ERIC Number: ED459461
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2002
Pages: 9
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Use and Overuse of Electronic Research in Freshman Composition Research Papers: Problems in Traditional and Online Universities.
Abram, Suzanne L.
Traditionally, students taking an introductory English composition class have been encouraged to perform their research in the college or university library, but in recent years there has been a trend toward encouraging students to perform part or all of their research for composition research papers on the Internet or within an entirely electronic library. This paper explores some of the advantages and disadvantages in both traditional and online universities in encouraging college students to utilize the Internet and electronic libraries as their predominant research tool for research in English composition. Noting that the ability to perform research is a skill which improves with practice, the paper states that the research paper is traditionally assigned to teach such skills. It points out that the requirements that students use a "spread" of sources is designed to prevent them from focusing their research efforts on the sources they are already familiar with using, as well as to compel students to use more than one research source. The paper finds, however, that the who teach introductory composition courses are almost compelled to restrict students' research to electronically available sources at online universities or in some distance education classes at traditional universities. It states that instructors of online composition classes can avoid problems by choosing topics on which adequate online information exists or by not assigning a research paper. According to the paper, for online instructors who value the class research paper assignment or who are compelled by their department to assign it, there is no entirely satisfactory solution to the dilemma. (NKA)
Publication Type: Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A