A STUDY OF WORD-PROCESSING EXPERIENCE AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENT ESSAY WRITING

This study investigates how word processing experience influences stud ent performance on a direct writing assessment. We investigated factor s influencing a student's decision about using word processors for wri ting; whether students with less experience writing with word processo rs receive lower scores on word processed essays; and differences in l ength, neatness, mechanical correctness, and tone of the student writi ng as related to experience with word processors. In this study, stude nts with different levels of experience using word processors wrote tw o essays: one with word processors and one with pen and paper. Student s with less experience using word processors scored considerably highe r on our writing assessment when their writing was done with pen and p aper. Only small differences were observed between pen and paper and w ord processed essays for students with more word processing experience . Content analyses revealed that word processed essays appeared neater and longer than handwritten essays but that students who favor handwr iting write more words with pen and paper than with word processors.