Exposing GAPS, exploring legacies: paradoxes of writing use in computing education

  • Authors:

  • Timothy T Dansdill;Mark E. Hoffman;David S. Herscovici

  • Affiliations:

  • Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT;Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT;Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT

  • Venue:
  • Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges
  • Year:
  • 2008

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Abstract

The authors conducted a survey of computing educators to better understand their objectives for assigning writing in computing courses, as well as to assess the impact of the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) movement on the field. Three general categories of writing are assessed: writing to learn, academic, and professional writing. The present survey's results, though limited, address the lack of any such data in the literature. The results point to a "gap" between types of writing---particularly between "writing-to-learn" and professional writing tasks. Filling this perceived gap is what the authors define as "legacy" writing. Results futher suggest that the WAC movement has had marginal influence on writing in computing education.