Computer-aided composition instruction in Florida's community colleges

Ubiquitous incorporation of computer-based, electronic technologies into American society has created intense pressure upon the composition instructors at Florida's community colleges to develop computer skills themselves and to develop curricula which routinely incorporate these technologies into their teaching responsibilities. This fact makes clear the need to assess instructors' readiness: What computer skills have they acquired and what computer-aided teaching methodologies have they learned which make them capable of and willing to teach composition with the aid of computers? What support services on community college campuses seem to encourage instructors to take on the responsibility to teach computer-aided composition. After its pilot testing, a thirteen question survey was sent to the 473 known instructors of credit-level composition at Florida's twenty-eight community colleges. This study examined the characteristics of the 222 respondents, of whom 61 reported that they do teach computer-aided composition and 161 reported that they do not. One way analyses of variance applied to the survey responses of these groups compared them regarding their institutions' technology support services; regarding their familiarity with, training for, and uses of computer technologies in their personal and professional responsibilities; and regarding their participation in departmental, divisional, and institutional planning activities for technology enhancements. Findings revealed that, compared to those instructors who do not teach computer-aided composition, instructors who do are (1) more likely to be familiar with and use a greater variety of computer technologies for both personal and professional use, (2) more likely to serve on departmental committees which consider technology uses, (3) more likely to have in-office access to desktop computers, to have nearby full-service faculty/student computer labs, and to have greater access to computer hardware overall, and (4) more likely to have attended workshops and taken courses on computer technologies and on instructor methods for use of technologies. In responses to a Likert-like question, composition instructors who do teach with the aid of computer technology also expressed greater than expected professional satisfaction with computer-aided composition as compared to traditional methodology.