Harnessing New Technologies to Teach Academic Writing to the Net Generation

Abstract

While the ubiquity of Web 2.0 technologies disrupts conventional notions of schooling and literacy, its impact on learning is idiosyncratic at best. Taking the form of a dialogue based on the 15-week collaboration of two colleagues implementing an innovative 1st-year university writing course, this paper documents some of the successes and challenges they faced as they sought to create a space for those technologies in their classrooms.Keywords: Web 2.0; schooling and literacy; learning; higher education; new technologies