Beyond the Essay: A Multimodal Writing Project to Support New (and Old) Literacies Within a Writing Curriculum

• In Event: 79.050 - MTCC Roundtable Session 36
  In Roundtable Session: 79.050-13 - Literacy Research in Adolescence

Abstract

This paper assesses a broadening of the nature and modality of college writing assignments and encourages discussion and deliberation around future roles of the essay in writing curriculum, based on outcomes of an innovative writing project. Focusing particularly on impacts for at-risk first-year students, we studied digital writing that replaced one core essay, encouraging students to incorporate a range of media and design elements with text into a comprehensive digitized format on biographical/historical topics. Digital writing theory and results of the pilot are explored. Surveys, observations, and samples show increase in motivation to write, improved critical media literacy, greater connections between writing and lived experiences, and benefits to writing achievement. Students found the assignment challenging, engaging; essential scaffolding is identified.

Author

• Kristen Nielsen, University of Calgary