ABSTRACT
For over 2 decades, scholars and practitioners alike in first-year composition have
asked the question, “How have/will computers change the way in which we teach
writing?” One of the most valuable answers we’d suggest, based on our experience
with our particular software, is that they have changed the way in which we can do
research about the teaching of writing. Our contribution will look at what has essen-
tially been a redesign and rebuild of software originally developed in the 1990s. The
purpose of our redesign and rebuild was essentially twofold: first, to create a stable and
dependable working environment for students and instructors, and second, to take
advantage of the research opportunities that existed but were not accessible in the
previous software or in any commercial product. While our project (Raider Writer)
isn’t complete yet, we are wrapping up our second phase of transition while beginning
our third phase of migration into our new platform.
