Multimodal Composition

As far as multimodal composition goes, my experience is limited. During my first semester at UW-Milwaukee, one of my classes required students to use VoiceThread to create a final project about the importance of culture in America. At the time, the project was incredibly frustrating for me because my exposure to digital storytelling was nonexistent and the class was left to their own devices, given no guidance, as to how to compose their project. That being said, I definitely see the benefits of using such technologies in the classroom. In his textbook “The Digital Writing Workshop” Troy Hicks writes, “Writing multimedia texts both honors our traditional understanding of what good writing is while at the same time offers us new definitions of what makes. . . a compelling lead, effective characterizations, and successful use of repetition for rhetorical effect” (54). Multimodal composition exposes students to new ways of thinking and presenting one's understanding on a topic. While the traditional printed essay is still important in the classroom, multimodal composition allows for more student creativity and in turn, strengthens student engagement as they are being asked to dabble in new literacies. As Hicks writes about, multimodal composition requires students to think very carefully about words, pictures, and presentation. Most multimodal compositions are not as dense as, say, a 5-page essay would be; there is less room for fluff and more emphasis on being very selective and calculating with the many choices that need to be made when composing a piece.

In my future teaching, I like the idea of using multimodal composition for assignments that diverge from the traditional 5-paragraph essays, like with assignments that perhaps ask for students to retell a personal experience or vocalize their personal opinions on a subject. I feel as though assignments that have a personal element to them may inspire a bit more creativity in students, and multimodal composition would be the perfect outlet for that. I would also argue it is easier for students to get carried away with assignments that are a bit more subjective, so asking them to frame their story using different media might help them cut down on unnecessary details as they would have to think critically about what matters most in their story. Multimodal composition requires creativity, but it also requires students to think deeply about what is most important in their presentation as they are given limited time and space.

Andrea Lunsford wrote aninteresting post on multimodal composition that I think many of you might like to check out. She looks at something calling mapping andhow it operates in the classroom.