Some thoughts on designing and assessing Digital and Multimodal Writing Assignments
Scott L. Rogers March 25, 2014
all about me
Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Composition
Ohio Northern University
Ph.D. University of Louisville (2011)
Media Production Background
Writing Teacher/Administrator
Teaching Interests: Connecting New Media with Community, Place, and Professional Development
Who are you?
Take a few minutes to write down:
How you currently use digital technologies for teaching?
If you don't currently use digital technologies, what kinds of things might you like to do?
Workshop Goals
Think about assessment and assignment design in relation to multimodal and digital writing.
Consider examples of multimodal and digital writing projects .
Apply technologies and assessment plans to current or prospective course assignments (across the disciplines).
This is not an argument for technology
(okay, so maybe it is a little bit)
Key Concern:
FREE!
Technologies:
WordPress...Open-Source CMS
WeVideo...Web-based editing software
Prezi...Web-based presentation software
Quickly, three rules of thumb
Start with process and assessment first. What do we want students to do or accomplish and how do we plan to determine/measure that they've achieved the goals?
Validate technology but not at the expense of rich, critical thinking and writing.
Students don't know as much as we sometimes think they do.
Structures/systems for assessment
{see your handout for more detail}
National Writing Project
Borton and Huot, 2007
Odell and Katz, 2009
All three models stress the importance of designing assessments with students and encouraging sustained, focused self-assessment.
From Users
to Makers
Keys to assignment planning :
Build in plenty of time.
Identify audience and purpose from the start.
Student...Reflection
Instructor...Demonstration
Other Audiences...Context-Driven
Start with outcomes...involve students in the assessment planning and review process.
Work from examples; not to replicate but to inspire.
The trick to using Prezi for something other than presentations is to prioritize spatial over linear organization. Prezi can mimic Powerpoint but it doesn't have to.