The Impact of Computers on Students' Writing: A Comparative Study of the Effects of Pens and Word Processors on Writing Context, Process and Product

This study investigated the impact of word processors on students' writing by examining three critical elements of the writing situation: writing context, process and product. Using a pretest-posttest control group design, the study compared two intact Year 8 classes, one using pens for composing and the other using computers, within the context of an all-girls school. A major emphasis of the research was the computer's impact on the quality of texts, representing three genres, which the students produced over a school year. The findings suggested that the computer classroom was more student-centred, less teacher-dominated and more work-focused, and the atmosphere was more co-operative and collaborative. Students' composing behaviours varied according to the genre of the task rather than according to the influence of the writing tool.