Writing and Assessment--CMS Style

I've noticed two trends regarding how students write and how I evaluated student writing, as submitted through our Moodle CMS pages...

1. Given a good prompt, students are more likely to compose an extended response using a computer than they are using a pencil or pen and paper.
2. As a teacher, I find my attention being more drawn to the depth of their ideas rather than being distracted by mechanical (especially spelling) errors.

What this means, I think, is that since our students are comfortable using a computer, and I would argue, more comfortable on a compter than with pen or pencil in hand, their ability to compose thoughtful responses is increased through the access to their "comfort zone."

On my most recent exam in a blended-online literature course, I gave students a prompt on a current ethical issue that incorporated one non-fiction source, one required fiction source, and required a choice of two other fiction sources. The average response was around 900 words. Given the limited time, I was frankly surprised to hear the clickety-clack of the keybords right up until the end of the exam period.

Surprised, but satisfied. Best of all, the essays were, for the most part, awesome.