Date of Award

8-2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department/Program

English

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Jessica Restaino

Committee Member

Emily Isaacs

Committee Member

Laura Nicosia

Abstract

Educators have long sought the best methods for instructing students in the intricate art of effective written communication. Various technologies, from the pencil to the word processor, have been considered in this endeavor. With the emergence of newer digital technologies that allow students to publish writing directly to the World Wide Web, instructors have begun to explore how best to use this technology for writing instruction. Wikis, in particular, are tools many educators have begun to experiment with when trying to supplement their collaborative writing practices. This study attempts to answer three important questions: have computer-based technologies improved student writing; what is the best method for implementing a computer-based, writing space for students; and how can wikis, the quintessential Web 2.0 technology, be used to support writing instruction? The key component of this study is an action-research based project involving students from two different schools and grade levels who used a wiki to participate in a creative writing project based on Jonathan Swift’s satire “A Modest Proposal.”

File Format

PDF

Share

COinS