Surveying College students: “Technology for college writing courses”

Surveying College students:“Technology for college writing courses” Scott Stankey

Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids & Cambridge, Minnesota

Origins of My Project CI 5330: Teaching Digital Writing / Fall 2008 “Do my students already know what I’m currently learning in this class?” Using SurveyMonkey, I created a 10-question informal survey. I chose 3 colleagues (potentially 8 sections) who sent the survey link to their students via email. Students were encouraged, but not required, to respond.

The Writing Courses I Teach • English 1121: College Writing and Critical Reading (4 cr) • Required course for everyone. • “Provides extended practice in critical reading, writing, and thinking.” Includes an “argumentative research paper.” • English 0950: Elements of College Writing (4 cr) • Required only if students do not place into 1121. • “Offers intensive work with writing, revising, and editing essays.”

Question #1: What kinds of "equipment" do you currently own and use? Please read the choices carefully and check all that apply. (86 responses)

Question #1: What kinds of "equipment" do you currently own and use? Please read the choices carefully and check all that apply. (86 responses) “Other” (2 responses): • Multiple Servers for learning and commercial purposes • PDA

Question #2: Do you currently belong to at least one "social networking" site such as MySpace or FaceBook? 86 answered question 0 skipped question

Question #3: Have you ever prepared a presentation – either for a class or for another purpose – using a presentation software such as PowerPoint (PC), KeyNote (Mac), or SlideRocket (web)? 85 answered question 1 skipped question

Question #4: Have you ever engaged in collaborative writing – for a class you've taken or for other purposes – using a "wiki" or Google Docs or Google Presentations? 86 answered question 0 skipped question Other (1): “Weekly assignments to contribute to a class website/blog”

Question #5: Do you currently write and maintain a "blog" – either on a social networking site or on a site like Blogger? 86 answered question 0 skipped question Other (4): “Not consistent; don’t maintain it; did previously; used to”

Question #6: Have you ever used a "photo-sharing" site such as Flickr, iPhoto, Google Images, or Yahoo Images? 86 answered question 0 skipped question Other (2): PhotoBucket

Question #7: Have you ever done any work with "podcasting" or "editing audio" using software such as Audacity (PC) or GarageBand (Mac)? 86 answered question 0 skipped question

Question #8: Have you ever done any work with film or "video editing" using a software such as iMovie (Mac) or MovieMaker (PC)? 85 answered question 1 skipped question

Question #9: Have you ever "subscribed" (using "RSS Feeds") to podcasts, newscasts, websites, or other things using an "aggregator" such as iTunes, Google Reader, or Bloglines? 86 answered question 0 skipped question

Question #10: What kinds of technologies associated with research and writing do you think will be most useful to you in the future – for academic, career, and/or personal purposes? Please read all the choices carefully and check all that apply. (83 responses)

Question #10: What kinds of technologies associated with research and writing do you think will be most useful to you in the future -- for academic, career, and/or personal purposes? Please read all the choices carefully and check all that apply. (83 responses)

Question #10: What kinds of technologies associated with research and writing do you think will be most useful to you in the future -- for academic, career, and/or personal purposes? Please read all the choices carefully and check all that apply. (83 responses) “Other” (N=3, 3.6%) • “I don’t know; whatever I am told to use or do ... I figure it out and do it!” • “I don't know how to use any of these technologies, to even think of how they could help me in the future.” • “Using smart board technologies in the classroom.”

“A Study in Contrasts” My Ranking Students’ Ranking • Wikis • Mapping / Organization Apps. • Collaborative Writing • Presentation Apps. • Electronic Portfolios • Research / RSS Feeds • Blogging • Presentation Apps. • Electronic Portfolios • Photosharing Sites • Social Networking • Collaborative Writing • Video Editing • Research / RSS Feeds

“A Study in Contrasts” My Ranking Students’ Ranking • Photosharing Sites • Social Networking • Video Editing • Audio Editing • Voice-over Internet Protocol • Cell Phone Podcasting • Blogging • Mapping / Organization Apps. • Voice-over Internet Protocol • Audio Editing • Cell Phone Podcasting • Wikis

“The Top Four” #1 – “Presentation Applications” – e.g., • PowerPoint • KeyNote • SlideRocket • SlideShare • SlideBoom • VoiceThread • Google Presentations

“The Top Four” #2 – “Electronic Portfolios” – e.g., • Blogs (individual) • Wikis (individual or class) • eFolio Minnesota (for MNSCU students and faculty)

“The Top Four” #3 – “Collaborative Writing” – e.g., • Google Docs • for pairs of students working on essays and presentations • for peer reviews • Wikis • for posting information and documents about essays in progress • for creating knowledge as a group

“The Top Four” #4 – Doing Research with RSS Feeds” – e.g., • Google Reader • iTunes • Bloglines

“Necessary to Support the Top Four” #5 – “Photosharing Sites” – e.g., • Flickr • iPhoto • Google Images • Yahoo Images • PhotoBucket #6 – “Mapping / Organization Applications” – e.g., • Bubbl.us

Contact Me scott.stankey@anokaramsey.edu stan0219@umn.edu

Surveying College students: “Technology for college writing courses”