Write4Change: Adolescents' Expressed Needs in a Digital Writing Community

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research in Progress Roundtable Session One
  In Roundtable Session: Examining Literacy Development and Writing Performance and Discourse of Adolescents (Table 8)

Abstract

This research documents adolescent digital writing and uncovers the essential aspects of a welcoming online writing community according to adolescents themselves. Nine youth moderators were recruited to partner with eight adults from a master's adolescent literacy course to build a digital writing community, Write4Change, on a new platform. Over eight-weeks, the partners reflected on inquiry questions and created materials for the community, housed on a Discord server. Preliminary findings indicate that youth desire a clear and shared purpose for their writing in such a space, as well as encouragement to engage in multimodal ways. Further analysis this spring will focus on the types of digital writing produced by the youth moderators, with implications for engaging adolescent writers in digital spaces both outside and inside schools.

Author

• Mary Elizabeth Talian, University of Pennsylvania
  Presenting Author