Page 182 - Composition in Convergence The Impact of the New Media on Writing Assessment
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ACCESS BEFORE ASSESSMENT          149

        manuscripts   to  meet  tenure  deadlines.  If writing  programs  sup-
        ported those faculty members who are skilled with computers and
        writing assessment  technologies  to produce recognized alternative
        scholarship  that  could  be published  and  disseminated  (similar  to
        what  happens   with  book  contracts),  more  options  for  the  field
        would  exist.  These younger  scholars  would  be producing  impor-
        tant contributions to Composition  instead of trying to reinvent  the
        next  big idea for an  article  or a book  in traditional  print  settings.
        Their  efforts  would  increase  access to both technologies;  instruc-
        tors and writing  programs  could, over time, become familiar with
        the software  or could test several pieces of software before  making
        a  decision. And, this  can be a way  for writing  programs  to  bring
        money   into  the  market-model  university,  because  most  institu-
        tions have guidelines for profit sharing if faculty use campus  mate-
        rials to generate for-profit  items.
           A second way to promote fuller access to the two technologies is to
        generate more  cross-talk  about what writing  faculties  expect  stu-
        dents to know  and do with computers.  Computer-friendly and as-
        sessment- friendly instructors  need to share their views with others
        on  campus  and  in  the  discipline. As convergence continues,  both
        camps must   learn to teach together.  One place to begin is with con-
        versations  regarding what  students  know  and  do in various  com-
        puter-enhanced writing  classes. Then the discussion can evolve into
        what instructors  value in these activities. From there, a third  turn
        emerges.  That  is  how  faculty  can  evaluate  e-texts  in  a  fair  and
        equitable  manner.
           Another  suggestion  for  increasing  access  is to  construct  faculty
        in-service workshops  or retreats that focus  on the best practices in
        computer-enhanced writing   classes and how those instructors  eval-
        uate those assignments. These dialogues offer  the possibility of link-
        ing conversations with artifacts, in essence, showing colleagues how
        the two technologies work together rather than just telling them in a
        presentation.  Having  writing  specialists  discover  that  there  are
        many   ways  to  conduct  online assessment beyond  course-in-a-box
        options  ensures greater access to new  (and possibly better) models.
        Compositionists  who  are  comfortable with  both  technologies can
        serve as mentors  to newcomers who wish  to  explore these areas in
        their  classrooms.
           One other  possibility for producing more student  access to  tech-
        nologies is to  establish better  ties to  the  K-12  teachers to  exchange
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