Kyle Larson

Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Zamsky, Robert

Keywords

Computer Program, Critical Pedagogy, Internet, Writing, Digital Technology

Area of Concentration

Literature

Abstract

This thesis proposes the creation of an online writing lab (OWL) for critical intervention in the digital environment. In particular, I construct an OWL that utilizes the distinct characteristics and possibilities available in the digital medium rather than merely reproducing the conventions of the print medium. For this purpose, I build a theoretical foundation that informs the OWL’s development, create a model OWL, and analyze the model OWL as a rhetorical construct. The theoretical foundation builds upon social constructionism and poetics to address the epistemological soundness of critical pedagogy and the unethical nature of banking education. The theories in this thesis have been compiled from books and essays in the fields of poetics, rhetoric, pedagogy, education, interface design, media studies, and composition studies. This thesis argues that the digital medium of the Internet is a productive avenue for critical intervention due to its diverse audience and expressive versatility. In doing so, it challenges neoliberal pedagogy and the culture of positivism, especially in regards to current OWLs and their use of current-traditionalism.

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