While more and more higher education institutes build computer laboratories or CALL laboratories to improve their educational facilities and to attract prospective students, the educators' burden to use them efficiently increases. However, not all of the language teachers are experts on educational technology, especially computers. Except some of the computer wizards most of them can not use computers for their teaching situations so easily. They often use word processors for their own purposes such as writing papers and end up with using word processors in their composition classes because they are familiar with word processing. Therefore, the organizers selected computer-assisted writing (CAW) as the topic for the first CALL conference in 1993.
This conference, the National Conference on Computers and Composition 1993 (NCCC'93), was held at Kinjo Gakuin University, Nagoya, Japan, on September 14-15 1993. It was co-sponsored by the Japan Association of Language Teachers (JALT) - Nagoya Chapter and the JALT CALL National Special Interest Group (JALT CALL N-SIG) and endorsed by the Language Laboratory Association (LLA) and the Nagoya City Board of Education. Over 150 people gathered for 33 different styles of presentations from all over Japan as well as several presenters from the U.S. and one from Hong Kong. There were also commercial displays of software, hardware, and books.
This volume is a collection of 22 papers (of the total 33 presentations) from conference grouped into 8 chapters. These are not reports of what happened in the presentations, but papers based on the content of the presentations. None of the papers are "final" reports. Because CALL is still in its infancy, especially in Japan, these papers are, in a sense, interium reports as the writers explore CALL and CAW and share their knowledge, experiment results, insights, and hypotheses. The editors wish that readers of this volume will find something interesting or something they can use in their classes. Each chapter's topic, writer and title are as follows:
1. Basics in Computer-Assisted Writing Kluge, David. "Basic Elements of the Computer in the Composition Classroom." 5-12. Acton, William & Brine, John. "Composition, Computers and Culture." 13- 32.
2. Practical Uses of Computers in Composition Courses Wright, Barbara et al. "Computer-Assisted Writing Class: Is it for everyone?" 33-40 Oishi, Harumi & Kumai, William N. "Using word processors or computers in process writing." 43-52. Miyao, Mariko. "Software in your computer: Tools to motivate students to write." 53-60. Lundelius, Jay. "Teaching word processing skills: A basic writing approach." 61-76.
3. Using Spelling and Grammar Checkers in the Composition Class Keobke, Ken. "Is spellingcheck a word?: spelling checkers versus traditional dictionaries." 79-90. McGuire, Steve. "Grammar checkers: Is they is, or is they ain't a good idea." 91-100.
4. Computers and Composition in Japan Wood, David J. "Word processors and word professors in Japan." 103-108. Hinkelman, Don W. "Home-based Japanese word processors for English composition teaching." 109-120. Komori, Saeko. "Japanese instruction through idea processor Acta 7." 121- 132. Aljets, Merritt. "Computer composition teaching and student attitudes." 133-142.
5. Hypertext, HyperCard, and Composition Ryan, Kevin. "Cooperative writing in a hypertext environment." 145-154. Amma, Kazuo. "Using a HyperCard help stack ronbun sakusei guide for academic thesis writing." 155-164. Kobayashi, Kaoru. "Writing papers in English: A HyperCard stack for Japanese students." 165-172. Shiozawa, Tadashi et al. "Read'n'Writer: Computer-assisted inductive instruction." 173-188. Sugiura, Masatoshi & Ozeki, Shuji. "Introduction to HyperCard and composition: HyperComp." 189-198.
6. Computer Networks and Composition Hart, Betty L. "Teaching in collaborative and electronic environments." 201- 212. Furuya, Chisato. "A double e-mail system for TEFL on campus." 213-220. McGuire, Steve. "An introduction to electronic resources available to teachers in Japan: NiftyServe, BBSs in Japan, and TESL-L." 221-230.
7. Programming for Composition Kumai, William N. "Using Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0 to create CAW software." 233-240.
8. Bibliography Susser, Bernard. "Bibliography of computers and writing." 243-258.
For further information on ordering a copy or several copies of the Proceedings or joining JALT CALL N-SIG, contact Prof. David Kluge, Kinjo Gakuin University, 2-1723 Omori, Moriyama-ku, Nagoya 463 Japan Telephone: +81-52-798-0180 Fax: +81-52-799-2089. Email: kluge@kinjo-u.ac.jp