Shifting Digital Media Composition Practices of an Early Adolescent Writer

• In Event: Taking the Long View: Learning From Longitudinal Studies of Writing

Abstract

Objectives
Reporting on a longitudinal study focused on the digital composition practices of youth, this poster describes data from a three-year descriptive case study of an early adolescent writer. Questions guiding the inquiry include: (1) In what ways do the digital composition practices of an early adolescent writer change over time? (2) How do the affordances and constraints of digital media production influence composition practices of an early adolescent writer?

Theoretical framework
The digital writing tools used in the composition of digital texts foster connections between the writer and audience, integrate modal resources, allow for ongoing revision, and organize content as linked concepts rather than linear text (Bezemer & Kress, 2008). Martin (2008) argued that in order to enable constructive social action, digital writers need to develop the ability to use digital tools to construct new knowledge, create media expressions, and communicate with others in social contexts.

Methods
At the start of this study, Esme (pseudonym) was a ten-year-old female enrolled in an academically gifted program at her public school. Throughout the study, Esme created and self-selected digital media samples to share during our interviews scheduled every four months. In order to observe the types of digital media she valued, I was intentionally vague regarding the type of samples to bring. Additionally, Esme provided access to her online outlets for digital media creation.

Data sources
The data sources include transcribed notes from audio-recorded participant interviews, self-selected digital media samples (e.g., digital stories, character sheets, role-playing dialogue), and writing artifacts created in online spaces (e.g., Scratch; Roblox). I completed a content analysis (Krippendorff, 2013) of participant artifacts to generate specific interview questions focused on composition practices observed within and across artifacts. I used inductive analysis (Hatch, 2002) to analyze data collected to identify and establish themes.

Results
Based upon the analysis of data, I created three domains to demonstrate how Esme’s composition practices shifted and how the affordances and constraints of digital media production influenced her composition practices. The domains identified include: 1) migratory composition practices, 2) audience influenced composition practices, and 3) increased emphasis on narrative development. Across the study timeframe, Esme shifted to a variety of digital media spaces to enhance her composition practices and interaction with online peers. Esme began creating digital media in Scratch, an online programming community. Within two years, Esme and most of her online peers migrated to alternative online spaces to compose digital media. The online spaces selected influenced the type and quality of texts created.

Scholarly significance
Youth are seeking new spaces for communication and composition, accessing a wide range of information sources, searching for new audiences, engaging in new communities, and creating new relationships (Vasudevan, 2010). Exponential growth in technology provides increased meaning-making opportunities, with new tools in new spaces, as youth come of age in a digital and globalized world. In response, researchers need to examine the ways youth composition practices shift to use new tools within new spaces.

Author

• Julia Hagge, The Ohio State University - Marion