Abstract:

Multimodal composition involves the use of multiple modes to create meaning, such as images, words, sound, animation, music, etc. (Anderson et al., 2006). It entails the “skillful interweaving and layering” of modes “to create a synergistic message” (Smith, 2017, p. 29) - for example, students create a video with voice layered over images and written text to communicate a message. Mediums like video open up possibilities for meaning through the arrangement and combination of different modes. Although multimodal texts such as videos and websites surround us, students are often not asked to create these kinds of texts in academic writing classrooms where print-based literacies remain dominant. This study is in response to the need to expose students to multiple forms of literacy to prepare them for communication in the digital world.

In this presentation I will first discuss interview data from participants who created two digital multimodal projects in an academic writing course in the UAE. The first project was a website to engage with the content of the course. Students created these websites to review material related to academic writing and research methodology. The second multimodal project was a video representing a research project students completed in the course. Students converted their written research report into a video to communicate their research problem, methods, and findings through this digital format.

Also, I will show examples of these student projects for audience members who may be interested in using multimodal approaches in their own teaching practice. Finally, I will discuss the benefits of digital multimodal approaches from the perspectives of the participants in this study, while also discussing some of the challenges and limitations participants faced.

Keywords:

Multimodal composition, academic writing, websites, video.