Conclusions and Implications

As technology continues to make its away into every part of our lives, we need to prepare our students to engage with it in meaningful, productive ways. We can integrate technology into our classrooms in several ways and use technology to extend the learning of our students beyond the confinements of the classroom walls. This study looked at a very specific digital space that used instant messaging interaction in order to tutor student writing. 


Writing labs have had a growing importance in the success of college students at various levels, including ESL students and first year composition students. Writing centers engage students in a writing process, providing instruction and feedback outside of the classroom when instructors may not be available for additional help. Online writing centers are no different, and it is important that research continue in this field to understand how to best help students utilize the OWL. 


This study has shown that tutors who simultaneously engage students in a conversation while reviewing their papers communicate ideas and suggestions more efficiently; keeping the students involved not only prevents them from engaging in other activities (both on- and off-line) during the tutoring session, but also gives them more opportunities to solicit help from their tutor and become autonomous writers. Communication is key to successful tutoring sessions in the OWL, and the use of IM features can better facilitate that communication and connection between student and tutor.


The information gathered here can be beneficial for tutor training and OWL development, especially OWLs that choose to use IM as their mode of CMC. While each tutoring session is unique, tutors who have a better understanding of IM features and recognize when students use them will be able to engage in a conversation that creates a connection between tutor and student.


This study might also be beneficial to teachers who are looking to continually engage their students in the writing process while also integrating technology into the classroom (Sweeny 125). Revision processes and review sessions are often too time consuming to take place in class regularly; instructors can send their students to an online tutoring site such as Tutor.com to encourage more revision while simultaneously increasing their digital literacies.


Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of online tutoring is that students engage in writing as their assignments are reviewed; online tutoring is a form of self-sponsored writing that is connected to academics but takes place outside of the classroom. As Haas, et al., say, there is a certain "excitement" of seeing this self-sponsored writing "integrated into and made important in peoples' lives" (379).