Step Writing Challenges: Can Technology Lift Students’ Burden?
On March 11, 10:30 a.m. to noon EDT (14:30–16:00 UTC), VTE is holding the second session for its Writing Support Lab. At this step, we focus on challenges facing learners as they write along with tools which can help alleviate these issues. Sample question: What effects might assistive technology have on inclusiveness?
While we tend to rely on writing, in education, it can be a difficult task for a lot of learners. Many colleges perceive an increase in “special needs” in the student population. In fact, writing can present a challenge to almost any writer, depending on context. For instance, diverse forms of anxiety can become a major obstacle when students need to write under pressure. Repetitive stress injury could make it near-impossible for someone to complete an assignment on time. Even something like “writer’s block” can make a chore out of a pleasurable learning experience.
As with most things related to our work, there are many tools which can be used to overcome difficulties in writing. From assistive technology to mainstream tools, there’s often “an app for that” (or a device, service, etc.).
As a second step in this lab on writing support tools, we explore pedagogical and practical implications stemming from the use of technology to alleviate learners’ challenges in writing.
Join us online on Wednesday, March 11, from 10:30 a.m. to Noon (EDT; 14:30–16:00 UTC) as we tackle these issues. Attendance or participation in the lab’s online meetings is free and open to all. Please use our contact form to register as a participant (or attendee). Though we should have enough capacity to welcome everyone interested, we reserve the right to limit the number of participants. In the unlikely event that we would have to restrict participation, priority will be given to members of the Cegep system.
As we have done previously, we will use a collaborative document to accompany the lab process. Feel free to add questions or links to that document, ahead of our live session.
Guests
- James Bennett, Urkund
- Ali Boumoussa, Collège Ahuntsic (ESL)
- Tim Campbell-Comerford, Vanier College (PDO)
- Grace DuVal, Nuance
- Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, National Writing Project
- Gabe Flacks, Champlain College Saint-Lambert (Humanities) / News Activist
- Linda Friedrich, National Writing Project
- Danielle Jacques, RÉCIT FGA
- Mary Johnson, Vanier College (ECE)
- Kevin Lenton, Vanier College (Physics), SALTISE
- Hugh McGuire, PressBooks / LibriVox
- Jennifer Mitchell, Vanier College (PDO)
- Andrea Prupas, ALDI / inov8
- Marie-France Raymond-Dufour, CSDM (Adult Education) / Collège Rosemont (French Language and Literature) / Université de Montréal (FEP)
- Tanya Reddy, Oralys
- Carolyn Samuel, McGill University (McGill Writing Centre)
- Stefan Sinclair, Voyant Tools / Nadaclair Language Technologies / McGill University (LLC)
- Norman Spatz, Profweb / Cégep du Vieux-Montréal (ESL) (Retired)
- Jesse Stommel, University of Wisconsin-Madison (DCS) / Hybrid Pedagogy
- Roberta Thomson, McGill University (OSD) / UDL Chantier 3
- Nicholas Walker, Collège Ahuntsic (ESL), CorrectiveFeedback.com / Bokomaru Publications