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Digital Interference: Challenges in Teaching Multimodal Projects in First-Year Composition

by Greg Gillespie | Xchanges 19.1, Spring 2025


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Contents

Introduction

Complicating Multimodality

Trouble with Training and Professional Development (PD)

Self-Reliance

Institutional Barriers

Recommendations

Conclusion

References

About the Author

Introduction

The term “digital” has become almost a buzzword in higher education: the assumption being that if students are doing things that are “digital,” they must be preparing to enter STEM fields. This makes university administrators happy as they can advertise degree outcomes that align with the industries that dominate our media’s discourse which often emphasizes STEM over the humanities. But when we introduce multimodal writing into the composition curriculum, the digital domain is where our expectations first land, flattening the value that the multi plays. After completing my year of teaching Composition I & II at a large R1 public institution in the southeastern U.S., I witnessed a lack of support that is specific for multimodal assignments. While there is administrative support for including multimodal writing into the curriculum, the literature reveals a continuing lack of technical support to make these projects attainable for all levels of instructors (DePalma & Alexander, 2018; Eidman-Aadahl & O’Donnell-Allen, 2012; Flynn, 2018; Lee, 2018). My experience as a Graduate Teaching Associate (GTA) reaffirms these perceptions as I struggled to engage with university resources and the ability to access training opportunities. This article contextualizes the narrative of my approaches in teaching multimodal composition to provide specific recommendations for graduate program administrators and faculty.

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Posted by nicole_oconnell on Apr 17, 2025 in Issue 19.1

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