The uses—and limits—of distraction-free writing

Kory Lawson Ching

doi:10.1016/j.compcom.2023.102793

Computers and Composition Sep 2023 Open Access

The uses—and limits—of distraction-free writing

Kory Lawson Ching University of California, Davis

Abstract

This article examines the potential uses—and limits—of so-called “distraction-free” writing software, especially in academic writing contexts. It does so by presenting findings from two different qualitative studies, one in which graduate students experimented with such tools and reflected on their experiences, and another study in which undergraduate students composed reflective essays about their writing processes. Taken together, these findings indicate that distraction-free writing may only prove useful within a relatively narrow band of composing activity. Moreover, they suggest that participants’ beliefs and understandings of what constitutes writing activity—and distraction from it—are both broader and more fluid than tacit assumptions embedded in distraction-free writing software. Ultimately, the point is not necessarily to critique this class of software, but instead to use it as an occasion to better understand phenomena related to composing processes, such as attention, distraction, and motivation.

Journal: Computers and Composition
Published: 2023-09-01
DOI: 10.1016/j.compcom.2023.102793
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Open Access: OA PDF Hybrid
Topics: graduate education
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The uses—and limits—of distraction-free writing

Abstract

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

References (28) · 14 in this index

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