A new literacy map of *research and scholarship in computers and writing

An examination of published articles in the field of computers and writing suggests that many scholars explicitly or implicitly draw on literacy theories and perspectives that appear (understandably) to best suit their objectives. They do so without necessarily focusing on or interrogating those theories and perspectives. Such approaches to literacy, defined as "autonomous literacy models" in New Literacy studies, often assume tacit and naturalistic views of literacy as an end product of ideological goals. For scholars in computers and writing who make implied or direct claims about literacy in their published work, this study argues the value of locating such claims in broader frames of literacy theory, such as New Literacy studies.;This study examines theoretical literacy frames and claims in scholarship and research in computers and writing published in four writing studies journals from 1994 to 2000. Articles were coded according to literacy ideologies (based on the work of Brian Street): The literacy ideologies were defined and classified as: functionalist literacy, cultural literacy, literacy-as-personal-growth, literacy-as-social-growth, critical literacy, and social literacy. Among other contributions, this study demonstrates that a classification system of theories of literacy and literate practices can be used to map contemporary scholarship in theory, research, and teaching practices in computers and writing. In the process, this study maps one small area of the ideological landscape of the field in terms of its literacy assumptions.;Results indicate that over the past six years although there has been a growing interest in more social approaches to literacy in computers and writing, an ideological mapping of the scholarship reveals consistent patterns which indicate that prevailing literacy theories and perspectives scholars draw on are predominantly autonomous literacy models. In terms of scholarship and pedagogy in computers and writing, the literacy ideologies that may be touted are not necessarily the ones that are professed.;The study concludes that as innovations in computer technologies open potentials for new local and global spaces for the study and teaching of writing, it is necessary for scholars in the field to reflect on their own ideological perspectives and the landscapes that currently define approaches to literacy.