Pagecasting in the UWC: Writing, Digital Media, and Communtiy Outreach

As writing centers adapt to the influx of students with nontraditional writing assignments, such as hypertexts and other digital creations, the response of consultants and administrators has often been a somewhat defensive one. To some extent, writing centers must see new technology from this type of reactionary perspective: students bring in writing projects that their instructors assign, and consultants respond as best they can to meet the students’ writing needs. But writing centers are in the unique position to take a lead role in developing technologically aided approaches to education. Therefore, in the face of adapting to the challenges of these new forms of writing, we have taken a proactive role in teaching students to write in digital environments. Using writing center methods and philosophy in a classroom environment, we have found that we can empower students to express themselves in digital media and, in the process, improve their writing in more traditional text-based forms.