A New Way of Reading and Writing
In our fast-paced technological world, it makes sense that our culture is becoming more visual. With online sites such as Vine, Instagram, Vimeo, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube (just to name a few), it is no longer necessary to read in order to be informed. If I want to know how to curl my hair with a straightening iron I just need to watch a how-to video, if I want an update on the forest fire situation in B.C I can look at the interactive map or watch a news clip.
Bolter (2001) mentions the fear that the incorporation of visual media into print will threaten the cultural significance of writing and printed books. Kress (2005) reiterates this fear that writing is being replaced by images as a means of communication, and that many people find this disconcerting “given the long domination in the West of writing as the culturally most valued form of representation” (p. 5). This image invasion should not be viewed as a threat, but as a tool, which can and does supplement the printed word. It is true, newspapers, printed books and magazines are changing by including more interesting graphics (Bolter, 2001), but this is not a bad thing. I believe that our society today is more informed about the world in general than previous generations due to this “breakout of the visual.” Does this mean that some people are also being misinformed? Of course, but that is why things like digital literacy and instructing people to think and view critically is important.
I think emoticons are often overused by people when writing; however, when used properly, they can help a reader better understand tone or voice of the writer:) Some emotions, such as sarcasm, can be hard to “read” (especially if you are not all that familiar with the writer). Emoticons help the reader understand what they are reading through visual cues, instead of actually having the author write out and explicitly state the intended meaning or tone in the writing.
Critics have argued that the use of emoticons and text messaging language is linked to a decline in the quality of writing, weak achievements academically, and a social collapse, yet the research does not necessarily back this theory (Dobson & Willinsky, 2009). As writing has progressed and the use of word processors has become commonplace, the same trend continues to appear. In general, students who use a computer to write seem to write more, and write better than those who write by hand (Dobson & Willinsky, 2009). These are similar results to studies done in the 1930’s on the use of the typewriter compared to writing by hand (see my video The Phenomenology of Writing for more information).
With the advancements in technology, the ways we read and write and the ways we experience reading and writing are changing. This transformation does not signify a decline or a loss in reading and writing, but as Bolter (2001) explains a remediation of print. Tools such as e-books and word processors are never going to replace handwriting or printed books (that was a fear with the invention of the typewriter and people today are still writing by hand!), and instead should be viewed as supplements to them.
References
Bolter, J.D. (2001). Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print (2nd Ed.). Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Dobson, T., & Willinsky, J. (2009). Digital literacy. In Olson, D. R., & Torrance, N. (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of literacy. (1-30). New York: Cambridge University Press.
IkamusumeFan. [digial image]. (2013). Emotion Smile Face. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emoticon_Smile_Face.svg
Kress, G., & Van Leeuwen, T. (2005). Gains and losses: New forms of text, knowledge and learning. Computers and Composition, 22(1), 5-22. doi:10.1016/j.compcom.2004.12.004
“Never” is a strong word and a bold statement. We do not think that the act of handwriting will ever disappear but my son’s elementary school is already debating how much time they are going to spend teaching their kids the skill of cursive writing. They do their FSA’s (Foundation Skills Assessment in British Columbia) online in both grade 4 and grade 7. In BC, our grade 10s write three provincial exams. Grade 11’s write one provincial exam. And grade 12’s write one provincial exam. At my school grades 8-12, all but one of those provincial exams done electronically. Administration decided one of them was going to be written by paper – I’m not sure why. The overwhelming choice for students seems to be to do it online.
I should emphasize that none of this is my doing. As the head of technology in the school, I am only responsible for making sure everything works. I do not make any of those kinds of decisions. As the “tech guy” in my school, I am a bit of a traditionalist. I’m not sure I can handle such a high-stakes exam if it was conducted entirely online. Personally I miss walking into Blockbuster and talking to a real person about what movie I should rent. Or walking into A&B sound and talking to their knowledgeable staff about upcoming releases. For that matter, I also miss going to a movie theater although that option seems to exist … for now.
The forward march of our capitalistic western society must continue. Our investments, pensions and livelihood depends on it. Look at all the other societies that have disappeared because of a lack of progress. The article entitled “A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies” by the New London Group takes an alternate stance to Bolter and Kress. Throughout the article, they recognize the need for literacy match the changes to our socio-economic changes: “… rethink the fundamental premises of literacy pedagogy in order to influence practices that will give students the skills and knowledge they need to achieve their aspirations.”
What is particularly interesting about this article is they seem to have identified the turning point which according to them is the end of the cold war. Also of interest is the symbiotic relationship between popular culture and literacy in that one influences the other in a circular fashion. And finally, my favourite is they identify that each style of literacy has its own grammar structure including “semiotic systems such as film, photography or gesture”.
Great points raised Kara, with the proliferation of technology has increased knowledge and provide some level of democracy, as Willinsky pointed out ” over the course of the last ten years the internet has opened a new world of information to the public” . It must be noted that though information is more accessible not all are credible, therefore it is important to be able to verify the information that we receive.
Importantly, due to technology we cant ignore the fact that we are increasingly becoming a visual society, as Bolter pointed out ” the treatment of text as image becomes even more popular and more culturally compelling with the rise of digital media, because of the ease with which images and words can be combined”. He further pointed out that graphics in printed publications like the USA Today are being used to replace text” What is important for us educators and other policy makers is to make use of the visuals and technology to increase student performance. Additionally, we cannot totally disregard the printed text but should find a way to infuse it with the visuals.
Bolter, J.D. (2001). Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print (2nd Ed.). Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Willinsky J (2002) Education and Democracy. The Missing Link May Be Ours. Harvard Educational Review, 72(3), 367-392
The video “A Vision of Students Today” mentions students will write an average of will write 42 pages a semester for papers and 500 e-mails (Wesch, 2007). This fact is outdated by 8 years and my guess would be that the gap has widened and students write even fewer pages per semester and write even more e-mails. Students also send texts that contain both visuals and written messages. When you practice a skill you continually become better at it however when you practice a bad habit then it takes some time to unlearn the habit. Perhaps this is why critics can argue about the decline in quality of writing.
I can say for myself that I have done a lot more writing of e-mails and collaborations via e-mail than ever before. This has given me practice in my own writing and the ability to communicate my ideas. Similarly, the students I teach need to technology to also communicate their ideas, search resources, and increase their collaborations within their own social and global networks. (White, 2015).
Your point comparing students who use a computer and those who write by hand makes me interested in doing this comparison with my students. In almost all writing exercises I have my students write their rough copy by hand and only type it if a good copy is needed. Some students with designations have the opportunity to use a lap top fight from the beginning and it is evident their quality of writing goes up with the use of the computer. I have not given the opportunity for all students to type or brainstorm their own response due to minimal computer time but something I would like to consider to see if their writing is similar to that by hand.
Wesch, M. (2007), A Vision of Students Today (Video file). Retrieved from https://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-
White, G. (2015). Digital Literacies. ELT Journal, 69 (3) 345-347.
Rebecca,
I think a more up to date study definitely needs to be done on whether or not students do write better and write more when using a computer compared to those students who write by hand. I think I might also try this with my class in the fall.
I agree that visual imagery often helps provide clues to the reader about the tone of our writing, especially when sending emails, tweets or other types of short messages. I do not use a lot of emoticons, but will include a wink or smile in an informal message, as “extra insurance” that my comment is interpreted correctly.
A few years ago, our leadership team went through training on how to write appropriate emails. I am sure that many business professionals go through similar training programs, although with the amount of online communication we do- perhaps it is less necessary than it was then.
I do not think that the problem has completely disappeared however. I received a promotional email for a download called “tone check” (www.tonecheck.com) that analyzes an email and using specific algorithms will notify you if your tone meets the criteria of being inappropriate or sounding offensive. I am not sure I would want to rely on such a software. As with Bolter’s (2011) account of Alan Turing’s description of the “Computer Machinery and Intelligence”, he comments that the” test is a measure of writing ability and reading comprehension…The machine is not asked to imitate the sense of human touch, taste, or smell; it does not have to demonstrate human dexterity and human corporeality.” (p. 190). Perhaps we are expecting too much for our computers.
I think handwriting will always be used by humans, but will not be used for writing long texts or manuscripts. The instant editing features are much less convenient (red pens, X’s and underlines). In the future, I expect emoticon will be used to provide meaning and tone for short messages.
Reference:
J. D. Bolter (2011) Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext and the Remediation of Print (2nd Ed) Routledge, New York.
Kara,
I completely agree that emoticons can be overused by people when writing, especially in texts. They can negatively affect how the reader interprets the message. On the other hand, as you mentioned, when they are used properly, they can be an effective way of showing non-verbal communication. It is hard to see body language through a text or email. This is where emoticons truly become effective. Whether we realize it or not, we are influenced by the use of non-verbal cues to interpret communication in real life. Body language, essentially, plays an important role in determining how we analyze a message. The same goes for online communication as well. We always try to complete the communication from all aspects and this includes the emotional aspect. A 🙂 at the end of a message can show the reader there is a positive emotion attached to it. I believe emoticons are a positive addition to online communication.
You mentioned that the research doesn’t necessarily show that the use of emoticons and text message language is linked to a decline in the quality of writing. I can’t argue the lack of research but in my own experience, I have witnessed a lot of text language creep into the classroom. I can’t count the times that “u” has snuck into a paper and I have had to constantly remind my student’s that there’s a time and place for text language and that isn’t in the classroom. The computer is definitely making it easier for students to write, but the issue remains separating their social writing from school writing.
Sean