Writing Research Lab
The Writing Research Lab, located in Room 109 of Trevor Colbourn Hall, is a dedicated lab space for writing-related projects, consultations on development of SOTL, and research projects that investigate writing.
The writing lab is ideal for individual and group project work, workshops, and presentations because it is near the University Writing Center and is easily reconfigurable.
Projects
Recently Dr. Joel Schneier, a member of the UCF Writing and Rhetoric Faculty, used the lab for a research project. He explained,
“In collaboration with the SeALe Lab (in the Dept. of Learning Sciences), we studied the self-regulated writing processes of first-year writing students. This involved scheduling FYW students to engage in a reflective writing task for thirty minutes in the lab, during which we collected keystroke and facial recognition data. This has allowed us to analyze the reflective text students wrote, how they wrote that text, and their facial expressions of emotions during writing. Doing so has contributed to stronger understanding of the interplay between emotions and self-regulation during writing.
Benefits of the Writing Research Lab
- It’s easy to access
- It’s a distraction-free space to write
- Students participating in the lab are introduced to the WAC space and University Writing Center.
Supporting Tools and Software
According to Dr. Schneier, “The lab included a desktop computer with dual monitors, which allowed us to collect keystroke and video data. Further, the privacy of the space was helpful for providing a distraction-free space for participants.”