Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine if low-achieving eighth-grade Hispanic students who use the computer to complete their writing assignments would outperform students of the same type who use a pen and pencil for the same purpose. Methodology. The researcher used a quasi-experimental approach. The population consisted of 152 low-achieving Hispanic students. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group. The experimental group used a computer thirty-five minutes each day to complete English writing assignments, while the control group completed the same tasks using pen and pencil methods. A writing test developed by the state of California was administered at the beginning of the project and again at the end. Results on the writing test were measured using a five-point rubric. Effects were also analyzed by examining the students' scores on the language section of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS), semester language arts grade, and gender. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the results statistically. Findings. This study found that students in the experiment group significantly outperformed students in the control group on the writing measure. Students who used computers, on average, scored 20 percent more on the writing rubric than their handwriting counterparts. In addition, the analyzed data indicated that these effects were more pervasive and pronounced for students whose beginning skills were the lowest. Students whose skills improved the most also registered the most improvement in their confidence and in their general attitudes toward writing. Conclusions and recommendations. Low-achieving Hispanic students can improve their writing skills significantly by using a computer to complete writing assignments. This study indicates that the lowest students need computers the most. It is recommended that schools develop technology-rich programs which address the development of basic skills in writing at the middle-school level for Hispanic students. Other areas for further research include: broadening the study to include early grade levels (i.e., sixth and seventh), examining the effects of computer usage on limited English proficient students, and studying the long-range effects on writing of computer usage.