Page 158 - Composition in Convergence The Impact of the New Media on Writing Assessment

HOT AND COOL TECHNOLOGIES 125

Some institutions, George Mason University among others, have set
mandates for computer technology use. Clearly, colleges and univer-
sities see a need for assessment, particularly outcomes-based educa-
tion programs, because of state legislative orders or accreditation
requirements regarding accountability in university learning. At the
K-12 level, the state and federal governments have mandated dis-
tricts to include both technologies in the curricula, and school dis-
tricts must conform to specific models of accountability to stay
within "safe ranges" and avoid governmental takeovers.
Accountability, which can be defined in any number of ways—from
student retention to course work achievement to whether acts of stu-
dent violence are reported—becomes tied to institutional support at the
legislative levels. Colleges and universities see this with the required
campus violence reports published each year, just as school districts see
their violence reports published annually along with their school test
scores. It is conceivable that federal legislation may push for university
graduation rates to be published, similarly to the NCAA graduation and
retention rates that are made public each year.
Therefore, a need exists to continue funding for accountability. In-
cluding computer technology in the higher education curriculum
becomes an institutional need because of the social pressures exerted
by prospective and incoming students (and their parents), who be-
lieve this is an integral part of learning in the 21st century. The social
pressures also come from area businesses and industries that desire
highly trained workers to perform on the job. To compete with
nearby colleges and universities for students, each institution sees
the need to invest some money into computer infrastructure and up-
keep. Again, a need to compete exists. If Composition is to move for-
ward substantially in its technological convergence and achieve real
radical potential in writing evaluation, then teachers and scholars in
the field have to demonstrate there is some genuine institutional
need for this to happen. Writing programs have to show how the in-
stitution can fulfill these needs that arise from social pressures and
competition and be accountable to the various stakeholders
connected to the campus.

Other Technologies' Requirements

Advancements in current technologies related to the teaching of
writing also have to indicate that there is an opportunity to make a
change in how evaluation and instruction are handled. For better or