Composing for Affect, Audience, and Identity: Toward a Multidimensional Understanding of Adolescents’ Multimodal Composing Goals and Designs

Abstract

This study examined adolescents’ perspectives on their multimodal composing goals and designs when creating digital projects in the context of an English Language Arts class. Sociocultural and social semiotics theoretical frameworks were integrated to understand six 12th grade students’ viewpoints when composing three multimodal products—a website, hypertext literary analysis, and podcast—in response to a well-known literary text. Data sources included screen capture and video observations, design interviews, written reflections, and multimodal products. Findings revealed how adolescents concurrently composed for multiple purposes and audiences during the literature analysis unit. In particular, students viewed projects as a platform to emotionally affect and entertain a broader audience, as well as a conduit through which they could represent themselves as composers. Emphasis was placed on creating cohesive compositions—ranging from close modal matching to building meaning at a thematic level and creating a multisensory experience indicative of the novel’s narrative world. These findings contribute a multidimensional understanding of adolescents’ various and interacting multimodal composing goals and have implications for leveraging modal affordances in the classroom.

Composing print essays versus composing across modes: students' multimodal choices and overall preferences

“…Young adolescents' experience with composing beyond the print modality has also been investigated by various researchers (Smith, 2017, 2018, 2019; Vasudevan et al, 2010). Smith (2017) analysed a group of urban 12th‐grade students' composing processes across three multimodal projects – informational web page, hypertext literacy analysis and audio letter.…”

“…Hafner & Miller, 2011; Jiang, 2017, 2018; Yeh, 2018). Unlike previous studies which prescribed learners to complete certain types of multimodal projects (Gunsberg, 2015; Kirchoff & Cook, 2016; Smith, 2017, 2018, 2019; Vasudevan et al, 2010), the current study did not restrict students on their choices of mediums. The collected data will therefore contribute to our understanding of how multilingual students convey meaning in different mediums and modal combinations in a language they are trying to master.…”

La formation Bricoleur : un modèle informé par les expériences et voix du personnel enseignant

“…Nous les avons incités à réfléchir à partir de ces artéfacts, par exemple en précisant un gazouilli publié durant la formation, pour permettre une compréhension multidimensionnelle des expériences vécues (Smith, 2018). La durée moyenne des entrevues était de 30 minutes.…”

Students’ discursive moves in two distinct literacy modes: Comparing approaches in a grade 10 English classroom

“…Adolescents participating in these online affinity spaces receive immediate feedback, placing them directly “among the audience” (Lunsford and Ede, 2009). Users are more likely to consider how their (anonymized) audience would evaluate their finished products (Lammers, 2016; Magnifico, 2010; Schwartz, 2014; Smith, 2018). The bifurcation of new literacies into those occurring outside or inside the classroom may be a false dichotomy anyway because students use technologies to collaborate on schoolwork even without teacher direction (Beach, 2012; Leander et al., 2010).…”