Written Communication Jan 2014 Open Access

Ubiquitous Writing, Technologies, and the Social Practice of Literacies of Coordination

Stacey Pigg University of Central Florida ; Jeffrey T. Grabill Michigan State University ; Beth Brunk-Chavez ; Jessie L. Moore Elon University ; Paula Rosinski Elon University ; Paul G. Curran

Abstract

This article shares results from a multi-institutional study of the role of writing in college students’ lives. Using case studies built from a larger population survey along with interviews, diaries, and a daily SMS texting protocol, we found that students report SMS texting, lecture notes, and emails to be the most frequent writing practices in college student experience and that these writing practices are often highly valued by students as well. Our data suggest that college students position these pervasive and important writing practices as coordinative acts that create social alignment. Writing to coordinate people and things is more than an instrumental practice: through this activity, college students not only operate within established social collectives that shape literacy but also actively participate in building relationships that support them. In this regard, our study of writing as it functions in everyday use helps us understand contemporary forms of social interaction.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
2014-01-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088313514023
Open Access
OA PDF Green
Topics
multilingual writers

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (12)

  1. Caravella et al. (2026)
    Accessibility in virtual reality: A multimodal user experience framework for co…
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  4. Nissi et al. (2022)
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  5. Corbel et al. (2022)
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Show all 12 →
  1. Gold et al. (2020)
    Who’s Afraid of Facebook? A Survey of Students’ Online Writing Practices
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  2. Pihlaja (2020)
    Inventing Others in Digital Written Communication: Intercultural Encounters on …
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  3. Spinuzzi et al. (2019)
    “Coworking Is About Community”: But What Is “Community” in Coworking?
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Blevins (2018)
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  5. Ching (2018)
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  6. Spinuzzi et al. (2016)
    How Magnets Attract and Repel
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  7. Walls (2015)
    Access(ing) the Coordination of Writing Networks
    Computers and Composition

Cites in this index (5)

  1. Buck (2012)
    Examining Digital Literacy Practices on Social Network Sites
    Research in the Teaching of English
  2. Haas et al. (2011)
    Young People’s Everyday Literacies: The Language Features of Instant Messaging1
    Research in the Teaching of English
  3. Roozen (2009)
    “Fan Fic-ing” English Studies: A Case Study Exploring the Interplay of Vernacul…
    Research in the Teaching of English
  4. Geisler et al. (2001)
    IText
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. TOMLINSON (1984)
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    Written Communication
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CrossRef global citation count: 28 View in citation network →

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