Digital writing and (digital) literacy development

This project aims to study literacy acquisition and competence by developing student engagement in digitally produced writing and by examining the role of keyboard skills and certain grammar constructions in literacy development. The research team is made up of Dr Michelle Aldridge-Waddon, Dr Lise Fontaine and Katy Jones from the Cardiff School of English, Communication and Philosophy at Cardiff University.

Ultimately, we hope our project will be able to inform the national literacy framework and contribute towards improving literacy standards across England and Wales.

As a first stage in the project, we are trying to gather information about the current practice of keyboard use and typing in schools.

For information about our digital writing practices survey, please visit our survey page.

We are currently working on a bilingual study of keyboard skills of students in Welsh and in English in collaboration with Luuk van Waes at the University of Antwerp and using his InputLog software.

Publications

• Fontaine, L. M. and Aldridge-Waddon, M. 2016. The impact of mode on writing processes: a cognitive functional perspective on student writing. LyCE Estudios 17, pp. 7-32.
• Aldridge-Waddon, M. and Fontaine, L. In press. The role of working memory in typing fluency: a new perspective on writing activity. In Sullivan and Lindgren (eds.) Observing writing: logging handwriting and computer keystrokes. Leiden: Brill Editions.