Mightier Than the Pen Even writing, that most solitary of pursuits, has gone interactive. Writing in college just isn’t the same anymore. The laborious tasks of basic editing have been improved, of course, by word processing, "spell checking," and the electronic thesaurus. But student writers can now propose topics to their professors via e-mail and receive prompt feedback. They can also rely on the Web for ready research, that is, if they’ve learned how to pick through the trash for treasures. And at IC many writing students are likely to find themselves in a networked computer classroom, where composing at computers is part of the day’s work. Since 1991 half the writing faculty have been teaching in this manner, with about 650 students benefiting from the approach each term. "It generally encourages interaction, collaboration, and an awareness of process," says assistant professor Barbara Adams, who coordinates the writing program’s two networked classrooms. Students in these classes frequently use an electronic dialogue program — sort of a cross between a bulletin board and a chat room — as a main interactive writing tool. They exchange ideas, brainstorm, analyze assigned readings, and critique each other’s work — all on-line. "The value of this program," says Jerry Mirskin, associate professor of writing, "is that it multiplies conversation, creates dialogue, and enriches students’ language and learning experience. That’s the theory. What the theory doesn’t show is how engaged students are when they’re using it." Economics major Anthony Odita ’01 concurs: "It gives you a chance to get your ideas out — especially for those who don’t like to speak out loud in class. And even after class, you can go back and review what was said."