Not seeing is relieving: Invisible writing with computers

Word processors with adjustable video screens are used to test students´ writing facility with and without visual feedback. Lack of visual feedback seems to have a salutory effect in forcing concentration onto emerging thoughts rather than words and sentences. It also prevents interrupting the train of thought to edit and correct every few sentences. `Local editing´ is regarded as counterproductive because it deals with individual words and lines instead of reconceptualization and reorganization. For some students, however, the lack of feedback per se was disturbing and thought-disrupting.