Comparing Technologies for Online Writing Conferences: Effects of Medium on Conversation

This study directly compares face-to-face writing center consultations with two closely related variations of Online Writing Instruction (OWI). Although the study takes place in a busy, dynamic writing center, the authors try to make their comparisons as systematic as possible so they can better foreground some of the benefits and disadvantages of various conferencing environments. The study uses qualitative, naturalistic data (transcripts of sessions, surveys) but analyzes them using quasi-experimental methods (expert ratings, patterns of responses) in order to highlight trends across the copious data the authors collected (over 500 transcript pages). Although they realize that some in the writing center community are skeptical of such methods, many others have been calling for systematic, empirical inquiry into writing center concerns (Bergmann quoted in Jaschik; Jones; Hewett, "Synchronous"). Such inquiry both produces insights that may not be readily visible using other methods and can persuade administrators and others across the university of the need to invest more resources and support rigorous research into writing center pedagogy. (Contains 8 tables, 1 figure, and 3 notes.)