Date of Award

2017

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in English

Specialization

Rhetoric and Composition

Department

English

First Advisor

Renee Hobbs

Abstract

My study, “Exploring the Use of NoRedInk as a Tool for Writing and Composition Instruction,” addresses the questions: (1) How do students experience NoRedInk in the context of a community college writing class? and (2) Is there a relationship between students’ attitudes towards grammar and their performance on the digital platform? Despite a century of research showing that traditional grammar instruction does not improve students’ writing, recent national standards and high stakes tests directly address grammar.

The nature of my research questions lent itself to a mixed-methods approach. The results of my quantitative research from the NoRedInk platform provided me with the data I needed to answer my first research question. The qualitative data that I gathered from student journal entries and the one-on-one interviews allowed me to draw conclusions about students’ attitudes towards grammar and the relationship between their attitudes and their performance on the digital platform. I was not able to answer my second research question with statistical tests because there was little variation in my students’ attitudes. Almost all of my students’ pre-existing attitudes towards grammar were negative. I was, however, able to use the data to procure my students’ input on using the digital platform.

I found that students’ attitudes about grammar instruction were varied, but they shared many common viewpoints.

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