Regarding the use of computers in composition, one of the more persistent calls put forth in articles in College English, CCC, Computers and Composition, and on BITNET lists like MBU and WPA, and in conference presentations, workshops -- both local and national -- and even in casual conversations in elevators and hallways, is a call for proof.

Proof.

People want proof about the following:

* Proof that people write better on computers.
* Proof that peer work and group work succeed better than drill and practice.
* Proof that classroom and interclass e-mail isn't a trivial use of instructional time.
* Proof that computer network interaction is more egalitarian and less racist and sexist than face-to-face interaction
* Proof that any new idea actually works, is actually better than what teachers are currently doing in their classrooms, no matter what that may be.