The Computer Expert in Mixed-Gendered Collaborative Writing Groups

Joanna Wolfe University of Louisville Hospital ; Kara Poe Alexander University of Louisville Hospital

Abstract

When mixed-gendered student teams collaborate on technical writing tasks, a single male often emerges as the group computer expert. The effects of this trend on perceptions of workload are unknown. This article reports the results of a study in which 12 mixed-gendered teams answered questionnaires on the division and perceptions of labor in their teams. Detailed case studies of four teams supplement the questionnaires. Findings suggest that computer work was highly visible, highly valued, and dominated by men. By contrast, writing was less visible and selectively recognized. Some men were credited with strong writing skills even though they did not produce writing for the project. Moreover, some students explicitly leveraged their computer expertise to avoid writing; furthermore, these computer experts rarely shared technical expertise with others in the context of the team project.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2005-04-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651904272978
Open Access
Closed
Topics

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (9)

  1. Teaching English in the Two-Year College
  2. Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 9 →
  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Written Communication

Cites in this index (5)

  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Computers and Composition
  5. Written Communication
Also cites 5 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.2190/427X-RKEL-QLA5-PUK9
  2. 10.7551/mitpress/2440.001.0001
  3. 10.1080/0141192950210303
  4. 10.1016/0360-1315(90)90058-F
  5. 10.1177/108056990106400413
CrossRef global citation count: 20 View in citation network →