LaTeXnics: The effect of specialized typesetting software on STEM students’ composition processes

Undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students are often trained to use technical typesetting software in order to produce authentic mathematical prose, though little research exists about how this writing technology impacts students’ thinking and computation process. Drawing upon survey and interview research conducted at two liberal arts institutions, the authors investigate student writing practices across several undergraduate mathematics courses that required the use of LaTeX (a common markup language allowing users to specify the appearance of text and its layout on the printed page). This article presents findings about how the use of LaTeX slowed down students’ writing process, encouraging greater revision and reflection as well as allowing students to identify errors in their work at more than one stage in the process. We also explore the affective learning outcomes of STEM students using typesetting software, including increased feelings of confidence and professionalization. This article seeks to contribute to the growing conversation about how STEM students transfer knowledge about writing across disciplines.