{"id":2050,"date":"2020-02-25T18:18:15","date_gmt":"2020-02-25T23:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/teaching-writing\/?page_id=2050"},"modified":"2021-05-12T09:28:16","modified_gmt":"2021-05-12T13:28:16","slug":"multimodality-in-the-writing-classroom","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/teaching-writing\/resources-for-teaching-writing\/guides-tips\/multimodality-in-the-writing-classroom\/","title":{"rendered":"Multimodality in the Writing Classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Multimodality<\/a> in the writing classroom refers to the use of different modes, such as written, oral, non-verbal, and visual, to communicate and persuade. Lutkewitte (2014) refers to multimodal composition as composition using multiple modes<\/a> that work purposely to create meaning.<\/p>\n

What does a multimodal class look like?<\/h3>
Students in our classes work on assignments that draw on multiple modes that might include words, images, graphics, animation, sounds, or video. They have opportunities to process information through listening, speaking, reading, writing, and visual representation as well as opportunities to showcase knowledge through oral presentations and videos. They make arguments through text, images, and video, they work on using presentation media effectively, and they participate in class discussions both orally and online. <\/p>\n

Through remediation, our students transform material that is in one genre or mode to another. They enhance their rhetorical skills and reflect on the process of creating and conveying ideas by preserving the original material, while adapting it to the requirements of the new form. By exposing students to the different ways and forms in which information and ideas can be communicated, our classes build on the language, visual and oral skills, and multicultural backgrounds of our students. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

The future of multimodal classes<\/h3>
There are some questions to consider as we move forward with a multimodal focus:<\/p>\n