But computers are affecting students' writing in ways unlike any other technology in the memory of their instructors. Professors say students come to college accustomed to writing in the unstructured, chatty style of e-mail discussions, but not in formal prose. Students submit essays that are longer but not better written than those in years past. Worse, many students do not revise or even proofread their work, relying instead on software to check spelling and grammar.
Computers make everyone write a lot more, and a lot longer.
For students' writing, faculty members say, the new technology presents both perils and possibilities. The perils are clearer. The possibilities are exciting, but their effectiveness is largely unproved, say faculty members who teach writing. Many of the professors are looking for ways to make good use of the tools that students are already using. In computer-equipped classrooms, assignments can be easily distributed among students or posted in a collective electronic space.