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Smartphone and Tablet Multiliteracies and Their Implications for Writing As Process WRITING IN THE AGE OF MOBILE: SMARTPHONE AND TABLET MULTILITERACIES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR WRITING AS PROCESS Matthew Arthur Bridgewater A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2014 Committee: Kristine L. Blair, Advisor Radhika Gajjala Graduate Faculty Representative Lee Nickoson Donna Nelson-Beene ©2014 Matthew Arthur Bridgewater All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Kristine L. Blair, Advisor This dissertation compares the writing practices of students on desktops and laptops with their writing practices on mobile computing devices, namely tablets and smartphones. While there is much scholarship on computer-mediated writing (e.g., Eldred, 1991; Dave and Russell, 2010; Haas, 1989; Hochman and Palmquist, 2009; Palmquist et al., 1998), there has been less attention paid to how mobile computer devices mediate writing practices and promote (digital) literacies. This study used mixed methods, specifically quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. Using a process-oriented first-year research writing class as a research site and the research paper as the genre of analysis, the study found that there are significant differences between the writing, research, and reading practices done on these computing devices. The student survey found that students indeed use mobiles for academic writing purposes, are less likely to revise on mobile devices than on desktops and laptops, and generally make local edits to global revisions when they do revise. It also found that students are more likely to access sources that are not typically considered scholarly, preferring to use unscholarly and advertisement- supported sources. The literacy narrative took a closer look at the research practices of a student in the first-year writing program. Several emerging themes arose that are relevant to writing studies, including that the period between high school and the first year of college is a critical time in acquiring and losing different literacies, socioeconomic sponsors and barriers greatly influence writing practices, and some students’ expectations and values make them unsure of the place of mobile technology in education. iv Dedicated to mom and dad v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This is one of those times where there are too many people to thank in such a short space. I am grateful to my committee, Kristine L. Blair, Lee Nickoson, Donna Nelson-Beene, and Michael Butterworth, who have given me their time and sincere effort with this project. I would especially like to thank my dissertation chair, Kristine L. Blair. Her guidance as a teacher, advisor, and colleague have been invaluable in my development as a scholar and teacher. I would be remiss to not acknowledge the many other faculty in the Rhetoric & Writing program at Bowling Green State University. You all have been outstanding mentors. My time in your classes, the conversations we’ve had, and the work we’ve done together has influenced not only this project but left its impression in so many other ways. A warm thank you to my interview participant, Breda, who always brought enthusiasm and patience to our interviews. Her testimony has provided numerous insights and made this project so much deeper than I thought it would be. My sincere gratitude goes to the anonymous yet passionate faculty and students at the school surveyed. My surveys wouldn’t have been as successful as they were if it weren’t for all of you. Thank you so very much for making this project possible. Finally, I would like to thank my family. Without their love and support, I could not have had this wonderful journey. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I: WHAT HATH MOBILES WROUGHT? ...................................................... 1 Writing is changing ................................................................................................... 2 The future of (digital) writing ........................................................................ 2 Previous smartphone data sets ....................................................................... 6 Previous tablet data sets ................................................................................. 10 Writing lives of college students ................................................................... 10 Process to post-process .............................................................................................. 12 The beginnings of process ............................................................................. 12 Early critiques of process .............................................................................. 13 Post-process critiques of process ................................................................... 14 Computers and technology in the writing process ..................................................... 15 How computer technology affects writing classroom ecologies ................... 15 How computer technology affects revision practices .................................... 17 How computer technology affects invention practices .................................. 20 How computer technology affects research practices ................................... 21 Mobile devices in the writing process ....................................................................... 23 What are mobiles? ......................................................................................... 23 Issues involving mobiles as a writing tool ..................................................... 23 Incorporating mobiles in the classroom ......................................................... 25 Overview of study ..................................................................................................... 27 Dissertation summary ................................................................................................ 30 vii Chapter summary ........................................................................................... 30 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 31 CHAPTER II: METHODS AND METHODOLOGIES ...................................................... 33 Positioning the researcher and the methods and methodologies of the project ......... 33 Defining method and methodology ............................................................... 33 Arguing in favor of mixed methods and methodologies ............................... 33 Research stance .............................................................................................. 35 Quantitative methods ..................................................................................... 36 Qualitative methods ....................................................................................... 39 The specifics of the project ........................................................................................ 41 Research questions and methods ................................................................... 41 Description of the research site ..................................................................... 43 Participation ................................................................................................... 44 Data acquisition ............................................................................................. 45 Limitations ..................................................................................................... 46 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 48 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH WRITING IN THE AGE OF MOBILE ................................ 51 Research methods ...................................................................................................... 53 Demographics of students ......................................................................................... 56 Gender of students ......................................................................................... 57 Ethnicity of students ...................................................................................... 58 Native language of students ........................................................................... 58 Age of students .............................................................................................. 59 viii Socioeconomic class of students ................................................................... 59 Writing ability of students ............................................................................. 60 Digital writing done by students .................................................................... 60 Student writing on desktops and laptops ................................................................... 62 Word processing programs used by students on desktops and laptops ......... 62 Writing processes on desktops and laptops ................................................... 63 Writing with smartphones ......................................................................................... 65 Smartphones and mobility ............................................................................. 66 Smartphones and writing processes ............................................................... 67 Writing with tablets ................................................................................................... 73 Tablets and mobility .....................................................................................
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