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