Changing Conceptions of Academic Writing
This fear of technology taking over is expressed in many student comments about hypertexts; however, many students also affirm that this new mode of writing can work to integrate past and present conceptions of academic discourse:
"The
class hypertext, I find, is very engaging. Being able to connect the
articles like this makes it feel like one complete work instead of separate
articles. By connecting it to other articles outside the primary source,
it allows the reader to receive further background on the topic, which
increases the validity of the article and supports its views. The hypertext
method is very user friendly because you can easily go from one article
to another and back again."
When I discussed this comment in class, I asked students if this type of hyper-linking to outside sources is that different from the more traditional use of footnotes and references. My students responded that they rarely read footnotes or look up references, and so this type of hypertextuality makes it easier for them to do what they are supposed to be doing in the first place.
Many students also
presented the idea that this type of writing is much more
user- and reader-friendly:
"It is like
a stream of ideas rather than fragmented articles. The hyperlinks allow
the reader to focus on specific topics that he is interested in, rather
than
having to read all the articles. It also connects the ideas in a non-linear
way allowing the reader to take one path at a time."
While I worry that our hypertext will work to reinforce a reader-centric mode of communication, I do feel that this stress on expressive individualism is balanced by the integration of current-traditional, process-oriented, and social constructionist writing methods in the construction of the class hypertext.
Technology, Writing, and Higher Education
Student Writers as Hypertext Users
Changing Conceptions of Academic Writing
Home and School Models of Literacy