The Conclusions

Based on the results of a survey of several hundred composition students responding to questions regarding their practices in reading and composing with technology, several conclusions can be drawn:

• Students have become primarily, if not exclusively, consumers of web texts.
• Students composing with web technologies today are likely "(com)posers"--students using and reading new-media, but not composing themselves with it, critically assessing it and its influence on culture and literacy practices.
• Students are likely not redefining their notions of “text” or “composing” as Devoss et al imply. Much like the "posers" in area skate parks and rock clubs, "(com)posers" have an awareness and perhaps an interest in new-media, but they are far from realizing the critical potential of such technologies. Instead, they simply consume them.

Suggestions for Future Research:

• Future studies on student reading and composing practices with technology should investigate emerging technologies such as podcasting, vodcasting and screencasting as well as other popular ones not included in this study, such as online survey sites like ratemyprofessors.com and pickaprof.com.
• Future studies should survey students at different institutional types such as two-year community and technical colleges.
• Future studies should also survey students at the end of their undergraduate careers, not just at the beginning of them. However, identifying an adequate sample size, such as the one provided by most first-year composition courses, might present its own set of challenges and variables.