This is my presentation from the East Central Writing Centers Association Conference from 2008. It is a way of creating a cheaper and more effective way of interacting with Writing Center clients online rather than paying significant amounts of money to companies such as WC Online and so on.

1. Writing Center Hacks: Tapping into the Possibilities of Freeware Casey McArdle Ball State University

2. Online Tutoring Cheap? User Friendly? Not just “Fix it” Audio & Video?

5. How do we re-create that face-to-face environment online? Image: http://projects.uwc.utexas.edu/praxis/files/featured_center_1_sp06.jpg

6. Writing Center costs: Software: $500 to $3,000 Subscription: $1000 a year Web Cam: $100 Microphone: $50 -------- alot

7. Student costs: Software: $500 to $3,000 Computer: $1,000 to $2,500 ----------- alot

8. Freeware: Software: $0 Computer: $0 Web Cam: $100 Microphone: $50 ----------- not so much

9. Freeware: Google Docs, Google Talk Skype & Google Docs Expensiveware: Voice Thread WC Online

14. Tutor’s View

15. Student’s View

21. Expensiveware & Freeware… WCOnline Scheduler Google Docs Google Talk or Skype