New Spaces and Old Places: An Analysis of Writing Assessment Software

This article examines the strengths and weaknesses of emerging writing assessment technologies. Instead of providing a comprehensive review of each program, we take a deliberately selective approach using three key understandings about writing as a framework for analysis: writing is a socially situated activity; writing is functionally and formally diverse; and writing is a meaning-making activity that can be conveyed in multiple modalities. We conclude that the programs available today largely neglect the potential of emerging technologies to promote a broader vision of writing. Instead, they tend to align with the narrow view of writing dominant in a more recent era of testing and accountability, a view that is increasingly thrown into question. New technologies, we conclude, are for the most part being used to reinforce old practices. At a time when computer technology is increasingly looked to as a way to improve assessment, these findings have important implications.