Running head: DIVERGENT VIEWS ON IMPROVING STUDENT WRITING 1

Divergent Views on Improving Student Writing

Melanie Gamache

Brandon University

07.752 Overview of Educational Issues

Dr. T. Skinner

June 26, 2015

Divergent Views on Improving Student Writing

Introduction to the Issue

Within the domain of the classroom, teachers are faced with a number of educational

issues in terms of instructional best practice and valid assessment of student learning. A key 21st

century skill that students must acquire is the ability to clearly communicate their ideas and

thoughts in a variety of forms, which includes writing. With the development and inclusion of

technology, the evolution of colloquial language and communication, as well as individual

accessibility, the skills needed to write have changed. Current standardized testing has revealed

that Canadian students, specifically those from the prairies, are coming up short in terms of

literacy, math and science knowledge and skills. Much time and resources are spent trying to

improve these results, with a definite focus on literacy, as literacy may improve student results in

other areas. The real issue then becomes how to improve student literacy, including student

writing, to positively affect achievement in other areas.

The use of technology in the classroom, and its role in literacy development, is a current

issue that many teachers are faced with. Is it best practice for students to handwrite

compositions to develop writing skills and an appreciation of the writing process or should

teachers encourage word processors and other computer software for students to type written

work and embrace the evolution of the writing process? Goldberg, Russell, and Cooks 2003

meta-analysis looks at the effects of computers on student writing to conclude if word processing

is the key to improving student writing.

On the flip side, the traditional practice of holding a pencil to paper and forming letters

may neurologically provide the necessary groundwork for student writing as discussed in

Jennifer Finks article, The Case for Writing by Hand. In the article Fink looks as neurological
DIVERGENT VIEWS ON IMPROVING STUDENT WRITING 3

research to draw a conclusion about the effect of handwriting on students overall literacy skills.

This issue is one that deserves attention given the falling literacy rates among Canadian students,

particularly those in the prairie provinces. To improve writing skills may positively affect

literacy success, which contributes to a wide range of academic success.

The Case for Word Processing

The Effect of Computers on Student Writing presents various research that indicates the

quality, quantity, and revision of student writing increases with the use of technology, word

processing in particular. The meta-analysis looked at 26 studies over 10 years in elementary,

middle, and high school, where technology use and accessibility in the classroom has increased

greatly. The researchers concluded that the quality of student writing was positively affected by

the use of word processors, particularly for students with learning disabilities, early elementary-

aged students, and college-aged students. (Goldberg, Russell & Cook, 2003, p. 4). The quantity

of written compositions was positively affected by the use of a word processor by all students,

but the effect tended to be larger for middle and high school students than for elementary

students. (Goldberg, Russell & Cook, 2003, p. 14).

The authors of the meta-analysis summarized that the use of computers to compose

written work allows for the writing process to be more collaborative and includes more peer-

editing and peer-mediate work, (Goldberg, Russell & Cook, 2003, p. 17) which positively

affects revisions made during the writing process. The authors do note that the writing process

with the use of a word processor has somewhat deviated from the traditional writing process.

Students who use word processors are more likely to revise and edit as they draft but as a result,

are more willing to abandon ideas in mid-stream to pursue a new idea[and] critically examine
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their text as ideas flowed from their mind to written form. (Goldberg, Russell & Cook, 2003,

pp. 17-18).

The authors concluded that word processors used for writing results in improved literacy

skills, more positive attitudes toward writing, and an increase in the number of students who

demonstrated high-order thinking skills in their writing. (Goldberg, Russell & Cook, 2003, p.

18). As computers become less of a novelty in the classroom the effect of computers on writing

is strengthened, mostly for middle and high school students. The authors determine that students

who use computers when learning to write produce written work better than students who

develop writing skills on paper. (Goldberg, Russell & Cook, 2003, p. 20).

The Case for Handwriting

In the article, The Case for Writing by Hand, (2014) Jennifer Fink explores research

which supports students writing composition by hand. Fink notes that handwriting stimulates

parts of the brain, particularly those concerned with memory, impulse control, and attention,

(Fink, 2014, p. 27), which keyboarding does not. The article also relates that when students

create the symbols (letters) by hand over and over, that image is solidly imprinted on the brain,

which may result in improved reading and literacy. The quality of student writing also improved

according to research by the British Journal of Educational Psychology. This research found that

hand-written essays were two years ahead of typed essays, developmentally. (Fink, 2014, p.

27).

Finks article supports the theory that handwriting increases cognitive function because

fine motor control, memory, and learning are highly connected. (Fink, 2014, p. 28). As a result

of the connection between forming letters by hand and cognitive development, literacy increases

among handwriting students. It is often the case that highly literate students are also highly
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successful students in school so it is conceivable that kids with better handwriting do better in

school. (Fink, 2014, p. 28). Fink concludes the article noting that young children benefit from

handwriting and develop literacy skills.

Compare and Contrast Through Critical Analysis and Commentary

The influence of word processors or handwriting on student writing is a controversial

educational topic and both sides are supported by research. Traditional educators and

stakeholders may favor handwriting as it is believed to be a foundational skill because of the

emphasis on it from decades prior. Because information and technology is becoming more and

more accessible, it makes sense that literacy must encompass a completely new set of text.

Along with our technology, it is no surprise that our students are changing as well. They, like our

technology, are built for immediacy so their writing and reading skills must align with the

pressures of the 21st century.

Finks article and emphasis on continuing to develop handwriting skills makes sense for

elementary students, whose brains are developing. The neurological development supported by

holding a pencil, forming letters repeatedly, and feeling the paper is crucial for the learning and

understanding of written language. As students get older, literacy becomes less about

understanding parts of language and instead, literate children must be able to interpret,

communicate, and extract information. For these children, whose minds and attention are quick

to make connections, the use of a word processor to communicate ideas and revise thoughts at

the same time is not only efficient, but it aligns with the demands of the 21st century as noted by

Goldberg, Russell and Cook. After all, the purpose of educating our students is to prepare them

for these exact demands.

While both articles contain divergent views on the effect of handwriting and computer

usage on student writing, the authors compromise in their discussions of the research. Both

articles note that there is a place for both handwriting and word processing. It is almost

impossible for students to learn literacy skills without developing writing skills in both mediums.

One thing that makes both of these articles reliable is that the authors indicate that there is a

place for both types of writing and well-rounded students must develop both sets of skills.

Future Implications

Our language and how we communicate is evolving at an impressive rate. For students to

only ever experience and develop skills in one type of written composition would be a disservice

to our future generations. Students are at a pivotal point in societys development: attached to

the past but leaping to the future. Technology will continue to evolve and will remain a pillar of

education. As a result, student skills in reading and writing digital texts will only require

increased refinement. At the same time, an understanding and sound working skillset of the

symbolic nature of language will be necessary to access information in electronic forms or

otherwise. It is reasonable to conclude that the future of literacy, and society, will demand that

all individuals be fluent in both handwriting and word processing.

References

Fink, J. (November, 2014). The case for writing by hand. Scholastic Instructor, 124(3), 26-28.

Retrieved from EBSCOHOST.

Goldberg, A., Russell, M., & Cook, A. (February, 2003). The effect of computers on student

writing: A meta-analysis of studies from 1992 to 2002. Journal of Technology, Learning,

and Assessment, 2(1), pp. 1-51. Retrieved from

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