Does the Medium Make a Difference? Two Studies of Writing With Pen and Paper and With Computers

Bibliographic Data

ID15216063
AuthorsChristina Haas (0000-0002-9972-4759, Carnegie Mellon University, corresponding author)
Year1989
Volume4
Issue2
Pages149-169
Publication date1989-06-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman-Computer Interaction (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0737-0024 • E-ISSN: 1532-7051
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1207/s15327051hci0402_3
OpenAlexW1982683160
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited19

This article reports two studies examining how the use of computer technology affects writers' processes and resulting written products. The first experiment, a partial replication of Gould's (1981) study, compared the efficiency and quality of 15 experienced writers' persuasive letters written in three counterbalanced conditions: pen and paper, standard personal computer, and advanced workstation. Analyses of time to compose and length of the resulting letters showed that when composing with the advanced work-stations, writers wrote for longer periods of time and composed longer letters than when composing with pen and paper. Rate of composition (words per min) was similar in all three conditions. Scores for content quality, mechanics quality, and total quality were also collected and analyzed. Letters composed with the personal computer were poorer in content quality and total quality. There were no differences in mechanics quality. In the second experiment, 8 of the original 15 writers revised two of their letters in the medium with which they were composed. Think-aloud protocols collected while the writers revised their letters were collected and analyzed. When revising with pen and paper, writers planned more than when revising on-line; they also planned more before beginning their revisions. However, when revising in the computer conditions, writers reread their texts more and paid more attention to the medium than when revising on paper

Mathematics education · Computer Science · Education and Technology Integration · Literacy, Media, and Education · Psychology · Writing and Handwriting Education

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