Purpose: In college writing classes, you often write “traditional” essays. These traditional essays often look the same: paragraphs made up of black, Times New Roman font spaced evenly on a page of white paper. However, in addition to writing, or composing, traditional essays, you might also be asked to compose a multimodal text. A multimodal text is one that “exceed[s] the alphabetic and may include still and moving images, animations, color, words, music and sound” (Takayoshi and Selfe).
The choice of media for multimodal text creation is therefore always an important consideration. A multimodal text can be paper – such as books, comics, posters. A multimodal text can be digital – from slide presentations, e-books, blogs, e-posters, web pages, and social media to podcasts, animation, film, and video games. And a multimodal text can be live – a performance or an event. While this is not an exhaustive list, it does demonstrate how common multimodal texts are, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Assignment: This task has two parts: a multimodal presentation and a Writer’s Statement. You will engage with media to research an aspect of the course theme and produce a multimodal text (visual essay) engaging an audience and creatively illustrating the course theme. The visual essay will involve layering a range of text types to convey meaning, such as music and song lyrics, images, memes, media excerpts, quotes etc. You should arrange layers of texts and edits in order to make an impact on the audience. You will also compose a Writer’s Statement in which you introduce context, audience, and purpose as well as justify your creative decisions.
Requirements and Required Elements:
- Multimodal project/visual essay: 3 to 4 minutes
- Locate 3-5 internet or social media texts that shed light on the course theme.
- Read/listen to/view each text and select 3-4 key quotes that encapsulate the purpose, tone or key ideas in the story (or illustrate how mass media projects the course theme).
- Gather images, GIFs, video footage, speeches, memes, and media files that either reflect your view or the view in the texts you have selected.
- Compose your visual essay by layering texts, images, sound, animations and transitions to reflect the key message in your essay. Your visual essay should have an introduction (orientation) – a body (3-4 different aspects of the issue) and a conclusion (a strong message for the audience). The purpose is to engage the audience!
- Writer’s Statement: approximately 750 words
- An introduction of the social and/or historical context of the course theme and the way it is portrayed in mass media and social media, and a statement about your own perspective on the theme. (150-200 words)
- A justification of the song accompanying the visual elements in the essay. How does it add meaning to your multimodal presentation? Refer to lines/quotes from the lyrics and explain how you interpret the message of the song and how you have portrayed this message through facts and images. (150-200 words)
- A reflection of how internet and social media texts portray the course theme. Explain why you have included the quotes from media and how you have selected visual elements to extend ideas in your visual essay. (150-200 words). For example:
- What are the purpose, tone, and key ideas about the issue in each text? How have you responded to these ideas in your visual essay?
- How do you engage with your audience and add to our common perception of the course theme?
- A statement about the type of imagery you have selected to accompany the text and soundtrack and to engage the audience. (150-200 words)
- What predominant color palette (range of what colors or black & white)?
- Recurring motifs and symbols
- Sequencing, editing, and composition
Tips for Success:
- See separate handout on Creating Multimodal Projects
Timeline:
Presentation of multimodal project in Week 16
Learning Outcomes:
o Identify and analyze the elements that affect the writing situation—purpose, audience needs, stance, style, and format/structure.
o Demonstrate the relationship between critical thinking, reading, and writing techniques.
o Use a flexible and recursive process for writing.
o Demonstrate a knowledge of conventions—organization, format, grammar, citations, mechanics, style, syntax, and MLA citations.
o Use electronic technology in the research and writing process.
