About Us


Letter from the Director

Welcome to the DWRL! For more than twenty years, the Lab has been dedicated to cutting-edge research and outstanding teaching at the intersection of writing, rhetoric, and technology. The DWRL was first conceived in this basement in the mid '80s by a renegade team of graduate student and faculty hackers, who began—off the clock and without established models—literally drilling holes in the walls in a crude but successful attempt to wire a classroom for synchronous online communication. In 1986, Jerry Bump and John Slatin wrote the grant proposals that scored a handful of computers and other institutional support for what would eventually become the Computer Writing & Research Lab, and then—as of 2009—the Digital Writing & Research Lab. Through the years, the Lab has maintained its pioneering legacy of experimentation and discovery, establishing itself as one of the largest, most innovative, and best funded labs of its kind in the country. And we are very happy that you have joined our team.

As you may know, the research we conduct in the Lab today is organized into project groups, each of which is designed to offer you significant developmental opportunities, as well as an impressive addition to your curriculum vitae and professional profile. Each of our projects relies heavily on collaboration, including such in-house projects as viz., Currents, and TheJUMP. You may also elect to be involved in an ongoing cross-campus project with the Harry Ransom Center. Or you may elect to be involved in a project group that will establish a new cross-campus or off-campus partnership. High profile institutions frequently agree to work with us both because the DWRL has earned a national reputation for its fine research agenda and because we are part of a department and a university that have very high research standards. Quality work has come to be expected from us, and it is imperative that we continue to meet that expectation if we hope to maintain these exceptional on- and off-campus relationships (and to develop new ones). You have been selected to join the DWRL team because we believe you will contribute to these projects and help us maintain our standard of excellence.

Though there is some flexibility about when and where you conduct the work for your project group, we prefer that you complete it during your proctoring hours. We do understand, however, that the intensity of the workflow may have varying rhythms, requiring more than three hours one week and less than three the next; there may also be tasks that you are unable to complete inside the Lab. We trust that you will find a way to conduct the work for your project and meet your proctoring commitments in a way that is both productive and economical for you; and we trust that the work you produce will be both high quality and on time, contributing to the overall success of your project group.

We now have many more applications than we have openings to fill here in the DWRL, and we are thrilled that you made the cut. We are committed to providing an opportunity for interested newcomers every year, to give as many graduate students as possible the chance to expand their horizons (and their vitas) here in the Lab. This means, however, that slots for returning staffers are highly competitive. Naturally, we try hard to keep the most dependable and productive members of the team. So if you are interested in returning to the DWRL in the future, the best way to help secure a spot for yourself is to produce timely, quality work, and to demonstrate a sustained investment in the Lab's projects, events, and overall mission. On a more somber note, let me mention that the current economic climate has sparked several significant cutbacks on campuses around the country, and UT is no exception. It is therefore crucial that we continue to show the department, the university, and the community more generally, that our research and our deliverables are relevant, exciting, and necessary. I have no doubt that we will do just that.

We are glad you're here, and we look forward to working with you in several capacities.

Sincerely,

Diane Davis's Signature

Diane Davis, Director


Mission Statement

Positioned at the intersection of rhetoric, writing, and technology, the Digital Writing & Research Lab at the University of Texas at Austin dedicates itself—practically, pedagogically, and theoretically—to the identification and promotion of twenty-first century literacies. These literacies, both multiple and malleable, range from navigating online newsfeeds and participating in social networking sites to composing powerfully persuasive multimedia texts that require producing, sampling, and/or remixing media content. DWRL research projects aim to offer instructors the tools they need to teach their students key communicative competencies in an increasingly technologized global environment. These competencies, which are a requisite part of any liberal education today and are necessary to critical thinking, effective communicating, and active citizenship, include the capacity to:

  • proficiently use current software packages and technological devices,
  • effectively collaborate, synchronously and asynchronously, across spatial barriers,
  • confidently produce, analyze, and share information in various digital formats, and
  • efficiently manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information.

Benefits of Working in the DWRL

The DWRL staff is delighted to welcome you to the DWRL, whether you are new to the Lab or returning for another year. We have been working hard to ensure that the upcoming semesters are going to be exciting and rewarding for your professional development and for the DWRL community in general. Here are some good reasons to work in the Lab.

Professional Opportunities

  • Teaching in our state-of-the-art classrooms offers you the rare opportunity to develop your own distinctive pedagogical philosophy and practices, incorporating technological elements that are fresh, multi-modal and innovative.
  • Our research groups provide you with invaluable experience in collaborative work on projects that represent cutting edge research in computers and writing. This experience will help you stand out in the job market, and may open up rich avenues of possibility for your research portfolio.
  • The experience you gain in DWRL classrooms and project groups can help you to develop collaborative or solo-authored publications and conference presentations.
  • The DWRL offers competitive funding to go to technology-related events such as conferences.
  • The DWRL servers will host your personal C.V. pages so that you can showcase professionalization, pedagogical and personal achievements.
  • All DWRL instructors have the opportunity to apply for the annual Slatin Award, which acknowledges excellence in the use of technology in the classroom.

Membership in a Vibrant Community

  • Benefit from and use the contributions of your DWRL colleagues, which include regularly published lesson plans and workshops showcasing work from project groups and classrooms.
  • In-house training is available to you in the form of regular workshops and access to software specialists dedicated to helping you get up to speed in the use of particular software applications and teaching know-how.
  • FAC 14 & PAR 102 give you access to DWRL computers, software, printers and other tools. Just as importantly, these spaces give you chance to catch up with other instructors, brainstorm ideas and solve problems.
  • Attendance at our Speakers Series gives you the opportunity to partake in both formal and informal conversations with leaders in the field of computers and writing.
  • If you like the kind of collaborative research that we undertake in the DWRL and have ideas about how we can further enhance our mission and profile, then you are encouraged to apply for summer funding to work at the Lab.

Technological Resources

  • We offer powerfully equipped, networked classrooms with the latest software. Whether you need professional software like the newest version of the Adobe Suite or the latest web app that's all the rage on TechCrunch, you and your class have the opportunity to test it out. And we can help you figure out the best practical pedagogical strategies to implement your ideas.
  • We are one of the few organizations at UT that has a dedicated server and technical support staff. This means that we can help you with nearly all your technological and administrative needs in-house.
  • The hardware available at the DWRL is not limited to the machines in the classrooms. You the opportunity to check out a wide variety of hardware, including:
    • digital voice recorders,
    • digital point-and-shoot cameras,
    • digital video cameras,
    • a green screen,
    • a Wacom pen tablet,
    • video game consoles,
    • portable LCD projectors,
    • a USB turntable, and
    • laptops.
  • We also offer free, secure, and nearly unlimited storage capacity for you to back up your dissertation materials, course documents, letters of recommendation, or any other important work-related files. All of this material remains available for up to one year after you have graduated from UT.