ABSTRACT
At USU, synchronous communications software has allowed us to create an effective learning environment for first-year composition students in our online writing lab that is easy for students and tutors to use, requires only basic hardware, and, according to our students, has proven to be very effective as a distance tutoring model. This chapter outlines the events that led to the creation of the OWL, provides an overview of how the system works, views student responses, and, finally, looks to the future of our OWL.
