Appropriating Zoom to host and conduct writing center tutorials

Abstract

This paper explores the technological affordances of using Zoom for pedagogical purposes in the context of one-to-one writing center tutorials. First, the theoretical pedagogical framework that informs writing center tutorials is explained and the salient mediating affordances of Zoom technology are outlined. Then, tutor and student qualitative feedback from the beta testing of a virtual writing center hosted in Zoom are presented and briefly discussed. The feedback suggests that Zoom has a range of technological affordances that can be employed by educators to host and conduct meaningful writing center tutorials in an undergraduate EMI context.