Exploring the Middle School Student’s Writing Experience: Traditional Pen-and-Paper vs. Computer-Based Writing

Abstract

This action research study investigates whether typing or handwriting impacts student performance on writing assignments in the middle school setting within the context of English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms. Writing is a high-level skill that students perpetually work on and refine as they go through their secondary education. As technology becomes more prevalent, not only in society but in the education field, students are being required to type their writing assignments for standardized computer-based tests (CBT) while still having handwritten assignments. This dichotomy raises the question of how each format, digital or traditional, should be used in the classroom to be most efficient and comfortable for students at the secondary level to perform their writing abilities. This mixed method, action research study employed quantitative data in student writing samples and rubric-based writing assignments with qualitative data from student surveys and classroom observations. This study's participants include one section of 8th-grade students from a district in Long Island, New York. In this district, students are equipped with 1:1 Chromebooks which sparked the discussion, along with the rise of CBT, amongst the department’s ELA teachers if writing assignments should be created online or if they should be facilitated with pen and paper. This study provides a clearer understanding of how the format of writing tasks impacts student outcomes; analysis of the data gathered offers practical recommendations for educators approaching the nuance of writing engagement design in the 21st Century. Overall, this study contributes to the persisting conversation around technology in pedagogical practices. The results yield a basis for educators to make informed, evidence-based decisions in the ELA classroom to optimize student learning outcomes with a purposeful integration of technology to uplift student writing.