In a survey of Advanced Placement and National Writing Project teachers, a majority say digital tools encourage students to be more invested in their writing by encouraging personal expression and providing a wider audience for their work. Most also say digital tools make teaching writing easier, despite an increasingly ambiguous line between formal and informal writing and students' poor understanding of issues such as plagiarism and fair use.
- Successful Strategy: A majority of teachers agreed that digital tools contribute to greater student engagement in the writing process, either by increasing audiences for student writing, or encouraging collaboration or creativity.
- Successful Strategy: Half of teachers surveyed say digital tools make it easier to teach writing. Tools enable and encourage revision, and collaborative tools allow teachers to "work alongside students in the writing process."
- Challenge: Teachers shared some concerns about the "creep" of informal language and style into formal writing. 68% say digital tools make students more likely to take shortcuts and not put effort into their writing. Tweet
- Challenge: More than two thirds of teachers rated students "fair" or "poor" in both fair use and copyright issues, and reading and digesting long or complicated texts.
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- Copyright 2013 Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project.
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