The Use of a Digital Pedagogical Tool to Support Writing Instruction in the Social Sciences

Abstract

This study describes the pedagogical use of an online digital tool designed to support students’ writing of research reports. The tool, Manuscript Builder, provides a structure and a set of prompts to support students’ writing. Participants included students enrolled in an undergraduate psychology course ( N = 22) who were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (Manuscript Builder, word document outline, and no-treatment control) across three different times throughout one semester. Results suggest the use of Manuscript Builder was associated with higher quality written reports compared with not using an outline and using a word document outline, most notably at Time 3. Further research may improve the use of supplemental resources such as Manuscript Builder for written instruction, particularly in the planning and revising stages.