Page 50 - Composition in Convergence The Impact of the New Media on Writing Assessment

INTERNETWORKED WRITING 17

develop lines of thinking and writing that embrace a wider range
of ideas that what is often possible in the traditional classroom
setting and what can be measured by conventional writing assess-
ment methods.
Envisioning the writing classroom as a salon transforms the
present structure of most composition classes in three distinct
ways that jolt established writing assessment plans. First, com-
puter technology alters the style, discussion climate, and topic con-
siderations found in college writing classes. Instead of the course
being teacher-centered or test-centered to maintain the talk-write
balance, networked writing classes demand that students keep the
discussions organized and going. Students now balance the
talk-write schism. Depending on the classroom format, the possi-
bility exists that even a write-write split occurs in asynchronous
classes. This may make it difficult for teachers to select a workable
topic prompt from which students are to write, because online con-
versations tend to be fragmented exchanges or threads that morph
into new discussions. Second, to borrow from J rgen Habermas
(1991), a networked environment promotes social interplay that
completely disregards one's status or rank. Instead of hierarchical
or institutional structures granting participants the oppor- tunity
to write or listen with authority, the salon format of online discus-
sions leads the class to value authority based on the best arguments
made in support of or in defense of an issue — whether the best ar-
gument is made by the students or the professor. This notion runs
counter to holistic assessment, because it is up to the "trained"
reader — usually a member of the writing faculty or a graduate stu-
dent — to determine what is the proper argument for the prompt.
A third way that the salon metaphor highlights a change in the
dynamics of classroom discussion is by including all students in the
teaching mix as readers, respondents, or spectators. The exclusion
that happens in the Siberian outposts of traditional classroom spaces
(corners, back rows, near windows, etc.) dissipates in the networked
environment. In chat, integrated writing software programs, or
other online activities, students must be attentive. Although some
students may choose to stay silent or to redirect topics under discus-
sion to something more to their liking, everyone is available to dis-
cuss the topics at hand. Rarely in assessment situations are students
able to shift topic prompts to fit their interests. Closely linked to this
behavior is the way the writing class becomes radicalized through