is an important aspect of what
technological convergence brings to the writing process; it
makes visible the social relationships that writers attempt to es-
tablish with their audiences. In these contexts, just as Bruffee
(1993) noted happens in all collaborative contexts, writers vali-