Revision Strategies Employed by Middle Level Students Using Computers

Abstract

This article discusses an intervention study designed to implement and evaluate an instructional program for middle level students in writing with computers over approximately one school year.

The study employed a pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design with two experimental groups and one control group. Sixty-nine sixth grade students were randomly assigned by race and gender to the three groups.

A researcher-designed protocol was used during posttest to determine differences in revision strategies. The types of revision strategies reported by the students in the experimental groups differed significantly from those in the control group. The present study indicates that it may be possible to expand the complexity of revision strategies applied by students through explicit teaching and the use of the computer.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Applebee

A. N.

Langer

J. A.

Mullis

V. S.

, and Jenkins

L. B.

, The Writing Report Card, 1984–88: Findings from the Nation's Report Card, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey, 1990.

Murray

D. M.

, Write to Learn, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., New York, 1987.

Arms

V. M.

, The Computer Kids and Composition, paper presented at the annual meeting of the Conference on College Composition and Communication, California, ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 217 489, 1982.

Rhodes

B. K.

and Ives

, Computers and Revisions—Wishful Thinking or Reality?, ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 331 045, 1991.

Moore

M. A.

, Computers can Enhance Transactions between Readers and Writers, The Reading Teacher, 42: 8, pp. 608–611, 1989.

MacArthur

C. A.

, The Impact of Computers on the Writing Process, Exceptional Children, 54: 6, pp. 536–542, 1988.

Montague

, Computers and Writing Process Instruction, Computers in the Schools, 7: 3, pp. 5–21, 1990.

Collier

R. M.

, The Word Processor and Revision Strategies, College Composition and Communication, 34: 2, pp. 149–155, 1983.

Bean

J. C.

, Computerized Word-processing as an Aid to Revision, College Composition and Communication, 34: 2, pp. 146–155, 1983.

10.

Dauite

C. A.

, The Computer as Stylus and Audience, College Composition and Communication, 34: 2, pp. 134–145, 1983.

11.

Dauite

C. A.

, Writing and Computers, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Massachusetts, 1985.

12.

Eicholz

, Type! [computer program], Broderbund Software, Inc., San Rafael, California, 1987.

13.

F. E. Smith and Intentional Educations, Inc., Bank Street Writer [computer program], Scholastic Software, Bank Street College of Education, New York, 1986.