Writing Center Readings

I glanced back over the pages of TCWH today trying to find something to bring up in class. The last article in the book, "Mentoring in Electronic Spaces," seems especially fitting at the moment, since we're blogging right now. We're so used to computers and the internet now that it feels strange to even think about a time before we did so many things electronically. A main point of the article is the importance of professionals (in this case writing center professionals) to be able to connect with other professionals as effectively as possible. It's so much easier to share ideas electronically. We can email each other, blog, or construct personal websites.

Another way to think about the importance of email and the internet--and something I had not thought of before--is in terms of budget. Clearly, writing centers have not historically received the same amount of financial support as, say, the athletic programs. The internet and its capabilities level the playing field to some extent. We can email other writing center tutors or show tutees online documentation guides, etc., and all for minimal cost.

One aspect of this article that I feel conflicted about, however, is the concept of electronic mentoring. Showing someone the OWL website is one thing, but the article promotes the idea of actually tutoring a student via email. The Clemson writing center chooses not to perform this function, but should we consider it? The author here confesses that electronic mentoring requires more subtlety than face to face tutoring, which, I believe, is an understatement. We could perhaps construct a list of frequently asked questions that students could access any time, but I feel that the tutoring experience should be more personal, more hands-on.

The article also mentions an online writing center, the WCenter. The author praises the WCenter for its accessibility and denouncement of the "crankiness" often seen in other academic fields. The author comments on the clowning and fellowship that goes on within the confines of WCenter. I couldn't help but think of some of the posts made by Gordy, Matt, and me on our blogs. We were embodying typical writing center mentoring without even knowing it.

I found the topic of electronic mentoring quite relevant to writing center pedagogy. As we move more and more into the use of digital media in our everyday lives, this issue will grow ever more fundamental. How should we approach tutoring in a digital age? Should we offer online tutoring sessions? Should we give up trying to give a personal feel to tutoring? For now, I say we definitely should not