Committee Charge
This committee is being created to develop a set of best practices for online writing instruction. The committee charge is to:
Charge 1: Identify and examine best strategies for online writing instruction using various online media and pedagogies primarily used for the teaching of writing in blended, hybrid, and distance-based writing classrooms, specifically composition classrooms, but including other college writing courses.
Charge 2: Identify best practices for using online instruction specifically for English language learners and individuals with disabilities in coordination with related CCCC committees.
Charge 3: Create a Position Statement on the Principles and Standards for OWI Preparation and Instruction. In consultation with the Assessment Committee and the Task Force on Position Statements, review and update the 2004 Position Statement “Teaching, Learning, and Assessing Writing in Digital Environments.”
Charge 4: Share best practices in OWI with the CCCC membership in a variety of formats..
The committee has created a listserv open to all faculty members and administrators interested in online writing instruction. To subscribe to the listserv, email cccc@ncte.org.
2009 CCCC Session Review
Read a review of the session we presented at the 2009 CCCC Convention titled "CCCC Committee Research into Best Practices for Online Writing Instruction (OWI)."
Annotated Bibliography
The CCCC Committee on Best Practices in Online Writing Instruction has gathered, reviewed, and annotated webtexts, articles, and books from 1980 through early 2008 that help us better understand those approaches and strategies that are most effective in OWI and compiled them into an annotated bibliography (pdf).
November 2009 Update
This committee has developed an annotated bibliography (pdf) of the materials available up to December 2008 that speak to best practices in OWI. This bibliography serves CCCC members as a resource for research and teaching. We expect that members will be invited to assist with updating and maintaining the bibliography.
We also have created an electronic survey about best practices targeted toward OWI instructors, tutors, and administrators. The survey will be ready for general membership response either in late fall 2009 or early winter 2010.
In terms of our current understanding of OWI best practices, among other early findings, we are learning that educators have a wide range—from minimal to extensive—of preparation and training for their online instruction. It seems that much of the training focuses on how to engage the technology, while other training has some components focused on teaching with technology; the issue of actually teaching writing as the disciplinary subject appears to be treated somewhat inconsistently at these institutions. Some of the respondents we have interviewed and who have responded to our initial questionnaire have expressed a lack of ability to speak to the theory and pedagogy of online writing instruction. Their responses suggest that discerning best practices in areas other than the superstructure and infrastructure of OWI courses might be the biggest challenge this committee faces. At this early point in our research, we take this interesting finding to indicate that the theory and pedagogy of OWI—particularly regarding “best practices”—likely will require ongoing research.