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...technical communication. current version includes modules press releases in English, business letters in French, and minute taking in Dutch. Unlike many online writing centers, it is genre-specific and context-specific, it is highly interactive rather than linear; it uses a process approach to cater to different learning styles, it accommodates different writer profiles, and it is an instructional tool not connected to a physical writing center:
Keywords: online writing centers; press releases; writing processes; learning styles; self-efficacy; peer feedback
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CALLIOPE, THE MUSE of writers, is the name of the online writing center developed at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. One of the first of its kind in Europe, the center allows learners to enhance their professional writing skills in one or more of five different languages: Dutch, English, French, German, and Spanish (a prototype version is available at www.calliope.be; see Figure 1).
[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]
This article describes the special features of Calliope and provides a preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of one of its modules.
BASIC STRUCTURE OF EACH MODULE
Calliope reflects the pedagogical framework of social constructivism and problem-based learning (Evensen & Hmelo, 2000; Glasgow, 1997; Schwartz, Mennin, & Webb, 2001). It is constructed as a (half-)open environment that combines learner-guided learning and system-guided learning. Whereas learning objectives about process and product have been set in advance, learners can choose different paths to meet those objectives. At present, there are modules on the press release in English, business letters in French, and minute taking in Dutch.
As Figure 2 shows, each learning module divides into two branches: One tracks a subset of skills particularly applicable to that module, including theory and practice; and the other provides cases that help students apply those skills. For example, the module on press releases contains information on the following subjects: history, functions, topics, preformulation (matching the expectations of media outlets for such a genre), structure (start, headline, lead, paragraphs, boilerplate, end, disclaimer), style, reference, and quotations. In addition, there is a short bibliography for further reading. The content of the module is based on extensive research (e.g. Jacobs, 1999; Sleurs, Jacobs, & Van Waes, 2003).
[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]
The cases include the much-publicized September 2002 explosion at the ExxonMobil distribution terminal on Staten Island, New York. Each case takes learners through the different stages of the writing process. In the ExxonMobil one, students can compare their press release with the original from the company.
Cross-references between the branches help learners know where they are in the process and provide different approaches. Icons and textual elements help orient learners and invite them to interactively explore the module (see the Web site). The cases pose problems that learners must solve step by step. At any point as they work, they can go to the theory and practice branch to fine-tune any skills needed to solve the problem. Depending on their own preferences and learning style, learners may also choose to start the case without looking at the theory first. Whatever their approach, by the end of the session they have to master the theory and they should be able to produce an effective document.
PROCESS APPROACH IN CALLIOPE'S DESIGN
Most writing centers provide advice on subprocesses that characterize writing, like planning, formulating (or translating), and revision. Such advice is often grounded in statements about the recursive nature of writing. But the instruction itself is often presented linearly as a series of tips that inform learners. Instead, our approach is more interactive, a strategy that may reflect our different institutional context. For example, the well-known writing center at Purdue University has both an online component and a physical presence. The center offers tutoring, both face to face and through e-mail. The online component complements this tutoring and disseminates general information to a larger audience (see owl.english.purdue.edu). The University of Antwerp, on the other hand, does not have a physical writing center and does not offer personalized tutoring. Students do most of their writing for specific business communication courses. Calliope is integral to classroom instruction and provides a preliminary learning path.
In the design of Calliope, the process leading to the end product, and not the end product itself, plays the central role. Learners are invited to...
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