Article Critique #1: The Effects of Incorporating a Word Processor Into a Year Three Writing Program Natalie Beck

and Tony Fetherston

Sheza Naqi 80812118 ETEC 500 Research Methodologies in Education Instructor: Dr. Janet McCracken University of British Columbia February 8th, 2012

Naqi 1 The article, The Effects of Incorporating a Word Processor into a Year Three Writing Program was written by Natalie Beck and Tony Fetherston for the Edith Cowan University in Australia. The purpose of their qualitative, ethnographic study was to study the effects of a word processor on the writing of a group of seven Year Three students. The study compared student attitudes to writing stories by hand versus using a word processor to do the same. Without having to concentrate on the quality of their handwriting, the students were keener to edit, write with greater fluidity and experiment with ideas in their writing. The study found an improvement in the quality of student work as well as an improvement in student attitudes towards the writing process. Using convenience sampling, the action-based research was conducted over a sixweek period, during daily 45-minute sessions. The students completed two hand written and two word-processed stories. A set of criteria was developed to evaluate the quality of the handwritten pieces and the word-processed work that each student produced. The researchers used a variety of methods to evaluate the development in student attitude and motivation along with the quality of the students writing. Interviews and anecdotal observations were combined with a standardized analytical scoring system to evaluate the work. A qualified teacher also moderated the study, which was meant to increase the validity and accuracy of the findings. Beck and Fetherston report their results by addressing the guiding research questions on the attitudes of the seven Year Three students to writing and the current writing program in their classroom, the attitudes of the students in relation to the use of word processors and writing and on how students writing development is affected when word processors are used. They also present findings related to other results including prior computing experience, keyboard skills,

Naqi 2 use of pictures for writing, changes in attitudes, completion rates, enjoyment, confidence, stress on mechanics and neatness, time management, the software package and gender differences. The study is carried out according to acceptable research methods, presents a logical argument and is well organized, clear, and easy to read. However, there are some limitations to the research. The students were given a choice of story starters with no requirement to use them in writing their handwritten stories, however, they were required to choose from one of five story-starters for their word-processed stories. Since the handwritten and word-processing tasks were not of the same format, there is an imbalance in the scientific approach used in the study. Furthermore, one of the most frequently used terms in the article is word processor yet it is never clearly defined and seems to become synonymous with the software package, Story Book Weaver Deluxe. Also, the software package provides such an advantage over basic lined paper provided for the hand written stories, with its built-in images and backgrounds, particularly for the visual learner, that it creates an imbalanced comparative activity. In conclusion, the research was a fairly valid and accurate case study of the effects of integrating word processors into a third grade classroom, and it opens the door to further research angles on the use of word processing technology in the classroom, such as the loss of handwritten skills in a word processor dominated environment. Beck and Fetherston mention a quote by Balajthy that technologies like the word processor are there to supplement writing instruction, not replace it, (as cited in Beck, N., & Fetherston, T., 2003, p.141). This statement accurately captures the spirit of the study and what the researchers were trying to achieve.

Naqi 3 References Beck, N., & Fetherston, T, (2003). The effects of incorporating a word processor into a year three writing program. Information Technology in Childhood Education Annual, 139-161.