Online Writing Classroom: Call for Proposals

[Eric Crump <wleric@showme.missouri.edu>]

FYI
--Eric

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THE ONLINE WRITING CLASSROOM

CALL FOR CHAPTER PROPOSALS
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 In the past few years, more and more teachers of writing and communication
have become interested in using local and wide area networks with their
classes, and electronic collections and Internet resources play increasingly
large roles in academic and workplace research.  Both on and off the network,
the same questions keep popping up: "How do I justify networked activities
from a pedagogical point of view?" "How will on-line activities help my
students?" and "What on-line activities work in the writing classroom and
why?"  Further, teachers must now grapple with issues arising from the new
genres and styles in use on networks.  What is the value of on-line writing? 
How can networked writing in its various forms--hypertextual, spontaneous,
public, private--be evaluated?  How do concepts such as "correctness" and
"research" change in networked atmospheres?  Finally, as technology changes,
both new and more experienced network users need to know what resources are
available to them on-line, in print, and in the scholarly community to help
them develop as teachers and researchers. 

 Hampton Press recently published a three-volume set of books, entitled
_Computer-Mediated Communication and the On-line Classroom_, which focused on
higher and distance education.  The relative popularity of the books, along
with the publisher's report of numerous inquiries about the availability of
such a text focusing on teaching in and training for the writing classroom,
indicates the need for a resource which begins to answer some of the
questions above along with providing concrete examples of networked
activities for the writing classroom.  _The On-line Writing Classroom_ will
be used both in teacher training programs and by practicing teachers of
writing in post secondary settings.  CMC includes both access to global
resources, (e.g. gopher and WWW) and interactions among people (e.g.,
student-to-student; student-to-teacher), across a room or across the
world--both in real-time and asynchronous communication. 

In working with the questions above, _The On-line Writing Classroom_ will
cover these broad themes:

*Critical reflection on what has been accomplished so far in the field of
CMC: have practices lived up to the promises of earlier scholarship, and
how?
*Teacher development and preparation: what do newcomers to the networked
classroom need to know?
*The pace of technology: how can teachers and students position themselves
to keep up with changes without being overwhelmed?
*Theory in practice: we present case studies of successful CMC practices 
at the classroom and program level.
*Assessment: we discuss whether, how, and why to assess networked writing.
*Learning by doing:  practical suggestions on how to react to the "dark 
and stormy nights" in the classroom.

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We are seeking the following types chapters for the text:

1. Chapters that ground on-line activities in current pedagogy, providing 
a clear rationale for the introduction of such  activities into writing
classes.
2. Case studies that focus on the design and implementation of specific
activities for the writing classroom using CMC.  Analyses of both success
and failures are encouraged.
3. Chapters that describe teacher preparation and development programs in
the area of CMC.
4. Chapters that respond in other ways to the themes and questions
mentioned above.

Our aim is to provide clear and specific guidance to writing teachers so they
can easily integrate computer-mediated projects into their classrooms. 
Annotated lesson plans or syllabi are welcomed, but we'd prefer that projects
be described in ways that do not tie them to specific computer programs and
hardware (which change with bewildering rapidity).  Ideally, chapters will
provide a pedagogical or theoretical framework for the on-line activities
they describe. The deadline for submitting proposals is August 15, 1995; 
authors will be notified of acceptance by September 30, 1995.  Upon
acceptance, first drafts of chapters will be due in January 1996, with final
drafts to be completed by the first of May, 1996.  Each author will need
uninterrupted email access until then for the editing and review process. 

We are asking for 3 copies (or one email copy to each of the people listed
below) of a short, 1-1.5 page proposal by September 15, 1995.  For case
studies, please identify an instructional problem, show how you used CMC to
meet your instructional objective(s), and why CMC was (uniquely) important in
reaching your goals.  Other chapters involving perspectives, issues, and
teacher education, need to clearly articulate a point of view and the
importance of that to education.  Proposals must include a short (10 line)
vita for each author/ co-author stating organizational affiliation, title and
a description of related work in CMC, plus a list of any related articles
previously published. Please send your proposals one of the following
co-editors: 

Susanmarie Harrington
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
425 University Boulevard
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
sharrin@indyunix.iupui.edu

Rebecca Rickly
University of Michigan
1025 Angell Hall
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1003
becky.rickly@umich.edu

Michael Day
Dept. of Humanities
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
501 E. St. Joseph St.
Rapid City, South Dakota 57701
mday@silver.sdsmt.edu