Computer-Mediated Writing Theory and Practice is a course aimed primarily at present and future college-level educators who wish to gain more knowledge about a) the history of and theoretical rationale for the use of technology in the classroom, b) the research associated with computer-mediated instruction and digital literacy, c) the development of curricula that fosters the connection between writing and new media, d) the use of specific pedagogical strategies to make technology more accessible to and applicable for students and teachers from a range of backgrounds, and e) the various software advances, including synchronous and asynchronous communication and both commercial and open source tools available to educators; digital imaging programs; video, audio, and new media; web authoring and portfolio development.

This graduate-level course will be conducted in a seminar format in both virtual and face-to-face formats, with students serving as facilitators of such relevant questions as:

• How does technology impact models of literacy instruction? How does technology change the relationship between readers, writers, and language?
• How might we bridge the perceived gap between students' technological literacy practices and academic literacies?
• How does technology change traditional notions of the writing process, including issues of authorship and textuality?
• How does authority play out in the computer-based classroom?
• To what extent should teacher training be technological training?
• What are the future possibilities for technology in the classroom?
• How do we assess the electronic texts our students produce?
• What does technology help us do as teachers and learners that we could not do with conventional tools?"
• And how does access to technology reflect differences in gender, ethnicity, class, and age, for both teachers and students?

Readings on these topics range from the current to the canonical, from the historical to the practical, and are meant to serve as an introduction to the rich body of literature within this subdiscipline of rhetoric and writing studies.

The course meets in a computer lab to provide more exposure to the possibilities and constraints of real-world electronic environments. In addition to web-authoring tools such as Macromedia Dreamweaver, the course offers hands-on experience with several online communication systems, in addition to the use of the scanning and image altering applications such as Adobe Photoshop, digital video (I-Movie) and audio software, presentation applications such as Microsoft PowerPoint, web and CD-ROM storage, and common social networking and instant messaging applications in use by our students.